Libyan government forces stopped the pro-imperialist assault on Muammar Gadaffi’s home town of Sirte and drove back the counter-revolutionary forces yesterday.
A Pentagon spokesman in Washington, Vice-Admiral Bill Gortney, admitted that because the Libyan rebels were disorganised, any military gains that had been made for them by NATO airpower would be tenuous.
He admitted the rebels were clearly benefiting from the NATO role. It is using heavily-armed low-flying aircraft against government forces.
Ships from the US Sixth Fleet attacked three Libyan ships in the port of Misrata, west of Sirte, leading to the destruction of one of the vessels, the beaching of another, and the third was abandoned, US Navy officials said.
Meanwhile, ‘Hands off Libya’ demanded 200 Libyans and 50 Stop the War protesters outside the Lancaster House talks hosted by British PM Cameron in central London yesterday afternoon.
One of the protesters, Hamza, told News Line: ‘This demonstration is against the airstrikes on Libya. Every day there are civilians killed by bombing.
‘The Libyan government has accepted the resolution 1973 on a no-fly zone, so why are we now being bombed?
‘They say peaceful protesters are being killed, but these people all have guns.
‘Any government has the right to defend itself from armed attackers.
‘We have seen the democracy brought to Iraq – the country has been destroyed with a million people killed.
‘They now say “Sorry but we found no weapons of mass destruction”.
‘Gadaffi has armed the Libyan people. If the people were opposed to him, he would be taking the arms from them.’
Another Hamza, whose family is from Sabah, told News Line: ‘Yesterday more than 25 people were killed in Sabah by bombing. Everyone is scared, so they are sleeping in the desert.’
Marwa Issa said: ‘I will say as a warning to those countries that are bombing Libya that if they want to kill Gadaffi they will have to kill us all first.
‘The ones who are saying Gadaffi should go are not Libyan citizens.’
Ali Musbah also condemned the bombing. ‘Over 250 people were killed by air attacks on Libya yesterday – why?’
Hanin Mohamed said: ‘No-one can interfere in another nation’s problems, people must be allowed to sort out their own country.
‘They want to steal Libyan oil. Many of my British friends agree with me.’
Aiesha condemned the governments of Britain, France and the US. ‘They have a wicked agenda – they are after our oil.
‘Why do they not attack Bahrain, Yemen or Saudi Arabia, where there are peaceful protesters being killed.’
