FTAGOD
New member
NATO warplanes repeatedly hit targets in Tripoli early Tuesday in what appears to be the heaviest night of bombing of the Libyan capital since the Western alliance launched its air campaign against Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
More than 20 NATO airstrikes in less than half an hour set off thunderous booms that rattled windows and sent heavy plumes of smoke wafting over the city, including from an area close to the sprawling Gadhafi compound, indicating it was a target.
Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said at least three people were killed and dozens wounded in NATO strikes that targeted what he described as buildings used by volunteer units of the Libyan army,
As jets whooshed low over the city, anti-aircraft fire crackled in response. People could be heard screaming and shouting outside a hotel where journalists are staying. Pro-Gadhafi loyalists beeped their car horns and fired guns, shouting their support for the Libyan leader.
Observers described the bombing as the heaviest attack on the Libyan capital since NATO began its air campaign on March 19 after the passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution to protect civilians after Gadhafi responded to the public uprising against his rule by unleashing his military and his militias.
On Monday, the highest-ranking U.S. diplomat in the Middle East was in the de facto rebel capital of Benghazi in eastern Libya in a show of support on Monday while in Europe, France and Britain pledged to deploy attack helicopters to help the rebel cause.
A State Department statement called the visit by Jeffrey Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, "another signal of the U.S.'s support" for the rebels' National Transitional Council, which it called "a legitimate and credible interlocutor for the Libyan people."
Several countries, including France and Italy, have recognized the NTC, while the United States, Britain and others have established a diplomatic presence in Benghazi.
Libya's rebels have scrambled to organize their fighters and create a political leadership since the outbreak in mid-February of the uprising that seeks to oust Gadhafi, in power for more than four decades.
Rebels now control the populated coastal strip in the country's east and the western port city of Misrata, which Gadhafi's forces have besieged for months. They also control pockets in Libya's western Nafusa mountain range.
On Monday, the French defense minister announced that France and Britain would deploy attack helicopters in Libya as soon as possible. Gerard Longuet said the helicopters would be used to target military equipment, such as Libyan tanker and ammunition trucks in crowded urban areas, while limiting civilian casualties.
Despite NATO bombing runs, the rebels have not been able to break Gadhafi's grip on the west of the country, including the capital Tripoli.
The U.S. diplomat, Feltman, plans to meet with council head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil and others before his scheduled departure on Tuesday. He declined to answer questions Monday by a reporter from The Associated Press.
More than 20 NATO airstrikes in less than half an hour set off thunderous booms that rattled windows and sent heavy plumes of smoke wafting over the city, including from an area close to the sprawling Gadhafi compound, indicating it was a target.
Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said at least three people were killed and dozens wounded in NATO strikes that targeted what he described as buildings used by volunteer units of the Libyan army,
As jets whooshed low over the city, anti-aircraft fire crackled in response. People could be heard screaming and shouting outside a hotel where journalists are staying. Pro-Gadhafi loyalists beeped their car horns and fired guns, shouting their support for the Libyan leader.
Observers described the bombing as the heaviest attack on the Libyan capital since NATO began its air campaign on March 19 after the passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution to protect civilians after Gadhafi responded to the public uprising against his rule by unleashing his military and his militias.
On Monday, the highest-ranking U.S. diplomat in the Middle East was in the de facto rebel capital of Benghazi in eastern Libya in a show of support on Monday while in Europe, France and Britain pledged to deploy attack helicopters to help the rebel cause.
A State Department statement called the visit by Jeffrey Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, "another signal of the U.S.'s support" for the rebels' National Transitional Council, which it called "a legitimate and credible interlocutor for the Libyan people."
Several countries, including France and Italy, have recognized the NTC, while the United States, Britain and others have established a diplomatic presence in Benghazi.
Libya's rebels have scrambled to organize their fighters and create a political leadership since the outbreak in mid-February of the uprising that seeks to oust Gadhafi, in power for more than four decades.
Rebels now control the populated coastal strip in the country's east and the western port city of Misrata, which Gadhafi's forces have besieged for months. They also control pockets in Libya's western Nafusa mountain range.
On Monday, the French defense minister announced that France and Britain would deploy attack helicopters in Libya as soon as possible. Gerard Longuet said the helicopters would be used to target military equipment, such as Libyan tanker and ammunition trucks in crowded urban areas, while limiting civilian casualties.
Despite NATO bombing runs, the rebels have not been able to break Gadhafi's grip on the west of the country, including the capital Tripoli.
The U.S. diplomat, Feltman, plans to meet with council head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil and others before his scheduled departure on Tuesday. He declined to answer questions Monday by a reporter from The Associated Press.
