Fighting continues in Libya

TRIPOLI.
Fighting continued in Libya yesterday with Tripoli quieter but ports closed and turmoil in most of the east.
Libyan soldiers in the eastern city of Tobruk told a Reuters correspondent yesterday they no longer backed Muammar Gaddafi and said the eastern region was out of the Libyan leader’s control.
Residents also said the city was now in the hands of the people and had been so for about three days. They said smoke rising above the city was from a munitions store bombed by troops loyal to one of Gaddafi’s sons.
“All the eastern regions are out of Gaddafi’s control now . . . The people and the army are hand-in-hand here,” said the now former army major Hany Saad Marjaa.
Gaddafi scoffed at reports he was fleeing after four decades in power in a brief television appearance. He was due to speak to the nation last night.
He was to announce reforms and a plan to devolve power to local governments and give them control over their budgets, satellite news channel Al Arabiya reported yesterday, quoting Libyan state television.
Warplanes bombed portions of the capital Tripoli yesterday in new attacks in the Mediterranean coastal city, and mercenaries fired on civilians, Al Jazeera reported.
Hundreds of refugees streamed into Egypt yesterday, piled onto tractors and trucks, describing a wave of killing and banditry unleashed by the revolt.
Egypt’s new military rulers reinforced their border with Libya yesterday and opened the frontier round-the-clock to thousands fleeing the turmoil unleashed by the revolt against Gaddafi.
Egypt, which borders Libya to the east, was planning to send at least four aircraft to evacuate its citizens from Tripoli, pending permission from Libyan air traffic authorities.
The Egyptian foreign minister said Libya had said two Egyptian military aircraft could land to collect Egyptian workers, but it was not immediately clear when and at which airport. He said runways at Benghazi airport had been destroyed in the turmoil.
The Libyan side of Egypt’s border was controlled yesterday by men armed with clubs and Kalashnikov assault rifles opposed to Gaddafi, a Reuters correspondent reported.
One held up a picture of Gaddafi, upside down, and defaced with the words “The butcher tyrant, murderer of Libyans”, the correspondent said from the town of Musaid on the Libyan side of the border.
Egypt’s armed forces said on Monday night that Libyan border guards had withdrawn and the Libyan side of the border was in control of “people’s committees”, without giving details about their allegiances.
Refugees fleeing the turmoil in Libya described scenes of chaos and marauding gangs as they tried to escape.
“You leave Benghazi and then you have . . . nothing but gangs and youths with weapons,” Mohamed Jalaly (40) told Reuters at the border on his way to Cairo from Benghazi. – AFP.
The Cairo government has declared Libya responsible for the safety of its citizens after Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, accused Egyptians of involvement in the turmoil – an accusation Egypt has said was made “without any clear basis”.

“We know there are about one million to 1,5 million Egyptians in Libya, therefore we recommend to our citizens that you stay in your homes, stay off the streets, secure yourselves with water and food,” Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.
The Egyptian military has set up field hospitals on its side of the border.
Violence that has rocked Libya in the last few days is the work of gangs of delinquent youths manipulated by foreign forces including Al Qaeda, Libya’s defence ministry said yesterday. – AFP.

Protests against the government of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli and other cities have left hundreds dead at the hands of the security forces, witnesses and human rights groups have said.
“With regard to this phenomenon that is terrorising citizens, halting commerce, frightening merchants and consumers, and threatens to cut civilian services such as health and education, some youths and adults obtained weapons by robbing army storehouses,” the statement read out on Libyan state television said.
“They are criminals.”
“The … (military command) was given the task of supporting public security forces with military forces in order to purge the country of these terrorist gangs.”
“What is happening in Libya is just a group of youths who were exploited by other people belonging to foreign circles, al Qaeda and other suspicious circles.”
The protests in OPEC member Libya has driven oil prices sharply higher, with U.S. crude for April delivery rising at one stage to almost $99, around a two-and-a-half-year high.
As the fighting has intensified across the country, cracks appeared among Gaddafi supporters. Some ambassadors resigning and calling for his removal, the justice minister resigned in protest and a group of army officers urged soldiers to “join the people”. Two pilots flew their warplanes to nearby Malta.
Gaddafi’s son Saif on Sunday vowed his father would keep fighting “until the last man standing” and the Libyan leader appeared on television after days of seclusion to dismiss reports he had fled to Venezuela, ruled by his friend President Hugo Chavez.
“I want to show that I’m in Tripoli and not in Venezuela. Do not believe the channels belonging to stray dogs,” said Gaddafi, who has ruled Libya with a mixture of populism and tight control since taking power in a military coup in 1969.
Most Arab nations and world powers have condemned the use of force against protesters, with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon accusing Libya of firing on civilians from warplanes and helicopters.
“This must stop immediately,” said Ban, adding he had spoken to Gaddafi and urged him to halt attacks on protesters. The Security Council was to discuss Libya at 1400 GMT, diplomats said.
Arab League ambassadors were to meet in emergency session in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss Libya, and the United States and Europe have demanded a halt to the killing of protesters.
The violence has triggered a revolt by Libya’s diplomats, its ambassador to India, Ali al-Essawi, resigning over the crackdown and telling Reuters that African mercenaries had been recruited to help put down protests.
“The fall of Gaddafi is the imperative of the people in streets,” he said.
Demonstrations have spread to Tripoli from the second city Benghazi, cradle of the revolt that has engulfed a number of towns and which residents say is now in the hands of protestors.
Residents said anxious shoppers were queuing outside stores to try to stock up on food and drink. Some shops were closed.
In Tripoli, one resident said locals were patrolling their neighbourhood at night to protect it from roaming mercenaries, reporting sniper fire and the use of military transport helicopters to ferry security forces about.
Cairo said Libyan guards had withdrawn from their side of the border. Egypt’s new military rulers — who took power following the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak on Feb.11 — said the main crossing would be kept open round-the-clock to allow the sick and wounded to enter.
ENERGY DISRUPTION
Trade sources reported operatations at all three main Libyan ports had been closed due to the unrest and others said gas supplies from Libya to Italy had slowed since Late Monday.