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final plan to finish Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
Before flying to Washington last night, Dr Fox warned the dictator and his commanders they face assassination unless they give up now.
He said: ‘If the regime continues to wage war on its people, those who are involved in those command-and-control assets need to recognise that we regard them as legitimate targets.
‘Those who are . . . controlling the regime’s activities against its own people, would have to recognise the risks they would have if they were there during Nato strikes.’
He added: ‘Colonel Gaddafi is the one who is standing in the way of a peaceful resolution in Libya.’
Yesterday’s summit saw Dr Fox and General Sir David Richards, the Chief of the Defence Staff, hold talks with Pentagon chiefs including US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff.
They will discuss dramatically widening the scope of targets that Nato aircraft and drones can hit, possibly to include regime leaders.
It comes after a Nato air strike flattened a building in Gaddafi’s Tripoli compound in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Libyan officials claimed it was an attempt to kill their leader. British defence sources said they did not know if the dictator was present but made clear they are prepared to kill him to protect civilians.
Commanders believe Gaddafi has suffered significant military setbacks in recent days and want to ‘exploit emerging opportunities’ to finally force him from power.
Sources admitted that talks on ‘greater precise targeting’ by unmanned drones would be on the table today. Two American Predator drones, used to assassinate Al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan, are now in the skies over Libya.
And last night Italy authorised its jets to bomb military targets in Libya. Previously Italian warplanes had only joined patrols of the no-fly zone.
British commanders will urge the Americans to assist in attacks on Gaddafi’s fuel dumps and ammunition depots to remove the threat of his tanks to opposition forces.
Targeted air strikes have been successful in undermining the regime’s attacks on the town of Misrata.
‘I’m cautiously optimistic about what has happened in recent days,’ Dr Fox said.
‘We have also had some success in targeting the regime’s assets, cutting off the supply lines on a number of fronts. They are running out of ammunition. They are running out of fuel.’
The UK also wants more effort to help the naval blockade of Libya, which has prevented refined petroleum products getting into Gaddafi’s hands to fuel his war effort.
Targeting hospitals? Fires are seen burning around what is said to be hospital buildings in an area purported to be in Misrata in an image taken from an unverified rebel video
In Misrata yesterday there was more evidence of the regime’s fighters using human shields to protect themselves.
Among the dozens of civilian dead and injured arriving in convoys of ambulances were Abdal Mufta Bel-Noor, eight, and Nadia, his five-year-old sister.
The children were killed after a night of heavy artillery and rocket strikes in civilian areas – 48 hours after Gaddafi announced his withdrawal. – Daily Mail.
Online Reporter