Libyan rebels criticize NATO
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China.org.cn, April 6, 2011
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The head of Libyan rebel forces Abdelfatah Yunis, former interior minister in Col. Moamer Kadhafis regime, gestures as he speaks during a press conference held in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, in eastern Libya, on April 05, 2011, where he accused NATO-led aircraft of standing idly by while loyalist troops killed residents of the besieged third city of Misrata. [Xinhua] |
Rebel commander says coalition forces are not doing enough to protect civilians, as Gaddafi's forces take key oil town of Brega.
Abdel-Fattah Younis, chief of staff for the rebel military and Gadhafi's former interior minister, slammed NATO Tuesday for failing to carry out airstrikes and blocking a shipment of weapons and relief supplies that was headed to a city where fighting has raged for weeks.
"If NATO listens to us and takes our requests seriously, this war won't last long," said rebel Chief-of-Staff Gen., in an interview at a safe house in a rural suburb of Benghazi.
"NATO should be with us or we will ask the [Transitional National Council, the rebel government] to raise this to the Security Council. This is a dangerous situation," Younis said.
NATO's daily report showed that its aircraft flew 154 sorties over Libya on Sunday.
According to the report, NATO planes took off 154 times and performed 58 "strike sorties" on Sunday, the fourth day since the alliance assumed full control over the military campaign against Libya.
In the first four days of the NATO mission, NATO aircraft have conducted a total of 701 sorties and 276 "strike sorties."
