Once again, Tripoli upbeat rock from air strikes of NATO France

TRIPOLI  - NATO has conducted its heaviest airstrikes against the capital of the Libya in more than two months of bombing, optimistic comments from the France and the Uhited States on the progress made towards ending rule Muammar Gaddafi.

Six loud explosions rocked Tripoli later Tuesday in 10 minutes, powerful following 24 hours earlier, including a compound of Kadhafi, that Libyan officials said killed 19 people and State television, blames on "crossed colonialists" frappes

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Tuesday that NATO attacks campaign progresses and is expected to reach its objectives in the following months. An official of the alliance said strike early Tuesday was "the most concentrated to date".

France, Great Britain, and the United States direct the air strikes, which began on March 19, after the United Nations Security Council authorized "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from the forces of Qaddafi as he sought to crush an uprising against his regime of 41 years.

The three countries have declared that they will be follow the campaign until Gaddafi leaves power. Juppe optimistic assessment came after the US said that departure of the Libyan leader was inevitable.

"There is more centres of resistance (to Qaddafi), particularly in the West," Juppe said at a session of questions and answers to the French Parliament. "The defections accelerate."

"I can assure you that our commitment is to ensure that the mission in Libya does not last more than a few months."

France said this week that it would deploy attack helicopters to ensure more accurate of the attacks against the forces of Gaddafi incorporated among the civilian population of the cities Libyan. Britain said on Tuesday that it planned to do the same.

Military analysts said these plans and the intensification of Tripoli bombing reflect Western culture of the concerns that the civil war of the Libya was indecisive dragging on. But they said that the new movements might not be enough to tip the balance quickly.

While critics argue that NATO has exceeded its mandate, the rebels are complained of Western forces are not enough to break the army of Gaddafi.

Kadhafi denies its civilian forces from the target, and said rebels, who control the East of the country, are criminals, oil-producing religious extremists and members of al-Qaeda.

The United States has reinforced the credentials of the base of Benghazi rebel National Council of transition as a potential Government pending Tuesday when a sent U.S. invited to put in place a representative office in Washington.

Unlike the France, the Italy and the Qatar, the United States has not established formal diplomatic ties with the rebels.

Jordan said on Tuesday, he recognized the rebel Council as a legitimate representative of the people of the Libya and planned to open an Office in Benghazi.

The Libyan news agency Jana said targets hit by NATO Tuesday included a mosque in Tripoli called Nuri Bani, although this could not be independently verified.

A French newspaper reported that Gaddafi was tired of fighting a civil war under the constant pressure of NATO bombs and that he should resign if allowed to remain in his country.

France evening, citing "reliable sources close to power Libyan", said people in the entourage of Gaddafi had been held secret meetings with the representatives of Western countries, including the France, for weeks.

He said Kadhafi, traumatized by the death of a son and three grandchildren in a raid by NATO, was tired of life as a man tracked and spent several hours a day watching Arab news channels and surf news on ArabicEnglish, French and Italian websites. In its public statements, Kadhafi has promised to fight until death.

(Reported by Joseph Logan in Tripoli, David Brunnstrom Brussels, Jan Harvey in Tunis, Hamid Ould Ahmed in Algiers, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Mohammed Abbas in Misrata, Sherine El coarse Benghazi, Nick Vinocur Paris; written by Peter Millership; editing by Mark Trevelyan)

The strikes of NATO near Tripoli Gaddafi's compound

 NATO, staged an airstrike near consisting of Muammar al-Gaddafi in Tripoli, later Saturday and an opposition website said Libyan Government shelled residential areas outside the rebel-held town of Misrata.

Libyan officials said the alliance had attacked near Bab al-Azizia complex of Gaddafi and Reuters television images showed a column of smoke that rises on the capital.

However, no there was no immediate word on what was the target of the attack, and reporters escorted by Libyan officials were unable to approach the site.

NATO said its campaign paralyzed the ability of Tripoli to the attack of the rebels trying to overthrow Gaddafi and effectively forced Libyan leader went into hiding. Throughout the conflict was deadlocked as rebels advance on Tripoli attempts are at a standstill.

Earlier Saturday, the opposition Brnieq newspaper reported on its website, shelling of the outskirts of East and West of the Misrata damaged houses, but no one was injured. No there was no independent confirmation of the attack.

Three months after the start of the uprising against the dominance of four decades of Gaddafi, rebel control oil production is of the country and pockets to the West, including the port city of Misrata, where hundreds have died in a seat and the weeks of fierce fighting.

NATO says its bombing campaign against the Libyan Government forces helped rebels to consolidate their positions in Misrata, the city of the West only in the hands of the rebels.

The alliance took command of a mission of the United Nations has authorized there almost two months to stop the forces of Gaddafi attacking civilians, Western Governments, including the United States, Britain and the France are under pressure to show results.

NATO said that he carried out 157 air Friday. Its objectives included a command and control node and a deposit of storage of armoured vehicle near Tripoli and three launchers for surface-to-air missiles on Syrte, hometown of Gaddafi.

Tripoli calls rebel criminals and al-Qaeda activists and said NATO bombing is an assault by the Western nations bent on grabbing the Libya oil.

SNIPERS, MERCENARIES

Libyans armed with guns and a knife stormed a bus carrying foreign Tripoli journalists Saturday and a soldier fired bursts of gunfire into the air to disperse the crowd, said a journalist of Reuters on the bus.

No one was hurt in the attack, but it reflects the anger in the territory controlled by the Government on gasoline shortages, NATO air strikes and the media of State and Government of reports that the foreign media distort the news.

In the contested region of the mountains of the West, Gaddafi forces surround in the eastern part of Ryna, positioned snipers on rooftops, kidnapping young men and looting stores, place Jemaa Ibrahim, a rebel in Zintan neartold Reuters by telephone Saturday.

The soldiers, which included African mercenaries, asked residents to leave their homes and many fled under duress, some from Zintan, he said. No there was no independent confirmation of its report.

Strong earthquake strikes off the coast of Papua New Guinea

SYDNEY - officials issued a local tsunami alert after a strong earthquake struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea, Monday. There was no immediate report of damage or injuries.

The 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit 76 miles (122 km) West of Arawa, the capital of the province of Bougainville, at a depth of 27 miles (43), said the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that no there was no threat of a destructive, widespread tsunami. But the Agency indicated earthquakes of this size can sometimes generate tsunamis along the coasts in the 60 miles (100 km) from the epicentre.

Bill Yomba, an official from the Centre of the Papua New Guinea National of the disaster, said no there was no report of any tsunami hitting the coast and officials had not received all the reports of injuries or damage.

Earthquakes of this magnitude are relatively common in Papua New Guinea. The country is on the "ring of fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic areas that extends around the Pacific region and produce about 90 percent of the earthquakes of the world.

NATO strikes target compound Gaddafi: witnesses

TRIPOLI  - NATO carried out a number of attacks of missiles on targets in the region of Tripoli Tuesday that appeared to include leader compound Libyan Muammar Gaddafi, said witnesses.

Gaddafi is not appeared publicly since April 30, when an air strike by NATO on a house in the capital killed his youngest son and three grandchildren.

Libyan officials said four children were wounded, two of them seriously, by shrapnel of glass caused by explosions of NATO strikes in the region of Tripoli of the day to the next day.

Officials showed foreign journalists a hospital in the Libyan capital, where some Windows were reeling, apparently because of the waves from the explosion of a NATO strike that toppled a nearby communications tower.

Journalists have also been taken to a government building housing the High Commission for children which had been completely destroyed. The old colonial building had been damaged before what officials said was a NATO bombardment on April 30.

"The direction of at least an explosion suggests composed of Gaddafi has been taken to target," said a witness.

No other information is immediately available. But Tripoli explosions occurred on a backdrop of an impasse in the insurgency to unseat Gaddafi and the dilemma resulting for the Western powers on the desirability to provide clandestine aid to the rebels.

Monday, said rebels deposits of weapons of NATO bombed Government four times in the day, about 30 km (20 miles) southeast of Zintan, a town in the region of the Western mountains near Tunisia, where the conflict intensifies.

"The site has a few underground hangars 72 in reinforced concrete." We do not know how many have been destroyed. But every time that the aircraft struck, we have heard multiple explosions, a spokesman for the rebels, who gave his name as Abdulrahman said by telephone.

An another rebel spokesman said aircraft also struck around Tamina Chantine, East of Misrata, where the besieged rebels hang on in the last city they control in the West of the Libya.

The forces of Gaddafi led a fierce attack on Misrata, and hundreds have been killed in weeks of fighting.

Brnieq said rebel Libyan opposition newspaper were leading an uprising in the suburbs of Tripoli after being supplied with arms by agents of the security cancellation of the registration service.

The report on the Web site of the log cannot be verified independently. A Reuters reporter said he could not hear shots and a government official denied the report.

After two months of uprisings this year conflicts in other countries Arab, rebels take Benghazi and other towns in the East while the Government controls the capital and most of the West of the State in North Africa.

The Government says that most Libyan support Kadhafi, the rebels are armed criminals and militants for al-Qaeda and NATO intervention is an act of colonial aggression by the Western powers eager to steal oil reserves of the country.

Reinforced Libyan State television this point of view, saying NATO warships bombarded ""military and civilian targets"in Misrata and in the nearby town of Zlitan Monday."

WESTERN DILEMMA

The military stalemate confronts allies, including Britain, the United States and the France with a choice on whether to exploit loopholes in the sanctions regime, that they designed in February and March to help the rebels, analysts and diplomats of the Nations United said.

Another option would be to circumvent sanctions secretly, but both courts risk angering the Russia and China. They exercise a veto of the United Nations Security Council and are more critical of the NATO operations under a resolution to protect civilians.

The rebels are facing a Government with the superior firepower and resources, but they reported a financial breakthrough Monday, selling oil for $ 100 million paid by a bank Qatar in U.S. dollars.

A rebel military commander said its fighters killed 57 troops and destroyed 17 military vehicles during a major battle in the West of the city held the insurgents of Ajdabiya Monday.

The Commander, which the statement could not be verified immediately, also told Al Jazeera television two rebels were killed in the fighting at halfway between Ajdabiya and Brega oil port, where Gaddafi forces are entrenched.

In view of the failure of the rebels their main target, the war of failover Gaddafi focuses on a Libyan border near the Tunisian town of Dehiba, Zintan and Misrata.

Two rebel spokesman Misrata spoke of intense fighting in the city and the airport of its strategic importance.

Rebels were trying to extinguish fires at a Government fuel storage depot bombed Friday.

A ship chartered by the International Committee of the Red Cross arrived in Misrata, providing medical supplies, baby food and spare parts to repair water and electrical systems.

The war has killed thousands and caused significant suffering, not less than tens of thousands of economic migrants from sub-Saharan Africa forced to flee by land or by boat.

Dozens have died trying to reach the Italy and migration creates not only the possibility of a humanitarian crisis, but also poses political headache for the NATO and the European Union.

Car bomb strikes rebel Libya HQ in Benghazi (AFP)

BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) - a car bomb exploded near the headquarters of rebels in the Libya in their eastern stronghold of Benghazi Tuesday night, injuring two people and fraying nerves in the city recently peaceful.

In the capital Tripoli three loud explosions were heard Wednesday at the start as jets flew above, days after the regime said Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi closely escaped a NATO air strike that killed one of his sons.

The explosion of Benghazi took place about 200 metres (yards) a seat of waterfront of insurgents fighting to overthrow Gaddafi.

"It was a car bomb, spokesman of the rebel army Omar Ahmed Bani told AFP, while Libyan as the scene journalist, Nasser Warfuli said that the vehicle was a white Chevrolet which blew just before the evening prayer."

"I was walking and everything exploded around me," Mohamed Tosi, one of the two injured men, said of his sick bed in Al-Jalaa hospital, where the second wounded, also the suffering of the shrapnel injuries, was treated and released.

The explosion caused scenes of chaos as hundreds of men, of gross guns or Kalashnikov, ground and soared to the top of the twisted metal from the wreck of the car for chanting slogans against Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi.

Several said they believed that the explosion, the first car bombing of Benghazi from the Libyan uprising began in February, was the work of the "cell Gaddafi."

Benghazi was about to be invaded by the forces of Gaddafi when Western combat aircraft began a bombing campaign on March 19 to enforce a no-fly zone mandated to protect civilians.

But since then, he saw no combat and the line between rebels and forces of Gaddafi is now 160 kilometers (100 miles) South.

During this time, rebel besieged city of Misrata was relatively calm Tuesday but braced for further attacks by the forces of Gaddafi as an ultimatum to surrender expired, a day after the bombing killed 14 people.

However, several kilometres away, fighting continues in Al-Ghiran and Zawiat al-Mahjoub nearly airport, rebels tried to capture forces of Gaddafi based there.

Medical sources in the town of third infantryman of the Libya said one person was killed and 22 injured late in the afternoon.

Mussa Ibrahim Government spokesman had Friday delivered an ultimatum for rebel fighters in Misrata cease fire, offer amnesty if they laid down their weapons.

But the rebels, who were under siege in the West of the city, by the faithful for about two months was quickly rejected.

With the airport in the hands of the Government, the rebels depend entirely on the supply by sea with port repeated bombed by troops of Gaddafi, a few ships are docking, which resulted in a growing shortage of food.

Benghazi, the rebels issued a call for a line of credit of emergency that could reach $ 3 billion to the United States and the two European countries to recognize them - the France and the Italy - ahead of a meeting in Rome of the International Contact Group on the Libya.

"The liquidity that we have the national will probably take us three weeks, more than four weeks," said Ali Tarhoni, who holds the portfolio of the economy and oil in the administration of rebels.

He said that the three billion would allow the administration to stay afloat for three to four months.

Rebel leaders no longer wants Qaddafi frozen assets to be unfrozen and given his administration, but to open lines of credit which is guaranteed by the countries where these assets are held, he said.

Gaddafi frozen assets anywhere in the world equivalent to $ 165 billion, said Tarhoni.

The Rome meeting is to find a political solution to the conflict in Libya, in an impasse in the fighting and a humanitarian crisis.

The discussions of the International Contact Group will also discuss whether to arm the uprising against Kadhafi and how to finance the rebels, including through oil sales in eastern Libya on world markets.

But Tarhoni said important exports are not on the cards if early.

"The priority is to protect the installations, not step to produce," he said.

Before the Rome talks, NATO member of single Muslim majority plus Turkey pressure on Kadhafi, the appeal for the first time for European Libyan to withdraw "without causing bloodshed, tears and destruction."

Truce of Gaddafi offers as the strikes of NATO to Tripoli

 The leader Libyan Muammar Gaddafi called for a mutual ceasefire and negotiations with the powers of NATO in a direct address to State Saturday television at the beginning, just as NATO bombs struck a government complex in the Libyan capital.

The compound targeted included the State television building and an official of the alleged Libyan that strikes were intended to kill Gaddafi. However, the TV building was not damaged and Gaddafi spoke from an undisclosed location.

Since the beginning of the uprising against him in February, Kadhafi has made only rare public appearances. In his speech décousu from before dawn, he appeared subdued and provocateur, break on several occasions that he reversed through handwritten notes.

"The door to peace is open", Kadhafi said, sitting behind a desk. "You are the aggressors." We will negotiate with you. Come, France, Italy, United Kingdom, America, come, we will negotiate with you. Why are we attacking you? ?

He said Libya had the right to choose their own political system, but not under the threat of NATO bombing.

Rebel leaders have said they will be only lay down their arms and enter into talks on the future of the Libya after Kadhafi and his son, which some hold powerful positions, in the country resign. Kadhafi has repeatedly refused to resign.

Doctors take a snapshot with a cell phone from the body of a fighter of the rebel Libyan Hikma hospital in Misrata in Libya Thursday, April 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

The air strikes before dawn on Saturday targeted a complex Government and reporters visiting the scene was said two damaged buildings housed a commission for women and children, and the offices of parliamentary staff.

At least three bombs or missiles reversed a huge part of an Italian style of two-storey building. In another building, doors have been blown and ceiling tiles fell to the ground. A missile hit the street out of the Office of the Attorney General of twisting a floor lamp and nicks in a crater.

A police officer said three people were injured, one seriously.

In his speech, Kadhafi deplored the airstrikes, which started in mid-March under the mandate of the United Nations to protect Libyan civilians. Strikes hit mainly of Libyan military targets, but three affected comprised residential of Gaddafi.

"Why you kill our children." Why you destroy our infrastructure, "Kadhafi said Saturday." while denying that its forces had killed Libyan civilians

A few hours earlier, however, Government forces shelled the rebel besieged city of Misrata, killing 15 people, including a 9 year old boy, said doctors at the hospital. The city of 300,000 is the stronghold of rebels in the West of the Libya and was besieged for two months.

The port is only lifeline to the Misrata. Friday, NATO foiled attempts by regime loyalists to close the only route of access to Misrata, intercepting vessels posing anti-ship mines in the waters around the port.

The regime reported Friday that he seeks to block access to Misrata by sea.

Moussa Ibrahim, the spokesman for the Government of Libya, said that he was unaware of the attempt to undermine. However, he said that the Government tried to prevent the delivery of arms to the rebels by sea. Asked if ships help would also be blocked, he said that the sending of aid must be coordinated with the authorities and should be preferably by land.

Gaddafi forces repeatedly bombarded the port area and its ground troops are deployed at the outskirts of Misrata, after having driven out of the downtown area by rebels last week.

Terrorist attack strikes cafe at Morocco, 14 dead (AP)

MARRAKECH, Morocco - a bomb attack tore through tourist coffee in the lively heart of Marrakech to massive terrorist from the old quarter, killing at least 11 foreign nationals and three Moroccans in deadly attack in the country in eight years.

At least 23 people were injured in Thursday's explosion, strongly tourism a few minutes before noon to Djemma el - Fna square, one of the main attractions in a country which depends on, said Taib Chergaoui Moroccan Interior Minister.

The Government spokesman Khalid Naciri said the PA, it was too early to lay the blame for what he called a terrorist attack, but stressed that the Morocco regularly dismantle cells linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and said that he has disrupted several parcels.

At least eight French citizens have been treated at the hospital Tofail main Marrakech, with a Canadian, a British citizen and three Moroccans, head of the emergency room Hicham Nejmi said. Others were treated at the military hospital and a handful in private clinics.

April marks the start of the tourist of the Morocco season, when visitors gather to watch snake charmers, storytellers, jugglers and local musicians, cafes which the edges of the iconic place on the road to the city of grand souk outdoor, or fill cycle market.

"There was a huge bang, and lots of smoke has increased." There is debris raining down from the sky, "honeymooner Andy Birnie, who lives North of London, told Associated Press by telephone." "Hundreds of people were running in panic.

The explosion made a large part of the facade off the coast coffee Agana two-storey terracotta color, leaving awnings dangling. Panicked bystanders dragged away body and attempted to extinguish the flames with fire extinguishers, said witnesses Associated Press.

"I think that the injured were mainly tourists, judging by what they wore," Alexandre Carvalho, 34-year-old worker call center, South of the Portugal, told the AP by telephone.

At least two French nationals were among the victims, although it was not immediately clear if they were dead or injured, judicial officials in the French capital said. President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed that the victims were citizens French.

Secretary of Foreign Affairs of William Hague Britain, said the British Ambassador was travelling in Marrakech, although he gave no immediate confirmation of British victims.

This former French colony enjoys relative stability and political plurality over some of its neighbours, but King Mohamed VI has the final word in all policies, and most important movement of Islamists in the country is prohibited from political life.

The King has promised constitutional reforms in response to several peaceful demonstrations in large part in the two months that were inspired by popular uprisings that pushed the autocrats in nearby Tunisia and Egypt.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that "the United States condemned in the strongest terms terrorists today address innocent people killed and injured in a cafe in Marrakech at the Morocco." Extend us our most sincere condolences for the victims of this cowardly attack and with the people of the Morocco at this difficult time. ?

The United Nations Security Council condemned the attack "in the strongest terms" and expressed his condolences, while that the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon said he was "appalled by the bombings of today" and extended his "deepest sympathies"., according to the statements.

In Germany, who said that none of its citizens had been affected, urged that the attack "should not lead to the reform process which was launched at the Morocco being undermined."

Subsidiary of Al-Qaida in North Africa stage regular attacks and abductions in the neighbouring countries of Algeria. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb organizes four French hostages, after their removal to Niger last year, recently published new pictures and audio recordings of their voice.

Morocco, however, was mainly peaceful since it was hit by five simultaneous terrorist attacks in Casablanca in 2003 that killed 33 people and a dozen bombers linked to the Moroccan combatant group Islamic, a local militant group also involved in the attacks murderers transit in Madrid in March 2004.

In April 2007, two suicide bombers were killed in attacks by the Consulate of the United States, in Casablanca the economic capital.

The Moroccan authorities have rounded up thousands of people suspected of terrorism alleged in recent years and while they "regularly discover terrorist cells... nothing has led us to an act of this magnitude," Naciri said.

"Morocco has its international image of the home, hospitality and tourism," he told the AP. "an act of this magnitude will leave its mark."