Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 10:08:00 PM CEST
The Marines Are Using Weather Balloons to Communicate With Fighters Out of Radio Range
What do you do when your fighter jets are out of radio range in enemy territory? Normally, you'd use AWACS airplanes to relay communications back and forth. But, in the Libyan war, the Marines are using a new method: Weather balloons.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 10:06:00 PM CEST
Operation Unified Protector (was Odyssey Dawn) explained (Day 11)
Let me start Day 11 Debrief with a provocation: is the partial retreat of the rebel fighters, who found the fierce opposition of the pro-Gaddafi forces on their westward advance, a consequence of a more cautious use of the force caused by the change of command? Obviously, my guess is far-fetched and my aim is only to stimulate debate but I think that when NATO will finally take over the full control of the war (arms embargo, No-Fly Zone, ground attacks to protect civilians), an accurate selection of targets in order to keep Unified Protector within the mandate of the UN resolution could somehow slow down the oppositors who, in the last days, had obtained important gains also because of the intervention (someone said “cover”) of the coalition aircraft.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 10:04:00 PM CEST
Pro-Qaddafi Forces Push Rebels Into Chaotic Retreat
Forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi advanced rapidly on Wednesday, seizing towns they ceded just days ago after intense allied airstrikes and hounding rebel fighters into a chaotic retreat.
Having abandoned Bin Jawwad on Tuesday and the oil town of Ras Lanuf on Wednesday, the rebels continued their eastward retreat, fleeing before the loyalists’ shelling and missile attacks from another oil town, Brega, and falling back toward the strategically located city of Ajdabiya. On Wednesday afternoon, residents of Ajdabiya were seen fleeing along the road north to Benghazi, the rebel capital and stronghold that Colonel Qaddafi’s forces reached before the allied air campaign got underway nearly two weeks ago.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 7:06:00 PM CEST
Three Big Pigs: Middle Eastern revolts told Angry Birds style
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 5:51:00 PM CEST
David Cameron has told MPs that Britain agrees with the US that coalition forces could legally supply arms to rebel forces under UN security resolution 1973
The resolution allows "all necessary measures" to be taken to protect civilians in Libya. The Guardian's Paul Harris reported that the key phrase which allows the supply of arms appears to lie in paragraph 4 of UN resolution 1973.
My colleague Paul Harris says he has just spoken to a Western diplomatic source in the United Nations who said that the key language that may be used to justify arming the Libyan rebels lies in Paragraph 4 of UN resolution 1973, which is the one that gave the go-ahead for intervention and a no-fly zone.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 5:34:00 PM CEST
REpost NATO will now take control of the Libya operation at 0600 GMT on Thursday
NATO is to delay its takeover of the Libya operation. – 24 hours later than first announced.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 5:14:00 PM CEST
BREAKING! Coalition air strikes on Gaddafi forces in western Ajdabyia. APF.
Moammar Gadhafi's ground forces recaptured a strategic oil town Wednesday as they made new inroads in beating back a rebel advance toward the capital Tripoli. Western powers kept up the pressure to force Gadhafi out with new airstrikes to weaken his military, hints that they may arm the opposition and intense negotiations behind the scenes to persuade Libya's leader of nearly 42 years to step down.
Airstrikes have neutralized Gadhafi's air force and pounded his army, but those ground forces remain far better armed, trained and organized than the opposition. Rebels have few weapons more powerful than rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, and are no match for Gadhafi's tanks and longer-range heavy weapons.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 4:58:00 PM CEST
Reuters says Libyan officials have expelled one of its correspondents in Tripoli.
The news agency says no reason was given for ordering out Michael Georgy, who had been in Tripoli since 28 February. A small group of foreign journalists are working under tight government restrictions in the capital. 1548:
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 4:00:00 PM CEST
A nutshell, fighting continue in Misurata, but sea blockade is over, aid ship reached Misurata earlier
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 3:51:00 PM CEST
Berlusconi said the migrants would be removed from Lampedusa "within 48-60 hours".
The tiny southern fishing island of Lampedusa will be 'freed' of thousands of illegal immigrants from North Africa within two to three days, Italy's prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Wednesday.
Berlusconi travelled to Lampedusa where some of the island's 5,200 residents gave him a warm reception chanting "Silvio, Silvio!".
The 74-year-old premier vowed to oversee the relocation of 6,200 migrants, mainly young Tunisians, who as of early Wednesday had arrived on Lampedusa, outnumbering its residents and overwhelming its infrastructure.
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 3:36:00 PM CEST
Assad blames 'conspirators' for Syria unrest
Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, has blamed "conspirators" for two weeks of anti-government protests that have rocked the nation.
In his first address to the nation since the start of a violent crackdown on the protests, Assad said Syria was going through a "test of unity".
"I belong to the Syrian people, and whoever belongs to the Syrian people will always keep his head high," he said in the televised address before members of parliament in the capital, Damascus, on Wednesday.
Back now to Syria: State television has show images of President Assad's car being mobbed by a crowd in Damascus, following his address to parliament. As security guards moved in to keep the crowd as bay, the TV pictures faded out. It is not clear if those surrounding the car were supporters of the president or protesters - or a mixture of both. -- BBC 1429:
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Topic: War and Peace News - on March 30, 2011 at 1:34:00 PM CEST
Inside Story: Libya's end game
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