Forces in the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) have gained control over the town of Bani Walid, which has for months violently resisted being overtaken by the anti-Gadhafi fighters.
The capture of Bani Walid by NTC forces – they celebrated and raised the country’s new flag in the heart of the city – puts the NTC one step closer to having full control of Libya. But they’re not there yet.
The town is essentially flattened, having been under attack from NTC fighters and NATO airstrikes for weeks. Many buildings were still burning and residents were in hiding when a Reuters team drove through on Monday. But the victory could be fragile given the towns lingering loyalty to Gadhafi and newfound hostility towards the NTC after weeks of fighting.
In Sirte, where resistant Gaddafi loyalists have been under siege for weeks, there is no indication yet of the still disorganized ragtag NTC forces making any progress, and chaotic fighting forced them to retreat in some places.
A doctor for the medical aid charity Medecins Sans Frontieres in Sirte has estimated that 10,000 people remain trapped in the city of 75,000, including many sick and injured women and children. The NTC leaders have said they will not begin their transition to democracy until every last area is under their control.
Terrible – media from NATO&Co countries have become clear tools of psychological warfare. Not only that they are providing the reasons and hate against the always unbelievable "brutal" victims of Nato's war, as this article shows here, obviously even tactical pschological warfare is provided at time – as this article shows. Cleverly targeted to the antiwar movement. Of course, when the war finnished – why antiwar movement should act ?! Really clever tactics.
Do you actually remember when the IRAQ mission has been accomplished? or Afghanistan?
So where are all those surface to air missiles when you need them?
Ah! So no "transition" until everything is under their control, eh? And who is willing to bet that things don't go according to "plan" and thus justifies further abuses and atrocities? Hmmm? You can bank on that.
and how much is this going to cost? Ah wait, Libya's oil riches will pay for this crude neocolonial adventure, right?