The coalition forces are hampered by bad weather, the opposition - poor military training and a lack of weapons

April 1 2011 11 109 1

The coalition forces are hampered by bad weather, the opposition - poor military training and a lack of weapons. Muammar Gaddafi does not interfere with anything. Despite the fact that the circle of people loyal to the colonel is thinning, and even though the military units of Gaddafi suffered serious damage, Tripoli is optimistic.

On a dense fire artillery Gaddafi's rebels respond with occasional mortar fire. They complain of shortages weapons and ammunition. Fierce battles in the vicinity of Bregi and Misurata continue for several days with varying success. Yesterday the rebels retreated, and today they are preparing for a counteroffensive.

Because of the bad weather conditions, the forces of the international coalition cannot yet deliver accurate air strikes, therefore, according to the Pentagon, over the past few days, the Gaddafi forces have been able to strengthen their positions. A report on the progress of military operations in Libya was presented by Admiral Michael Mullen and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. According to them, only a thousand rebels know how to fight. The army of a colonel of about 20 thousand people, by contrast, consists of well-trained soldiers and mercenaries. "The Libyan opposition is now in need of qualified military personnel. Many countries can assist in training the rebels, but not necessarily the US. I believe our partners will be able to cope with this task," the head of the Pentagon said.

While Washington is deciding who and in what way can help the Libyan opposition, in Benghazi they train recruits on their own. There are thousands of people willing to fight against the Gaddafi regime, many of whom are young. 15-year-olds are taught to shoot machine guns and throw grenades correctly. The commander of the camp in Benghazi Fausi Mohammad explained: "There are a lot of young people here, but we do not accept minors here if they do not have permission from their parents. Here, in Benghazi, adults are usually not opposed." The father of one of the recruits proudly says: "I am very proud of my son and I am sure that he will help the common cause and contribute to the revolution."

Optimism reigns in the headquarters of supporters of Colonel Gaddafi. Thousands of demonstrations have taken place in Tripoli and Sirte, people are still ready to defend their leader and be with him to the end. Another written appeal from Gaddafi was voiced by Libyan television. He blames the Western coalition for wanting to return the country to the Middle Ages. But while the colonel is practicing eloquence, his comrades continue to flee the country. Among them are the Minister of Petroleum Industry, the head of the Ministry of Intelligence, and the deputy foreign minister. One of the first on this list was former Foreign Minister Musa Kusa, who sought political asylum in Britain. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the day before: "Muammar Gaddafi left one of his main advisers. The circle of supporters of the colonel is narrowing. This indicates that the pressure on the regime is already yielding results, and we will continue to adhere to this strategy."

However, representatives of the Gaddafi regime do not consider the official’s flight a serious loss. Libya’s government spokesman Musa Ibrahim explains: “Musa Kusa had health problems, he suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure. Therefore, the government allowed him to leave the country to undergo treatment. After arriving in Tunisia, he no longer contacted us, and we understand that he has left his post. It is his own decision that will not affect our political system in any way. "

Meanwhile, Cusoy is already interested in the prosecutor's office in Scotland. She wants to interrogate the ex-minister on the case of an explosion of a passenger plane in the sky over Lockerbie in 1988. Two years ago, convicted for this terrorist attack, al-Megrahi was released just by the Scottish Justice Ministry, and then the British media wrote that this decision was the result of a collusion between the governments of Britain and Libya. Allegedly, the British prime minister helped him get out of prison in exchange for contracts that were lucrative for London.