Libyan Rebels Shoot Down Plane

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World raises pressure on Libya, rebels hold key towns

By Golovnina | Reuters – 19 minutes ago

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Rebels downed a military aircraft on Monday as they fought a

government bid to take back Libya's third city, Misrata, a witness said, while

foreign ministers discussed how to help them oust Muammar Gaddafi.

Gaddafi's forces have been trying for days to push back a revolt that has won

over large parts of the military, ended his control over eastern Libya and is

holding the government at bay in western cities near the capital Tripoli.

In both Libya's third city, Misrata, 200 km (125 miles) to the east, and

Zawiyah, a strategic refinery town 50 km (30 miles) to the west, rebels with

military backing were holding the town centers against repeated government

attacks.

" An aircraft was shot down this morning while it was firing on the local radio

station. Protesters captured its crew, " the witness, Mohamed, told Reuters by

telephone.

" Fighting to control the military air base started last night and is still going

on. Gaddafi's forces control only a small part of the base. Protesters control a

large part of this base where there is ammunition. "

Foreign governments are increasing the pressure on Gaddafi to leave in the hope

of ending fighting that has claimed at least 1,000 lives and restoring order to

a country that accounts for 2 percent of the world's oil production.

SANCTIONS

The U.N. Security Council has slapped sanctions on Gaddafi and other Libyan

authorities, imposed an arms embargo and frozen Libyan assets, while making

clear that those who used violence against civilians would face international

justice.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov,

European Union foreign policy chief Ashton and others were holding

bilateral talks at a human rights conference in Geneva to coordinate further

action.

European powers including erstwhile ally Italy said it was time for Gaddafi to

quit and Clinton said the United States was " reaching out " to opposition groups.

A U.S. official in Geneva said a central aim of sanctions was to " send a message

not only to Gaddafi ... but to the people around Gaddafi, who are the ones we're

really seeking to influence. "

Revolutions in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt have helped to ignite resentment of

four decades of often bloody political repression under Gaddafi as well as his

failure to use Libya's oil wealth to tackle widespread poverty and lack of

opportunity.

Gaddafi himself has been defiant, but a spokesman struck a new, conciliatory

tone at a briefing on Monday.

Spokesman Mussa Ibrahim conceded that government forces had fired on civilians,

but said this was because they were not properly trained.

" So they shot and killed some civilians, " he said. " We never denied that

hundreds of people have been killed. "

He also said the revolt had " started as a genuine peaceful movement. "

" We also believe it is time for change, " he said. " But this movement has been

hijacked by the West ... and by Islamic militants. "

Regional experts expect rebels eventually to take the capital and kill or

capture Gaddafi, but add that he has the firepower to foment chaos or civil war

-- a prospect he and his sons have warned of.

ZAWIYAH

Rebels holding Zawiyah said about 2,000 troops loyal to Gaddafi had surrounded

the city.

" We will do our best to fight them off. They will attack soon, " said a former

police major who switched sides and joined the rebellion. " If we are fighting

for freedom, we are ready to die for it. "

Residents even in parts of the capital Tripoli have thrown up barricades against

government forces. A general in the east of the country, where Gaddafi's power

has evaporated, told Reuters his forces were ready to help rebels in the west.

" Our brothers in Tripoli say: " We are fine so far, we do not need help'. If they

ask for help we are ready to move, " said General Ahmed el-Gatrani, one of most

senior figures in the mutinous army in Benghazi.

Opposition forces are largely in control of Libya's oil facilities, which are

mostly located in the east, and output has been reduced to a trickle.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a note to its clients that the unrest

could mean Libyan supplies were unavailable to the market for months.

Benchmark Brent oil futures were slightly lower at just under $112 a barrel.

In the eastern city of Benghazi, opponents of the 68-year-old leader said they

had formed a National Libyan Council to be the " face " of the revolution, but it

was unclear who they represented.

They said they wanted no foreign intervention and had not made contact with

foreign governments.

The " Network of Free Ulema, " claiming to represent " some of Libya's most senior

and most respected Muslim scholars, " issued a statement urging " total rebellion "

and endorsing the formation of an " interim government " announced two days ago.

FOREIGN WORKERS STRANDED

Western leaders, emboldened by evacuations that have brought home many of their

citizens from the vast desert state, have been speaking out clearly against

Gaddafi.

" We have reached, I believe, a point of no return, " Italian Foreign Minister

Franco Frattini said on Sunday, adding it was " inevitable " that Gaddafi would

leave power.

Britain's former prime minister, Tony Blair, said he had spoken to Gaddafi on

Friday and told him to go.

" He was in denial that these things are going on, " Blair said. " The strategic

objective is that there is a change in leadership in Libya with the minimum

further bloodshed. Far too many people have died; there has been far too much

violence. "

Blair helped to end the Western isolation of Gaddafi over his support for

international terrorism after he agreed to renounce weapons of mass destruction,

paving the way for big British business deals in Libya.

Wealthy states have sent planes and ships to bring home expatriate workers but

many more, from poorer countries, are stranded. Thousands of Egyptians streamed

into Tunisia on Sunday, complaining Cairo had done nothing to help them.

The United Nations refugee agency said on Sunday nearly 100,000 people have fled

violence in Libya in the past week in a growing humanitarian crisis.

(Additional reporting by Bell and Helgren in Tripoli, Marie-Louise

Gumuchian and Souhail Karam in Rabat, Dina Zayed and Caroline Drees in Cairo,

Tom Pfeiffer, Dziadosz and Mohammed Abbas in Benghazi, Arshad Mohammed

in Washington and Louis Charbonneau at the United Nations; Writing by

Liffey and Dominic , Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)