THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Celebratory gunfire rang out across the rebel-held city of Benghazi on Thursday night after the United Nations Security Council voted to authorise air strikes against the forces of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.
As imams at mosques in the coastal city took to loudspeakers shouting “God is greatest, God is greatest”, tracer bullets streaked across the night sky like fireworks and anti-aircraft fire punctuated the sound of cars honking their horns.
With the government’s forces closing in, the rebels had begged for military protection. Their pleas were only answered after a change of heart by the Barack Obama administration, which had opposed a no-fly zone for weeks but agreed to support the British and French initiative as opposition towns fell rapidly to the Libyan leader.
The decision at the UN appeared to have an immediate impact on Col Gaddafi’s thinking. Saif al-Islam, one of his sons, said there had been a change of tactics and that as a “humanitarian gesture” the Libyan army no longer intended to march on Benghazi, the rebels’ last major stronghold.
“He said that the army is not going to go into Benghazi. It’s going to take up positions around the stronghold,” said Nic Robertson, a CNN reporter who was telephoned by the son.
“The reason is they expect a humanitarian exodus. They expect people will be afraid of what’s going to happen, and he said the army will be there to help them get out.”
Earlier on state television, Col Gaddafi had promised a ruthless assault on the city.
“We will chase the traitors from Benghazi,” he told his troops. “Destroy their fortifications. Show them no mercy. The world needs to see Benghazi free.” » | Damien McElroy, Tripoli, Alex Spillius in Washington and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Friday, March 18, 2011
