THE GUARDIAN: Libya rebels accuse coalition of standing by as Misrata assault continues, saying air strikes have abated since Nato took chargeMuammar Gaddafi's forces are using civilians as human shields to foil Nato air strikes, France said after rebels accused the western-led coalition of standing by while government troops continue their assault on Misrata.
The French foreign minister, Alain Juppé, conceded that the position of rebel-held city – under daily shelling and sniper fire from the army – was intolerable but said there was little more which could be done immediately.
"We've formally requested that there be no collateral damage for the civilian population," he told France Info radio [Radio France]. "That obviously makes operations more difficult."
The head of France's armed forces gave a similar response to complaints from rebels that the pace of air strikes has abated since Nato took over control of Libyan operations from the US, France and UK on 31 March.
"I would like things to go faster, but as you are well aware, protecting civilians means not firing anywhere near them," Admiral Edouard Guillaud told Europe 1 radio. "That is precisely the difficulty." » | Peter Walker and agencies | Wednesday, April 06, 2011
