Libya towns fall to rebels World moves to isolate Gaddafi
Source: The Sangai Express / Agencies

Tripoli, February 28 2011: Gaddafi loyalists had been evicted from Nalut, 145 miles west of Tripoli.

"The city has been liberated since February 19.It has been run by a revolutionary committee named by the town's communities," said Shaban Abu Sitta, a local lawyer and member of a revolutionary committee.

"The towns of Rhibat, Kabaw, Jado, Rogban, Zentan, Yefren, Kekla, Gherien and Hawamed have also been free for days.

In all these towns, Gaddafi's forces have gone and a revolutionary committee put in place," he said.

Libyan rebels established a transitional national council to coordinate administration in several cities seized from the Gaddafi regime, and have called on the army to help them take Tripoli, the capital.

The cities now controlled by the opposition include al-Zawiyah, less than 30 miles west of Tripoli, where thousands have taken to the streets to welcome visiting journalists.

There was no sign of Libyan security services, who had waged bitter battles with anti-government forces in the town last week, leading to at least 35 deaths.

Abdel Hafiz Ghoqa, a rebel leader in Benghazi, announced that the new national council would be the "face of Libya in the transitional period" .

"The people of Libya will liberate their cities," Mr Ghoqa said.

"We are counting on the army to liberate Tripoli" .

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, will make the administration's case for stronger action to foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany and Italy when she holds a series of high-level talks Monday in Geneva.

Mrs Clinton will also look to coordinate future U.S.sanctions on Gadhafi's government with senior officials from Russia, Australia and the European Union.

The United States has said it is prepared to offer "any kind of assistance" to Libyans seeking to overthrow the regime.

US senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman have urged Washington to recognise the transitional government in Libya and provide it with weapons and humanitarian assistance to oust Gaddafi.

At the weekend, the UN Security Council imposed a travel and assets ban on Gaddafi's regime and ordered a probe into possible crimes against humanity after at least 1,000 people were killed in a crackdown by his forces.

Several countries have also frozen assets linked to the regime.

There was no sign, though, that Gaddafi would heed international calls for him to leave.

In Tripoli, near-deserted streets were being patrolled by regime partisans.

Local residents said banks were open but bread and petrol remained tightly rationed.

In his telephone statement to Serbian television, he said: "Libya is completely quiet.

There is nothing unusual.

There is no unrest." Of the territory held by the opposition, Gaddafi said: "There is a small group (of opponents) that is surrounded, but we will sort that out" .

Comment