Libya conflict mapped

Key locations

After more than 40 years in power, Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi is facing the greatest threat to his rule. Rebels control much of the east of the country and pockets of resistance are spread across the country.

Unrest broke out across Libya on 16 February after the arrest of a human rights lawyer. Events quickly escalated with rebels seizing control of several coastal cities and senior Libyan diplomats defecting overseas. Col Gaddafi is firmly in control of the capital Tripoli, and his forces have made gains against the rebels in areas east and west of the city.

Explore the maps by clicking on the tabs above to see who controls what and where the latest clashes have occurred.

Gaddafi control

Col Gaddafi and those loyal to him remain in control of much of the west of the country, including the capital Tripoli, and have slowly fought their way eastwards towards the rebel bastion of Benghazi.

Tripoli

19 March: The capital remains firmly under the control of Gaddafi forces. Supporters of the Libyan leader stage rallies on a daily basis. Col Gaddafi gives interviews to TV channels, and his ministers are seen at news conferences.

However, some residents tell the BBC that a sense of fear and paranoia hangs over the Libyan capital, the country's main commercial centre and home to more than a million people. They say government forces have gone door-to-door rounding up suspected opposition figures and several people have simply disappeared. All telephone communications are being carefully monitored and the internet has been down for about two weeks, they say. Reliable information - aside from the government propaganda on state TV - is hard to come by, they add.
Sirte

19 March: Earlier this month, a relentless government barrage blocked rebels advancing east from Misrata towards Col Gaddafi's strategic hometown of Sirte. Pro-Gaddafi troops also surrounded the city from the west and south, residents said. Sirte is located halfway between the capital Tripoli and the rebel headquarters in Benghazi. It had become a symbolic prize targeted by the rebels. The city of 135,000 people is home to many ministerial headquarters and other government institutions.

Zawiya

19 March: Zawiya, a major oil refinery town just west of Tripoli, has been the scene of some of the heaviest clashes so far. In a joint statement on 18 March, the US, Britain and France called on Col Gaddafi to pull his troops out of Zawiya - along with Misrata and Ajdabiya - and to restore water, electricity and gas services in all areas.

Zawiya, just 50km (30 miles) west of Tripoli, was one of the few western places to rise against Col Gaddafi. The centre of the town has been completely devastated in the recent fighting. Last week, members of a team of journalists from BBC Arabic who tried to reach Zawiya were captured, beaten and subjected to a mock execution.

Other towns

The rebels have also been defeated in the central towns of Bin Jawad, Ras Lanuf and Brega in the last two weeks, their mostly light weapons little match for Col Gaddafi's jets, tanks and army.

As Gaddafi forces pushed east from Sirte into rebel-held territory, Bin Jawad fell on 7 March, followed by the key oil town of Ras Lanuf - one of the main revenue-generating centres in the country - on 12 March and Brega a day later.

In the west, near Libya's border with Tunisia, the small town of Zuwara fell to pro-Gaddafi forces on 15 March, after government forces attacked the rebels with tanks. Security forces were then trying to round up anyone suspected of links to the rebels, a resident said.

Rebel control

Rebels quickly seized control of many towns in the east of the country as protests swept across Libya in February, but have since found themselves losing their grip on many of them.

This part of the country has traditionally been opposed to Col Gaddafi's rule, and large elements of the military switched to the rebel side. But Col Gaddafi's army have far greater resources, including an airforce, and have pushed the rebels back.

On Saturday, 19 March, forces loyal to Col Gaddafi began attacking Benghazi, the main rebel base and a city of more than 670,000 people.

With the battle for Benghazi under way, only the towns to east of it - including Bayda, Derna and Tobruk, near the border with Egypt - remain under rebel control. However, if Benghazi were to fall, these would appear defenceless.

Recent clashes

Clashes between rebels and Gaddafi loyalists have occurred at a number of locations along the coast. The rebels are generally poorly organised and not as well armed as the Gaddafi military formations. However, they have kept up their struggle despite some setbacks.

Benghazi

19 March: Reports from Benghazi say forces loyal to Col Gaddafi are bombarding the city with rockets and heavy artillery. Reliable sources spoke of a pattern of loud explosions consistent with bombardment from tanks. Earlier, a fighter aircraft crashed inside the city, though it was unclear what had brought it down.

Hundreds of Benghazi residents have started to flee eastward, the AFP news agency reports, and information is scarce as some journalists have left the area for Tobruk, one of the easternmost towns, near the Libyan border with Egypt.

Pro-Gaddafi troops launched their first air raids on the rebel stronghold on Thursday. Benghazi is Libya's second city and in effect the rebel headquarters. Civilians set up the Transitional National Council there and have declared it the sole representative of the country.

Ajdabiya

19 March: Fighting raged around the disputed town of Ajdabiya on Friday, but rebels appeared to be holding out despite advances by government forces. Rebel leaders said that forces loyal to Col Gaddafi were hemming in the town on three sides, and shelling small villages on its outskirts. At least 30 people are said to have been killed in recent days and scores wounded. Many rebels have fled, but others have deployed heavy weapons and at least one fighter jet to push back government troops.

Ajdabiya is the last settlement of any size in the east on the road to Benghazi.

Misrata

19 March: Misrata - Libya's third-largest city and the last held by rebels in the west - has come under sustained assault despite the ceasefire announcement, residents say. Forces loyal to Col Gaddafi were firing artillery shells into the city on Saturday and water supplies were still cut off, a resident told Reuters news agency. Col Gaddafi's snipers were on rooftops and his forces were searching homes for rebels, a doctor told the Associated Press. He said he had counted 25 deaths at his hospital since Friday morning.

French military jets patrolling skies over Libya

A French Dassault Rafale combat aircraft,
seen in this photo released by ECPAD (French Defence communication and audiovisual production agency), takes off from Saint-Dizier military base, eastern France, March 19, 2011, on a mission to overfly Libya.

PARIS — As the international community launched aerial military missions against Libya on Saturday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the action amounts to an “act of war” that is critical to remove Moammar Gadhafi from power before he massacres any more of his own people.

Harper made the comments after an emergency summit of world leaders who had gathered to discuss how they will implement a United Nations-sanctioned no-fly zone to prevent Gadhafi’s suppression of civilians.

The coalition wasted no time, with French jets becoming the first, on Saturday, to begin enforcing the no-fly zone.

It was the first step in the largest international military exercise in the Arab world since the Iraq war.

A French Dassault Rafale combat aircraft is seen in this photo released by ECPAD (French Defence communication and audiovisual production agency) as it prepares to take off from Saint-Dizier military base, eastern France, March 19, 2011, on a mission to overfly Libya. Photograph by: Supplied, Reuters

The coalition has pledged to not resort to a ground invasion, hoping instead to use its military air support to help the anti-Gadhafi forces topple the dictator who has ruled Libya for 42 years.

The prime minister acknowledged that the military operation will be complex and could lead to casualties among the very civilians that nations are trying to protect, and perhaps among the military personnel being sent to Libya.

“We should not kid ourselves. Whenever you engage in military action — essentially acts of war — these are difficult situations,” Harper said.

“And we will have to monitor this very closely and be very careful what we do every step of the way.”

Canada has committed six CF-18 fighter jets, and a contingent of 140 pilots and support personnel. They have arrived in the region and a government spokesman said they could be ready within two days to participate in the aerial missions.

Harper stressed that Canada and its allies have no authorization to commit ground forces to the operation, nor do they have plans to do so.

“These campaigns are complicated and one cannot promise perfection. One cannot promise there will not be casualties on our side, either. But obviously, all precautions will be taken to minimize our own casualties and minimize those of innocent civilians.”

Nonetheless, Harper spoke forcefully about the need for people to understand what the alternative is if the international community does not intervene in the civil war now raging in Libya.

“We’re dealing with an individual and with a regime that will not be satisfied with the mere re-imposition of authority. The nature of this leader and the nature of his regime is they will massacre every single individual they even remotely suspect of disloyalty. This is an intolerable situation.”

The summit Saturday was hastily organized by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Among those in attendance were British Prime Minister David Cameron, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and the leaders of the Arab League and African Union.

Sarkozy emerged from the summit with a pointed warning for Gadhafi: military jets had begun patrolling the Libyan skies and the intervention wouldn’t end until the ruler’s aggression ends.

“Arab people have chosen to free themselves,” he said. “It is our duty to respond to their anguished appeal.”

Sarkozy stressed that the international coalition now intervening has no intention of determining Libya’s future, but rather to protect civilian lives.

“We are intervening in order to enable the Libyan people to decide (their) own destiny,” said Sarkozy.

“The doors of diplomacy will open once again when the aggression stops.”

The emergency meeting came as the situation in Libya became increasingly unpredictable and perilous.

A wide range of nations, including Canada, announced Friday that they will contribute military assets — such as fighter jets — to enforce a no-fly zone over Libyan skies.

And while Gadhafi’s regime had promised a ceasefire, there were indications on Saturday that the fighting was continuing in Libya, with reports that government forces were moving into the rebel-held city of Benghazi.

A military jet — flown either by the regime’s air force or the rebels — was shot down in the city.

Meanwhile, Gadhafi sent a public message to the leaders gathering in Paris that he is not going to back down from his military plans to crush the revolt in his country.

He said other nations were not entitled to intervene in Libyan affairs and would regret the actions they are planning to take.

“Libya is not yours, Libya is for all Libyans,” Gadhafi was quoted by his spokesman as saying in a letter to France, Britain and the United Nations.

“This is injustice, it is clear aggression, and it is uncalculated risk for its consequences on the Mediterranean and Europe.”

“You will regret it if you take a step toward intervening in our internal affairs.”

The government spokesman also quoted Gadhafi in another letter written to United States President Barack Obama, warning that he and all other Libyans were “prepared to die” in the defence of their country.

“If you had found them taking over American cities with armed force, tell me what you would do?” said Gadhafi’s spokesman, reading from the letter at a news conference in Tripoli.

As they met Saturday, the national leaders who have formed the international military coalition against Gadhafi came under pressure to move quickly in the coming days.

They have the blessing of the United Nations Security Council, which passed a resolution Thursday to impose a no-fly zone and to take “all necessary measures” to protect Libyan civilians.

Little is known about how the military operation will evolve, but it’s expected the first steps will include attacks on Libyan air defences. It’s possible U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea would knock out Gadhafi’s radar and surface-to-air missile sites along Libya’s coastline.

That would clear the way for military jets to move in to strike any Libyan jets that are in the air. Moreover, it appears the coalition has the clearance to strike any Libyan military ground forces that are threatening civilians, including the rebels who have been doing battle with government forces.

Harper was accompanied at Saturday’s meeting by Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and Gen. Walt Natynczyk, the chief of defence staff.

The United States has not yet announced the full nature of its military commitment, although it is known that besides the air power that eventually will be needed, there are American submarines and surface ships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles within striking distance of Libya.

Britain and France are both sending fighter jets for the mission and Italy is providing the use of some of its airbases.

mkennedy@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/Mark Kennedy
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French military jet opens fire in Libya

French President Nicolas Sarkozy
announces military action against Col Gaddafi's forces in Libya

A French plane has fired the first shots in Libya as enforcement of the UN-mandated no-fly zone begins.

The UK prime minister later confirmed British planes were also in action, while US media reports said the US had fired its first Cruise missiles.

The action came hours after Western and Arab leaders met in Paris to agree how to enforce the UN resolution.

It allows "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

'Stop the bombardment'

The French plane fired the first shot in Libya at 1645 GMT and destroyed its target, according to a military spokesman.

French planes also flew reconnaissance missions over "all Libyan territory", French military sources said earlier.

Around 20 French aircraft were involved in Saturday's operation, the Reuters news agency reports.

French jets "destroyed a number of tanks and armoured vehicles", a defence ministry official told Reuters, adding that he could not immediately confirm the number.

Other air forces and navies are expected to join the French.

The US would use its "unique capabilities" to reinforce the no-fly zone, said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, warning that further delays would put more civilians at risk. However, Mrs Clinton said again that the US would not deploy ground troops in Libya.

A naval blockade is also being put in place, said Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. France is sending its Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Libyan coast, a military spokesman said.

In other developments:

* Italy has offered the use of seven of its military bases which already house US, Nato and Italian forces.

* Canada says its fighter jets have now reached the region but will need two days to prepare for any missions.

Earlier, pro-Gaddafi forces had attacked the rebel stronghold of Benghazi - although the Libyan government denied launching any assault.

The international community was intervening to stop the "murderous madness" of Col Gaddafi, Mr Sarkozy said.

"In Libya, the civilian population, which is demanding nothing more than the right to choose their own destiny, is in mortal danger," he warned. "It is our duty to respond to their anguished appeal."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Libya's claims to have implemented a ceasefire were "troubling", the AFP news agency reported.

The lack of confidence was so great that he did not trust what the Libyan leadership was saying, Mr Ban added.

Russia regretted the decision by Western powers to take military action, a foreign ministry spokesman said. Russia abstained from the UN vote on the Libya resolution, but did not use its veto.

The rebels' leader had earlier appealed to the international community to stop the bombardment by pro-Gaddafi forces.

A jet also appears to have been shot down over Benghazi. A rebel spokesman was quoted as saying the downed jet was a rebel plane.

Reports from Benghazi suggest hundreds of cars packed with people were fleeing eastwards as fighting spread.

The United Nations refugee agency says it is preparing to receive 200,000 people fleeing the fighting, amid reports of hundreds of cars full of people heading for the Egyptian border, while others are attempting to flee on foot.

The first families had arrived at the Egyptian border, extremely frightened and traumatised, saying some of their homes have been completely flattened said UNHCR spokeswoman Elizabeth Tan.

However, the BBC's Ben Brown, who is at the border, says so far there are a handful of families, in addition to the migrant workers who have been there since the crisis started.

Moon bigger, brighter

Lunar Perigee,Supermoon On 19 March 2011
221,567 miles Away Is Moon May lead To Earthquake,Tsunami,Volcanic Eruptions Biggest Full Moon in 18 Years Occurs Saturday Night

Newstalk ZB and ABC Science Online, Newstalk ZB and ABC Science Online
March 19, 2011

If you notice the moon looks different this weekend ... that's because it is.

The moon will appear bigger and brighter for the next few days...the biggest in fact for almost 20 years.

It's called a perigee moon when it's closest to earth and its orbit. It's some 31 thousand miles closer than when it's farthest away, meaning it'll look bigger and brighter than it has since 1993.

The next perigee moon isn't until 2029.

But experts are discounting predictions of earthquakes associated with the event.

The moon's orbit is elliptical, and as it follows its path one side of the ellipse, known as perigee, passes about 50,000 kilometres closer than the on the other side - apogee.

A perigee full moon appears around 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than an apogee full moon.

Moonageddon fears put to rest

Geoffrey Wyatt from the Sydney Observatory says the upcoming full moon - which NASA's website says will be of "rare size and beauty" - will rise about 08.00 pm (AEDT) on Saturday.

But it becomes full on Sunday morning at 05.10 am (AEDT), one hour before lunar perigee.

"So, Sunday morning, those people who are up early or getting home super late, look to the west and you'll see the biggest moon for 18 years," Mr Wyatt said.

The last time the full moon was so big and close to Earth was in March 1993.

"You've got two cycles here. You've got 29-and-a-half days between full moons and then you've got 27 and a half days from apogee to apogee," Mr Wyatt said.

"That difference builds up and although you get a perigee every month, to get it at minimum distance takes about 18 years."

Perigee full moons also usually bring extra-high tides, but Daniel Jaksa, co-director of the joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre, says they will probably be a fraction of one per cent higher than normal.

Earthquake predictions

Meanwhile an Auckland-based mathematician known as the "Moonman", Ken Ring, has warned the perigee moon will cause another major earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Mr Ring claims he predicted Christchurch's deadly February 22 quake by studying the moon.

But Mr Wyatt says he would like to see some scientific proof to back the Mr Ring's claims.

"For a few weeks now we've been hearing people talk about 'Moonageddon'," he said.

"It's depressing to hear people saying this sort of thing. There is absolutely no evidence for a causal link between the phases of the moon and earthquake activity.

"It's something you might find in 'Tom's Backyard Mechanic's Book of Celestial Tomfoolery', but you're not going to find that in peer-reviewed journals."

Mr Jaksa agrees.

"You only have to look at the major energy source that's driving the tectonic process and it's not the moon," he said.

"It's the convection currents in the mantle as the Earth tries to cool down from its core outwards that drives plate tectonics."

Mr Wyatt says the claims are a symptom of the human condition.
"People blame things on the alignment of the planets because they want an explanation, but it's not the moon's fault," he said.



An enhanced image of the Moon taken with the NOAO Mosaic CCD camera
using two NSF telescopes at Kitt Peak National Observatory.
The Moon is superimposed on a separate image of the sky.


Source: SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration


The dazzling full moon sets behind the Very Large Telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert in this photo released June 7, 2010 by the European Southern Observatory.
The moon appears larger than normal due to an optical illusion of perspective.

Man rescued eight days after Japan quake

AFP and Reuters
March 19, 2011

OSAKA, Japan (AFP) - Rescuers pulled a man from the rubble of a destroyed building in northeast Japan on Saturday, eight days after a massive earthquake and tsunami, media reports said.

Japanese rescuers search through debris for bodies in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture. Rescuers pulled a young man from the rubble of a destroyed building in northeast Japan on Saturday, eight days after a massive earthquake and tsunami, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Public broadcaster NHK reported the man was rescued from a wrecked house in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture, and in a stable physical condition, but in a state of shock and unable to speak.

He was identified as Katsuharu Moriya, aged in his 20s, Kyodo News agency quoted the Self-Defense Forces as saying.

Moriya was found trapped on the second floor of the house and had wrapped himself in a blanket, Kyodo news agency said. He was conscious and his blood pressure and pulse were stable.

An earthquake survivor is carried into the Kesennuma City Hospital / AP / NHT TV via Kyodo News

He was found a day after authorities said they had ended the rescue phase of the post-earthquake operation and would be concentrating on clearing rubble and restoring limited services.

It was not immediately clear how the man survived in an area where overnight temperatures have plunged below freezing.

Nearly 7,000 people have been confirmed killed in the double natural disaster, which turned whole towns into waterlogged and debris-shrouded wastelands.

Another 10,700 people are missing with many feared dead.