NATO warplanes blitzed a string of military targets in Tripoli on Sunday, an official said, as embattled Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi blamed a “colonial plot” for the conflict engulfing his country.
“In Tripoli there were two command and control nodes, two surface-to-air missile launchers and one anti-aircraft gun (hit),” a NATO official said from the mission’s headquarters in Naples, Italy. An AFP reporter said two blasts occurred at 00:50 am (2250 GMT) in the area housing Gaddafi residence in the heart of the capital, followed by others in the city’s eastern and southeastern suburbs.
A column of smoke was seen over Gaddafi ‘s residential complex, which had been targeted by NATO warplanes on Saturday, when the transatlantic military alliance confirmed seven strikes and said they hit a military command node. Gaddafi meanwhile late Saturday said in an audio message broadcast on state television that the unrest that has swept his country since a popular uprising erupted mid-February was a “colonial plot.” He did not elaborate.
He also denied accusations by international rights groups of a brutal suppression of dissent and allegations that his regime had killed thousands of protesters. The latest NATO strikes came after rebel forces said they had lost 16 fighters east of Tripoli and had infiltrated the capital and attacked a regime command post where a son of the strongman was among officials targeted.
As Western nations intensify diplomatic efforts to foster an exit from the conflict, a European diplomat said that a UN envoy would seek to persuade warring parties in Libya to accept a plan that envisages a ceasefire and a power-sharing government, but with no role for Gaddafi. The diplomat said the informal proposals would be canvassed by the special UN envoy to Libya, Abdul Elah al-Khatib, who has met both government and rebels several times.
Khatib, a Jordanian senator, told Reuters in Amman he hoped both sides would accept his ideas. Hopes for a negotiated settlement are growing as Europe and the United States grapple with fiscal crises at home. This week, France said for the first time that Gaddafi could stay in Libya as long as he gives up power.
