Gaddafi compound strike hit control center: Official

TRIPOLI: A missile totally destroyed an administrative building of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's residence in Tripoli. 

The building, about 50 metres from the tent where Gaddafi generally meets guests, was flattened. It was hit by a missile, Libyan spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told journalists, who were taken to the site by bus. 

"This was a barbaric bombing which could have hit hundreds of civilians gathered at the residence ofMuammar Gaddafi about 400 metres away from the building which was hit," Ibrahim said. 

He denounced the "contradictions in Western discourses," saying: "Western countries say they want to protect civilians while they bomb the residence knowing there are civilians inside." 

Scores of Gaddafi supporters rushed towards the complex at Bab el-Aziziya in the south of the Libyan capital after a rumour spread that a plane had been shot down and crashed. 

"Where is the plane?" several of them, mainly youths, cried. 

Smoke billowed from the residence and barracks as anti-aircraft guns fired shots. 

Tripoli was rocked by powerful explosions late Sunday, of which one was heard coming from the area around Kadhafi's residence. 

Gaddafi's army announced a new ceasefire yesterday, saying it was heeding an African Union call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, but the United States accused Tripoli of breaching the truce almost immediately. 

"I sincerely hope and urge the Libyan authorities to keep their word," United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a swift reaction during a visit to Libya's eastern neighbour Egypt. 

"They have been continuing to attack the civilian population. This (offer) has to be verified and tested," he told a news conference in Cairo. 

Gaddafi's regime had declared a ceasefire on Friday after UN Security Council resolution 1973 authorised any necessary measures, including a no-fly zone, to stop his forces harming civilians in the fight against the rebels.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Gaddafi-compound-strike-hit-control-center-Official/articleshow/7750727.cms

Gaddafi likens his crackdown to India’s action in Kashmir

NEW DELHI: Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi told PM Manmohan Singh last week that his actions against his people in Libya were akin to India's actions against Kashmiris. 

On the eve of the UN Security Council debate and vote against Libya on February 26, Gaddafi, in a missive to Singh, asked for India's support for his actions as civil war broke out in Libya. 

The request for support came even as African and European countries, including Libya's UN envoy who defected to the rebels, made an impassioned plea in the Security Council to refer Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court. India voted for the UNSC resolution, which was passed unanimously. 

Gaddafi has reportedly used airplanes to strafe his own people who are fighting to take Libya out of Gaddafi's control. According to some estimates, over 6,000 people have died in the fighting, which continues even after 10 days. 

Gaddafi's mercurial character, though, was on full display on Libya's national day, which he celebrated earlier this week. In a five-hour address in Tripoli, he mentioned India at least five times, including saying that he would give future commercial contracts to Indian and Chinese companies and that he was very pleased with India's vote in the UN Security Council. 

Gaddafi has rarely been a person India has been comfortable with. In September 2009, Gaddafi, in a 100-minute speech at the UN General Assembly, railed against India and Kashmir as well. "Kashmir should be an independent state, not Indian, not Pakistani. We should end this conflict. It should be a Ba'athist state between India andPakistan," he said.

Read more: Gaddafi likens his crackdown to India’s action in Kashmir - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gaddafi-likens-his-crackdown-to-Indias-action-in-Kashmir/articleshow/7631784.cms#ixzz1FhKqk7MD

Warships being sent to evacuate Indians from Libya

NEW DELHI: Warships of Indian Navy are being despatched to evacuate Indians from Libya as the situation in the North African country continued to deteriorate because of clashes between supporters and opponents of Muammar Gaddafi. 

The ministry of external affairs asked the defence ministry to ready the warships to sail for Libya. 

The exact number of warships needed for the operation, which is likely to be a largescale one, and from where they will be despatched is being worked out. 

As the situation in Libya continued to worsen, foreign minister S M Krishna told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that it may not be possible to spell out how much time it will take to evacuate all Indians even though, he said, the government was doing all it could to ensure their safety. Replying to queries from MPs over the issue, Krishna said all Indian nationals were safe "as of now". 

"It`s an extremely difficult proposition to spell out any timeframe for the evacuation. I can say that the government is serious and is concentrating on evacuating Indians in earliest possible time," Krishna said. 

There are about 18,000 Indians living in Libya, mainly in capital Tripoli and Benghazi. Krishna said there was need for a "much larger scale operation" as each ship could accommodate only 800-1,000 people. The minister also announced that an inter-ministerial committee headed by foreign secretary Nirupama Rao had been formed to coordinate efforts to ensure safety of all Indians in Libya. 

Chinese news agencies reported on Wednesday that Beijing managed to evacuate close to 3,000 people to neighbouring Tunisia by road. 

Krishna said the Indian ambassador to Libya had spoken to all Indian nurses stranded in Benghazi and that they were all safe. He added that because this was an evacuation, unlike the special flights operated earlier by Air India for Indians based in Egypt, no fare would be charged.

Source:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Warships-being-sent-to-evacuate-Indians-from-Libya/articleshow/7559139.cms