Fighting in Western Libya, Scattered Diplomacy
VOA News April 26, 2011
Troops loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi have widened their military strikes on Berber towns in Libya's Western Mountains while continuing to battle rebels at the besieged western city of Misrata.
Tuesday's fighting raged amid scattered diplomatic efforts that have failed to end the conflict.
Russia said it will not support any new United Nations Security Council resolution on Libya which it says may escalate the conflict. U.N. diplomats have not decided on any further actions.
Interfax news agency quotes Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying his country opposes more military activity against Libya. Last month, Russia abstained from voting on a resolution authorizing a no-fly zone in Libya to protect civilians.
The Russian comments come after Italy agreed to join the NATO alliance in using military force against Libya. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said at a Tuesday news conference with France's Nicolas Sarkozy that Italy's involvement will be limited to helping strike military targets.
On Monday, Libyan state television said NATO warplanes bombed civilian and military targets in the capital, Tripoli, and in Bir al-Ghanam, 100 kilometers southwest of Tripoli.
One of the airstrikes destroyed a building in the complex where Libyan leader Gadhafi lives. NATO says it targeted a communications headquarters used to coordinate attacks against civilians.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will hold talks on the Libyan conflict in Washington Tuesday with his British counterpart, Liam Fox.
The Financial Times, quoting a senior British official, says one topic of discussion will be whether action can be taken to cut fuel supplies to the Libyan leader’s armed forces.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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