The first major challenge that the Government’s “military liaison team” will face when it arrives in Benghazi to provide assistance to Libya’s opposition forces will be to decide which of the many factions it can work with

.
It is a measure of the disarray currently afflicting the rebels in their quest to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi that they cannot even agree on who is responsible for leading the offensive. At present, there are two generals – both previously Gaddafi loyalists – who claim leadership, and have their own devoted bands of followers. General Abdul Fattah Younes, who until a few weeks ago served as Gaddafi’s interior minister, claims to have been given command of the ragtag force battling to keep the dictator’s forces at bay along the eastern coast. But his position is being challenged by General Khalifa Heftir, who fled into exile in the 1980s and became a close confidant of the CIA. Heftir’s faction claims that Younes is responsible for the rebels’ disastrous performance in the recent fighting at Brega and Ajdabiya; in turn, Younes’s supporters claim Heftir is a CIA stooge.
In the interests of battlefield cohesion, you would think that the Transitional National Council, the opposition’s civilian leadership, would have stepped in to put an end to this unhelpful squabbling. But the authority of this self-appointed, 31-member body is itself being undermined by infighting over who should control policy.
From the outset, Nato’s military effort has been severely hampered by the rebels’ disorganisation and lack of experience – which is no doubt why our National Security Council (NSC) has opted to send a group of senior officers to provide a degree of organisational infrastructure.
It is to be hoped that this mission enjoys considerably more success than the NSC’s previous attempt to engage with the rebels, when it decided last month that the best way to make contact was to have a joint MI6/SAS team dropped into eastern Libya in the middle of the night by a special forces helicopter. Within minutes, the group was captured and disarmed by a group of Libyan farmers.

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NATO allies Britain, France and Italy are offering military advisers to help train Libyan rebels,

NATO allies Britain, France and Italy are offering military advisers to help train Libyan rebels, as the military stalemate continues on the ground.  Elsewhere, in Yemen and Syria, state crackdowns continue against anti-government protesters.

Rebel fighters continued to battle Libyan government forces Wednesday at the besieged port city of Misrata in western Libya. International efforts to evacuate residents also intensified, with several ferries transporting evacuees to Tobruk in eastern Libya.

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi also lobbed shells and fired rockets at rebel positions defending the strategic eastern town of Ajdabiya. Neither side appeared to gain ground. Britain, France and Italy, meanwhile, prepared to send military advisers to help the rebels.

Diplomatic efforts to break the stalemate took place in Europe. Rebel council leader Mustapha Abdel Jalil met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, after talks with Italian leaders in Rome a day earlier. He spoke of future alliances after fighting ended.

Jalil promised agreements and beneficial economic ties with countries that help the rebels now, but also offered to honor previous agreements with other countries.

In the Libyan capital Tripoli, Seif al Islam Gadhafi, one of the Libyan leader's sons, insisted that government forces are in a good position that is improving day by day. He said the world is with the Libyan government, and that he is optimistic for the future.

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Gaddafi minister says move to supply 'non-lethal' items such as vehicles, radios and medicines will prolong conflict

The US plans to send $25m worth of non-lethal equipment to the rebel opposition in eastern Libya, in a move likely to further entangle the west in the two-month-old civil war.

The proposal to send surplus Pentagon equipment, including vehicles, medical supplies, protective vests, binoculars and radios, follows Italy's decision to join Britain and France in sending military advisers to the Libyan opposition and a French pledge to intensify air strikes.

The Libyan government has warned that such moves will further prolong the conflict and "encourage the other side to be more defiant".

The US plan, which must be approved by President Barack Obama, is to send "non-lethal assistance" to the Transitional National Council in Benghazi, the de facto opposition government which has not been recognised by Washington. The dispatch of the surplus US stock does not need approval from Congress.

As Nato air strikes were reported to have hit Libyan government targets near Ajdabiya in the east, and south of Tripoli in the west, the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, promised to escalate military action to protect civilians. He told opposition leader Mustafa Abdel-Jalil: "We will intensify the strikes. We will help you."

Rebel fighters have repeatedly appealed to Nato and the international community to step up its bombardment of Libyan government forces and military targets. Nato insists its air strikes have been effective in reducing Gaddafi's military capability, but the action has failed to help the rebels advance.

Rebels in the besieged city of Misrata have also demanded ground troops to protect civilians, but the international community is wary of the political and military risks that such a step would entail.

However, the international force of military advisers grew after Italy said it was sending 10 experts to Benghazi to work alongside the 20 sent by the UK and up to 10 dispatched by France. The teams are expected to assist opposition forces with logistics and organisation but will not train soldiers.

Liam Fox, the UK's defence secretary, said many of the Libyan rebels "have no military experience, they have little understanding of weaponry or military tactics. The best way we can assist them is to give them some technical capabilities in how to organise themselves."

The Libyan regime has insisted it is ready and willing to negotiate a ceasefire which, it says, must include an end to Nato air strikes.

In an interview with the Guardian, the foreign minister, Abdul Ati al-Obeidi, said: "If there is a real ceasefire and these bombs stop, we could have a real dialogue among Libyans. It cannot be done with what is going on now."

It was not true, he said, that the Libyan government was not serious about a ceasefire, as critics have claimed. But, he added, a ceasefire needed a "mutual understanding and a mediator".

In a markedly conciliatory tone, he said a ceasefire could pave the way for a political agreement to end the conflict, which could lead to free elections, supervised by the United Nations, within six months.

Obeidi said discussions within the regime about reform had included "whether the leader [Muammar Gaddafi] should stay and in what role, and whether he should retire". Gaddafi's future has become a pivotal issue between the regime and the opposition, which has demanded his departure.

"Everything will be on the table," said Obeidi. But he warned the international community against setting Gaddafi's departure as a precondition for a deal.

"The US, Britain and France – sometimes those countries contradict themselves. They talk about democracy, but when it comes to Libya, they say he [Gaddafi] should leave. It should be up to the Libyan people. This should not be dictated from any other head of state. It is against the principle of democracy."

The US and most European countries have made it clear that Gaddafi must relinquish power as part of any negotiated settlement to the civil war that has divided Libya and dominated the international diplomatic agenda for two months.

The rebel opposition in the east of the country also insists on Gaddafi's departure as a precondition for peace talks.

Obeidi said that Britain, France "and to a certain extent the US" were discouraging moves towards a peaceful resolution "by continuing bombardment, arming the other side and making them more defiant.

"The more the west gives arms, the more they will plant hatred. We do not want to be another Iraq or Somalia. The west could advise the other side to listen to commonsense and study the peace initiatives."

Fighting continued in Misrata yesterday as aid ships tried to dock to deliver humanitarian supplies and evacuate civilians. Nato planes were reported to be flying over the city, which has been under siege by government forces for two months, but they did not carry out air strikes.

There has also been heavy fighting in the Western Mountains region, close to the Tunisian border, in the last few days. Up to 11,000 people have fled the area, according to UNHCR, the UN agency for refugees.

 

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Award-winning war photographer Tim Hetherington was reportedly killed in today in a mortar attack

Award-winning war photographer Tim Hetherington was reportedly killed in today in a mortar attack on the besieged Libyan city of Misrata, colleagues told ABC News.
It was unclear whether a second photographer Chris Hondros also died in the attack.

News of the death first surfaced on Twitter and on the Facebook page of Andre Liohn, a French photographer who was apparently with Hetherington and Hondros at a Libyan hospital.

Hetherington, one of the best known photojournalists and winner of the prestigious Dupont Award, produced powerful pieces for ABC News' "Nightline" from the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, and directed the documentary "Restrepo," which won an award at the Sundance film festival last year.

Hondros has covered conflicts from Kosovo to Lebanon, Iraq to Afghanistan and many more, as senior staff photographer for Getty Images. His work has appeared in virtually all the major American papers and magazines. His awards include the Robert Capa Gold Medal, war photography's highest honor. A spokeswoman for Getty Images could not confirm that Hondros has been killed.


Three other journalists were believed to be wounded in the same attack, including Michael Brown. The identity of the other two have not yet been confirmed.

"Tim was one of the bravest photographers and filmmakers I have ever met," said ABC News' James Goldston, who worked closely with Hetherington as executive producer of "Nightline."

"During his shooting for the Nightline specials he very seriously broke his leg on a night march out of a very isolated forward operating base that was under attack. He had the strength and character to walk for four hours through the night on his shattered ankle without complaint and under fire, enabling that whole team to reach safety."

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Nato is running short of precision bombs and other munitions in its Libyan operation

Nato is running short of precision bombs and other munitions in its Libyan operation against the forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, The Washington Post reported late on Friday. Citing unnamed senior Nato and US officials, the newspaper said the shortage highlights the limitations of Britain, France and other European countries in sustaining even a relatively small military action.
The scope of the problem was not mentioned.

The shortage of European munitions, along with the limited number of aircraft available, has raised doubts among some officials about whether the United States can continue to avoid returning to the air campaign, the report said.

So far, the Nato commander has not requested their deployment, The Post noted.

But several US military officials said they anticipated being called back into the fight, the paper said.

Washington pulled back around 50 combat planes from Libyan operations last week after handing over control of the mission to Nato, although since then they took part in some missions to take out Kadhafi's air defense systems.

Currently, only six out of 28 nations are conducting air strikes, while France and Britain carry out half of them. The other half are conducted by Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Canada.

A senior administration official said he expected other countries to announce "in the next few days" that they would contribute aircraft equipped with the laser-guided munitions, The Post pointed out.

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Libya's most high-profile defector flew from Britain to Qatar Tuesday for talks on how to break the deadly impasse in his country

Libya's most high-profile defector flew from Britain to Qatar Tuesday for talks on how to break the deadly impasse in his country even as France and Britain called on NATO to beef up air attacks on Moammar Gadhafi's military might.
Former Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa flew to the Qatari capital, Doha, to meet with government officials and Libyan opposition leaders ahead of the first meeting Wednesday of the Libyan Contact Group, formed in London last month and charged with implementing United Nations resolutions.
In an earlier interview with the BBC, Koussa had expressed concern that the situation in Libya was spiraling downward into a grinding war in the vein of the conflict in Somalia.
Koussa, who fled Libya last month and sought safe haven in Britain after resigning his post in Gadhafi's regime, urged all parties to avoid plunging Libya into a civil war.
Opposition leaders: We want Gadhafi out Libya: Rebels hopeful with NATO's help Al-Obeidy: 'Please do not forget me' What drove Koussa to leave Libya

"This will lead to (much bloodshed), and Libya will be a new Somalia," Koussa told the BBC.
Koussa, a longtime Gadhafi confidant and a former Libyan intelligence chief, also told BBC, "The solution in Libya will come from the Libyans themselves through discussion and democratic dialogue."
British Foreign Secretary William Hague and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe both called Tuesday for NATO to get more aggressive in Libya.
"We must maintain and intensify our efforts in NATO," Hague told reporters in Brussels. "A huge amount has been achieved in Libya but clearly there is more to be done."
Juppe said NATO needs to fully embrace the role it accepted -- to protect Libyan civilians from Gadhafi's forces.
"NATO wanted to take charge of the military operations, we accepted it," Juppe said on France Info radio. "It has to carry out its role today, which means to prevent Gadhafi from using heavy weapons to bombard the population."
Specifically, Juppe mentioned the attacks on the besieged western city of Misrata, where at least five civilians -- including two toddlers, a 75-year-old man and an Algerian worker -- were killed and more than 20 people wounded in mortar attacks Monday, according to witnesses.
An African Union attempt at forging peace fell flat when rebel leaders Mustafa Abdul Jalil and Abdul Hafiz Ghoga rejected it on grounds that it did not provide any solutions to violence against the Libyan people.
Gadhafi had agreed in principle to stop hostilities and allow outside forces to help keep the peace, his government and African Union mediators said Monday in a joint statement after a meeting in Tripoli.
The African Union plan announced Monday did not address whether Gadhafi will step down, nor is it binding. According to the memorandum detailed by Ramtane Lamara, the African Union's commissioner for peace and security, the plan had four elements:
-- An immediate end to all fighting
-- Libyan authorities' cooperation "to facilitate the diligent delivery of humanitarian assistance"
-- The protection of foreign nationals in Libya
-- The start of talks involving various Libyan authorities, including opposition figures, with the aim of setting up "an inclusive transition period" to adopt and implement "political reforms necessary for the elimination of the causes of the current crisis"
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday that Washington is still "waiting to get a full readout" from participants in the African Union's peace mission in Libya.
"We've made it very clear that we want to see a cease-fire," Clinton said. But she said there also must be, among other things, a resumption of water, electricity and other services to Libyan cities that have been "brutalized by Gadhafi's forces."
She also reiterated the U.S. position that Gadhafi needs to step down from power.

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Embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has agreed in principle to stop all hostilities in his North African nation and let in outside forces to help keep the peace, his government and African Union mediators said Monday in a joint statement.

Embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has agreed in principle to stop all hostilities in his North African nation and let in outside forces to help keep the peace, his government and African Union mediators said Monday in a joint statement.
Ramtane Lamara, the African group's commissioner for peace and security, read off the agreement early Monday, flanked by Libyan government spokesman Musa Ibrahim.
The African Union team plans to travel to Benghazi to meet with leaders of the movement dedicated to ousting Gadhafi, who has ruled Libya for 42 years.
Gadhafi's government previously has announced unilateral cease-fires -- only to continue to attack the opposition. Those fighting to oust Libya's longtime ruler have voiced opposition to proposals, saying their main goal is to assure the departure of the longtime leader.
Wife of abducted Briton in Libya speaks Graffiti artist killed in Libya Gadhafi visits school in Tripoli New NATO airstrikes in Libya

The deal announced on Monday does not address whether or not Gadhafi will step down, nor is it binding. It does have four basic elements, according to the memorandum detailed by Lamara:
-- An immediate end to all fighting
-- Libyan authorities' cooperation "to facilitate the diligent delivery of humanitarian assistance"
-- The protection of foreign nationals in Libya
-- The start of talks involving various Libyan authorities, including opposition figures, with the aim of setting up "an inclusive transition period" to adopt and implement "political reforms necessary for the elimination of the causes of the current crisis"
The agreement, which the statement said Gadhafi had signed off on, states that the final resolution must consider "the aspirations of the Libyan people for democracy, political reform, justice, peace and security, as well as social ... development."
No timetable was spelled out, as to when and if a cease-fire might take effect or the political transition might take place. In the agreement, Gadhafi does voice support for the "deployment of an effective and credible monitoring mechanism."
"Leader Moammar Gadhafi expressed his full confidence in the African Union and its ability to successfully carry out the peace process in his country," the statement said.
Notably, Gadhafi has been a strong supporter of the African Union and has channeled large sums of money its way. Libya also holds a seat on the 15-member Peace and Security Council, which Lamara heads.
As such, opposition leaders have voiced skepticism that any mediation involving that multi-national group would end the conflict in a way that would satisfy their goals, which include Gadhafi's ouster.
The African Union's special committee on Libya is represented by Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Uganda and South Africa.
The Libyan leader himself made a rare public appearance in front of international media on Sunday, while the talks were ongoing. He rode off in a car as he waved to supporters near his tent, then later entered a second meeting with the African Union delegation.
These talks come as violence continues in the North African nation, where pro- and anti-Gadhafi forces have been engaged since February in bitter fighting.
After a series of setbacks driven by the advances of pro-government forces, Libyan rebel fighters this weekend recaptured the besieged city of Ajdabiya after apparently holding off Gadhafi's better-equipped forces.
In a hospital, witnesses told CNN on Saturday that three of Gadhafi's fighters who were killed were carrying identification cards from Syria, Algeria and Chad.

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Embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, in negotiations with the African Union, has accepted terms of an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the nation,

 South African President Jacob Zuma told reporters Sunday.
Negotiations remained under way Sunday night between Gadhafi and the African Union delegation. Details of the agreement were not immediately available.
As Gadhafi left an earlier meeting at his compound in Tripoli, he made a rare public appearance for international media before riding off in a car as he waved to supporters near his tent. The leader then entered a second meeting with the delegation.
The African Union's visit is the latest diplomatic effort to stop the bloodshed in Libya. After meeting with government officials, members of the delegation planned to connect with opposition members in the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
Gadhafi visits school in Tripoli New NATO airstrikes in Libya Seesaw war in Libya NATO: No apology for Libya deaths

The African Union's special committee on Libya is represented by Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Uganda and South Africa.
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz told journalists on Sunday that the meetings "will discuss the ways to resolve the crisis in Libya, and our main goal is to stop the military operations and find adequate solutions for the problem between our Libyan brothers," according to a Mauritanian news agency.
But Gadhafi has been a strong supporter of the African Union and has channeled large sums of money its way. Libya also holds a seat on the 15-member Peace and Security Council. As such, opposition leaders in Benghazi did not express optimism over the success of mediation as they continue to fight for freedom and an end to Gadhafi's four-decade rule.
After a series of setbacks driven by the advances of pro-government forces, Libyan rebel fighters recaptured the besieged city of Ajdabiya after apparently holding off Gadhafi's better-equipped forces.
In a hospital, witnesses told CNN Saturday that three of Gadhafi's fighters who were killed were carrying identification cards from Syria, Algeria and Chad.
Meanwhile, in Misrata, NATO airstrikes hit parts of the city overnight and Sunday, an eyewitness told CNN, who did not want to be named for security reasons. At least eight people were killed and 22 injured from Saturday's fighting between the pro-Gadhafi forces and the rebels, according to medical sources in the city.
On Sunday, two rebel fighters died as they attempted to hunt down pro-Gadhafi snipers near the city center, another eyewitness said. The rebels were able to recover the bodies of 15 such snipers shot earlier Sunday. The snipers took positions on top of residential and commercial buildings, the eyewitness said.
NATO airstrikes on Sunday hit various positions in and around the city, destroying 14 tanks, the eyewitness said. Sporadic fighting continued Sunday, but had decreased from recent days as the airstrikes kept pro-Gadhafi forces busy.
Some youths, captured in recent days by rebels, said they were teenagers and secondary-school students who had been forced to leave their homes in nearby towns and villages and undergo mandatory weeklong military training before fighting in Misrata, according to the second eyewitness.
Pro-Gadhafi forces continued shelling parts of the city Sunday morning, the eyewitness said. A steel mill near the port was targeted but the port is now under rebel control, eyewitnesses said. However, the port still holds about 4,000 foreign workers who are trying to leave the city.
Civilians living in the western sections of Misrata have been forced to leave their homes and have gathered in schools and friends' and relatives' homes near the city center, eyewitnesses said.
In a statement Saturday, NATO said its aircraft destroyed pro-Gadhafi ammunition stockpiles east of Tripoli that were supplying troops shelling Misrata and other cities. The alliance also made attacks on armored vehicles near Misrata and Ajdabiya, NATO said.
Opposition spokesman Shamsiddin Abdulmolah told CNN that rebels flew two attack helicopters from Tobruk to join the fighting in Ajdabiya.
"There were some 50 regime pickup trucks with machine guns and rocket launchers that attempted to enter Ajdabiya," Abdulmolah said. "The helicopters destroyed several of the trucks, and the rest took off."
Abdulmolah did not know what kind of helicopters the rebel forces used in Saturday's attack and could not confirm whether rebel forces coordinated the operation with NATO.
NATO is operating under a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force to protect Libyan civilians from attack.
The United Nations said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Cairo Thursday to head meetings on Libya at the Arab League headquarters. Among the participants will be Catherine Ashton, the representative for foreign affairs and security for the European Union.
While Gadhafi has largely stayed out of the public eye in recent days, state TV aired images Saturday of the leader visiting what appeared to be a primary school in Tripoli. The anchor said the school was a target of international airstrikes and was going to be attacked.
But NATO said in its statement that Gadhafi's forces continue to use civilians as human shields.
"We have observed horrific examples of regime forces deliberately placing their weapons systems close to civilians, their homes and even their places of worship," said Lt. Gen. Charlie Bouchard, commander of NATO's Operation Unified Protector. "Troops have also been observed hiding behind women and children. This type of behavior violates the principles of international law and will not be tolerated."

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Pro-Gaddafi forces have launched a surprise attack on Libyan rebels in Ajdabiya

Pro-Gaddafi forces have launched a surprise attack on Libyan rebels in Ajdabiya, shelling the town and deploying soldiers on the streets.

The rebels said they had managed to repulse the attack after several hours of fighting.

Doctors said eight rebels were killed in the violence.

In the western city of Misrata, Nato forces have intensified their air strikes and destroyed 15 tanks after an upsurge of violence.

Rebel leaders have been critical of Nato's attempts to enforce a UN-mandated no-fly zone, particularly since an air strike hit a rebel convoy earlier this week.

But rebel commanders now say they are heartened by the intensification of strikes on pro-Gaddafi forces on Friday and Saturday.

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RAF Tornados have destroyed seven tanks in Libya as air strikes there continue, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

The jets hit two tanks in Ajdabiyah and five in Misratah on Friday - areas which have seen fighting between rebels and Col Muammar Gaddafi's troops.

RAF Typhoons have also been involved in policing the UN-backed no-fly zone.

The MoD also said HMS Cumberland would return to the UK after HMS Liverpool took over its surveillance and embargo operations alongside HMS Brockelsby.

A spokesman said the Tornado GR4 planes used Brimstone missiles and Paveway IV bombs.

He said: "The weapons were discharged as part of armed air reconnaissance and overwatch patrols conducted over Misratah, Brega and Ajdabiyah.

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two British businessmen held in brutal Libyan prison

Two British businessmen have been held in Libya's notoriously brutal prison system for more than three weeks, the family of one of the men said on Thursday.

Amnesty International has documented 30 disappearances in Libya since the uprising began Photo: REUTERS
By Damien McElroy, Valletta 12:16AM BST 08 Apr 2011
Asma Ghoneim, the wife of Zeyad Ramadan, 39, said he and his brother Ghazi, 40, were seized in a Tripoli flat where they stayed on business trips to Tripoli.
"Its very important that every knows they were not political. They were business on a regular trip to Libya," she said. "I appeal to the Libyan government to look into this. My husband was a diabetic and needs daily medicine. I am very worried about him." The Leeds-born brothers provided software to Libya's mobile phone companies.
Witnesses reported that state security agents burst into the flat on March 19. After several hours of questioning, the Ramadans and two Libyan visitors were lead away.
One of the Libyan men has been named as Khaled Sury, a father of four.
The other man hasn't been named.

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MORE British warplanes are being diverted to ground attack operations in Libya,

MORE British warplanes are being diverted to ground attack operations in Libya, the Ministry of Defence announced last night, as rebel leaders complained Nato was not doing enough to help them.

Four Typhoons, based at Gioia del Colle in southern Italy, have been policing the no-fly zone while the RAF Tornados have carried out attacks on Colonel Gaddafi’s ground forces.

However, with the Libyan air force apparently unwilling to risk a confrontation with the alliance, the MoD said the four jets would now be used to bolster Nato’s ground attack.

Abdel-Fattah Younis, the rebel military’s chief of staff, has claimed Nato’s bureaucratic procedures mean it can take eight hours for the alliance to respond to a request for air support.

He insisted Nato could have lifted the siege of the western city of Misrata weeks ago if it had wanted to. “The people will die and this crime will be on the face of the international com-munity forever. What is Nato doing?” asked Mr Younis.

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REBEL military leader has lashed out at NATO for falling short in its mission to protect Libyan civilians.

Abdel-Fattah Younis, chief of staff for the rebel military and Gaddafi's former interior minister, said yesterday Muammar Gaddafi's forces have positioned weapons in populated areas to prevent airstrikes.

He urged the opposition's leadership council to take their grievances to the UN Security Council, which authorised force in Libya to stop government troops from wiping out the anti-Gaddafi uprising that began on February 15.

NATO forces "don't do anything" even though the UN had given them the right to act, Mr Younis said. He said bureaucracy meant NATO strikes sometimes come eight hours after rebels had communicated targets.

"The people will die and this crime will be on the face of the international community forever. What is NATO doing?"

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Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are using human shields in the war-torn town of Misrata.

Nato says forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are using human shields in the war-torn town of Misrata.

The coalition says Col Gaddafi's troops are using civilian vehicles and hiding their heavy armour in civilian areas.

Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu told the BBC: "Misrata remains our number one priority... but [Gaddafi's troops] are using human shields to protect themselves."

Earlier a rebel urged Nato must do more to help the besieged western town.

Gen Abdul Fattah Younis of the anti-Gaddafi forces complained that bureaucracy was causing Nato to take hours to respond to calls for air strikes.

"[Nato] is letting the people of Misrata die every day," he said.

In a separate development, a former US Republican congressman is now in Tripoli to hold talks with Col Gaddafi.

Curt Weldon said his aim was to persuade Col Gaddafi to "step aside".

Mr Weldon said he was visiting the Libyan capital in a personal capacity at the invitation of Col Gaddafi's chief of staff and that the administration of Barack Obama was aware of the trip.

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Bad weather and mounting concern over civilian casualties curbed NATO operations in Libya

Bad weather and mounting concern over civilian casualties curbed NATO operations in Libya in the first day since it assumed command of the Western campaign against Muammar Gaddafi, NATO officials said on Friday.

NATO took over air strikes targeting Gaddafi's military infrastructure as well as enforcement of a U.N.-mandated no-fly zone and arms embargo on Thursday, replacing a coalition led by the United States, France and Britain.

Since then, military analysts say there have been few signs of the intense air strikes that dominated the beginning of the nearly two-week, Western-led campaign.

NATO officials said sandstorms had an impact on initial operations, limiting the alliance's ability to identify air strike targets, although the weather was improving on Friday.

"Yesterday, we were somewhat restricted by bad weather," one NATO official said.

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THE Gaddafi regime has sent one of its most trusted envoys to London for confidential talks with British officials.

Mohammed Ismail, a senior aide to Colonel Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam, visited London in recent days, British government sources have confirmed.

The contacts with Mr Ismail are believed to have been one of a number between Libyan officials and the West in the past fortnight, amid signs the regime may be looking for an exit strategy.

Disclosure of Mr Ismail's visit follows the defection of Moussa Koussa, Libya's Foreign Minister and the country's former external intelligence head, who has been Britain's main conduit to the Gaddafi regime since the early 1990s.

A team led by the British ambassador to Libya, Richard Northern, and MI6 officers embarked on a lengthy debriefing of Mr Koussa at a safe house after he flew into Farnborough airport, south-west of London, on Wednesday night from Tunisia.

British government sources said the questioning would take time because Mr Koussa's state of mind was ''delicate'' after he left his family in Libya.

The British Foreign Office yesterday declined ''to provide a running commentary'' on contacts with Mr Ismail or other regime officials. But news of the meeting comes amid mounting speculation that Colonel Gaddafi's sons, foremost among them Saif al-Islam, al-Saadi and Muatassim, are anxious to explore a way out of the crisis in Libya.

''There has been increasing evidence recently that the sons want a way out,'' said a Western diplomatic source.

Mr Ismail is recognised by diplomats as being a key fixer and representative for Saif al-Islam.

According to cables published by WikiLeaks, Mr Ismail has represented the Libyan government in arms purchase negotiations.

''The message that was delivered to him is that Gaddafi has to go and that there will be accountability for crimes committed at the international criminal court,'' a British Foreign Office spokesman said yesterday, declining to elaborate on what else may have been discussed.

Some aides working for Colonel Gaddafi's sons, however, have made it clear that it may be necessary to sideline their father and explore exit strategies to prevent the country descending into anarchy.

One idea that the sons have reportedly suggested is that Muatassim, the country's national security adviser, would become president of an interim national unity government that would include the country's opposition.

It is an idea unlikely to find support among the rebels or the international community.

Ali Abdulsalam al-Treki, Libya's minister for Africa, who had been named to represent Libya at the United Nations, announced in Cairo that he too had abandoned the regime.

Within hours of Mr Koussa's arrival in Britain, Scottish prosecutors asked to interview him about the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

British Prime Minister David Cameron insisted no deal had been struck with Mr Koussa. ''Let me be clear, Moussa Koussa is not being granted immunity,'' he said. ''There is no deal of that kind.''

Government sources indicated that Britain did not believe Mr Koussa was involved in ordering the Lockerbie bombing.

Mr Koussa was at the heart of Britain's rapprochement with Libya, which started when Tripoli abandoned its support for the IRA in the early 1990s. He was instrumental in persuading Colonel Gaddafi to abandon his weapons of mass destruction program in 2003.

One source said: ''Nobody is saying this guy was a saint, because he was a key Gaddafi lieutenant who was kicked out of Britain in 1980 for making threats to kill Libyan dissidents. But this is the guy who persuaded Gaddafi to abandon his WMD program. He no doubt has useful and interesting things to say about Lockerbie, but it doesn't seem he said, 'Go and do it.'''

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British special forces were said to be operating beside the CIA on the ground in Libya despite official denials that land troops were in action.There was even specualtion that Saif himself may have already left Libya in Mr Koussa’s convoy

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There was even specualtion that Saif himself may have already left Libya in Mr Koussa’s convoy but such a suggestion was dismissed.
The Foreign Office did not comment on the report which asserted that British officials met with Mohammed Ismail.
The meeting was one of a number conducted between the two nations in the last two weeks, according to the Guardian and is believed to have addressed the possibility of an exit strategy for Gaddafi.
Despite a low profile in Libya and internationally, Mr Ismail is a key aide to Saif al-Islam and represented the nation in arms purchase negotiations, cables leaked on the WikiLeaks website have disclosed.
The report comes as David Cameron was put under pressure to ensure that the Libyan defector who arrived in Britain earlier this week co-operates with authorities investigating the Lockerbie bombing, the murder of Pc Yvonne Fletcher and potential war crimes.

Moussa Koussa, the Libyan foreign minister, who fled to Britain on Wednesday, is described as having "electrifying" information on Col Muammar Gaddafi's role in terrorist atrocities across Europe.
The Prime Minister said he would not block any attempts by the police to question Mr Koussa.
Mr Cameron stressed that Mr Koussa had not been offered a deal in return for fleeing to Britain and had not been granted immunity from prosecution. But if the defector is arrested and charged with crimes, it may undermine attempts by Western governments to encourage others in Col Gaddafi's inner circle to flee from Libya, a key aim of current diplomatic efforts.
Mr Koussa may also be reluctant to co-operate fully with British officials if he is not given guarantees about his future.
Last night, the Scottish prosecuting authorities investigating the Lockerbie bombing formally requested access to Mr Koussa, a right-hand man to Col Gaddafi for more than 30 years.
International prosecutors investigating war crimes in Libya are also expected to seek interviews with the defector. Yesterday, the Libyan rebel leadership demanded he be returned to the country to face war-crime charges.
Mr Koussa, who was likened yesterday to Rudolf Hess by a Conservative MP, is being interrogated by MI6 at an unknown location. It is not clear whether information obtained by MI6 will be made public.
Senior Whitehall sources indicated that Scotland Yard was unlikely to get involved "at the moment".
The Libyan foreign minister was identified yesterday by Jack Straw, the former Labour foreign secretary, as a key source for British and American intelligence for more than a decade.
Last night Ali Abdessalam Treki, a Libyan former foreign minister and UN General Assembly president, also defected. Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libya's deputy UN ambassador, said that most high-level Libyan officials were trying to defect but were having trouble leaving due to tight security. A senior figure at the Libyan Embassy in London also defected.
In other developments yesterday:
• The head of Nato ruled out arming the Libyan rebels less than 24 hours after Mr Cameron admitted that the plan was under consideration. The US defence secretary said that another country, rather than America, should be take charge of "assisting" the rebels.
• America warned that Col Gaddafi was "not about to break", citing reports that regime troops were laying landmines around rebel-held areas.
• British special forces were said to be operating beside the CIA on the ground in Libya despite official denials that land troops were in action.
• The Vatican claimed to have evidence that coalition air strikes had killed dozens of civilians in Tripoli.
• The Libyan government said that Col Gaddafi and his family would remain in Libya "until the end" despite growing speculation they would seek exile.
Last night, details of Mr Koussa's dramatic escape from Libya began to emerge. According to Foreign Office sources, Mr Koussa's arrival was in doubt up until the final few hours before he touched down at Farnborough Airfield in a private jet chartered by the British military.
He told the regime that he was travelling to Tunisia to seek medical treatment for high blood pressure. The British Government was informed that he wished to head to this country but there was concern that he would instead fly on to Italy, another destination he was said to have favoured.
One government source said: "We absolutely did not want to lose him. It was vital that he did not go to Italy."
While Mr Koussa was airborne, Mr Cameron is said to have spoken to American officials and secured their backing for allowing him into Britain.
As well as Lockerbie, officials are keen to question Mr Koussa about links to the IRA. Col Gaddafi is widely suspected of supplying arms to the terrorists at the height of IRA's bombing campaign in the 1980s.
Mr Koussa, who was previously in charge of the Libyan intelligence service has been described as the “master of terror” who was previously expelled from Britain for endorsing the assassination of dissidents in London. Western intelligence has linked him to planning the Lockerbie bombing.
Over the past few months, Mr Cameron has played a leading role in calling for key Gaddafi regime figures to face war-crime trials. The Prime Minister has also spoken of his disgust at the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Libyan intelligence officer convicted of the Lockerbie bombing.
Last night Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, the former Lord Advocate who initiated and oversaw the Lockerbie case, suggested that a “snatch squad” should be sent to Tripoli to try to secure any Libyan papers on the atrocity. He said it was unlikely Mr Koussa had brought documents with him but added that he had always had “dark suspicions” that the bomb plot came from the “heart of government”.
“I think we should send in a snatch squad to secure what papers they have before they are shredded,” said the Tory peer. Yesterday, at a press conference, Mr Cameron stressed that Mr Koussa would not be offered a “deal”.
The Prime Minister said: “Let me be clear, Moussa Koussa is not being granted immunity, there is no deal of that kind.
“And the point I would make about the dreadful events over Lockerbie: that investigation is still open and the police and the prosecuting authorities are entirely independent of government and they should follow their evidence wherever it leads and the Government will assist them in any way possible.”
MPs from all political parties yesterday insisted that it was vital that Koussa did not escape justice. Robert Halfon, a Conservative MP who has tabled several parliamentary motions on Lockerbie, said: “I think what has happened is comparable to Rudolf Hess coming here during the Second World War.
“The fact is that this man is most likely a war criminal, allegedly been responsible for the deaths of British citizens, allegedly the organiser of the Lockerbie bombing, he’s part of the Gaddafi totalitarian regime and in my view and that of many others he needs to go to the international court to face trials for war crimes.”

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