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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