gaddafi's force has launched a ferocious counterattack on the rebels. we report at the center of intense fighting. >> we've been hearing sustained artillery fire and the rebels themselves are firing rockets just up ahead. >> welcome to "bbc news" broadcast to our viewers in pbs in america and also around the world. coming up for you, with just a month to go for the royal wedding here, we have a list of the do's and don't's ahead of the big day. >> welcome. as fierce fighting continues in libya, president obama has said he has not ruled out supplying u.s. weapons to opposition figures in the country. he also says he believes colonel gaddafi was losing control of his country would ultimately step down. speaking in a series of interviews on american news networks, president obama called on the leadership around colonel gaddafi to make it clear that he had to go. >> the circle around gaddafi understands that the noose is tightening, that their days are probably numbered. and they're going to have to think through what their next steps are. but as i have bee

however, the policy of the western allies has been bad gaddafi -- has been that gaddafi has to go away but he is still there. we have to get ready with the situation that he will remain there for the foreseeable future. >> let's hand it over to sarah now. we have positive developments on the currency market. >> we saw some calm returns. the finance ministers announced they would jointly intervene in the currency markets to halt the yen's rise. >> stocks in tokyo rallied immediately on the news. they breathed sighs of relief. the intention of central banks of the industrialized countries had been enough to calm the markets. after surging to its highest level, the yen fell 3% on friday. a rising yen is a threat to japanese exporters. ki exporters like toyota are already under pressure due to power outages stemming from last friday's disaster. >> most global stocks got a boost but it was not the only driving force on the markets. >> the world's financial markets was overshadowed by the difficult situation in japan. this friday they focused on libya because of reports there might be a ceas

to at some role in toppling gaddafi? >> i would like to sit here and say gaddafi should be either with hugo chavez, hitler and stalin or the international criminal court and we should take actions to ensure that happens over time. >> chris: both of you talk about what people call the arab spring, extraordinary spread of people power in a lot of repressive regimes. the complication, of course, what follows it? some of the dictators are on our side, some of them aren't. let's talk first of all, senator lieberman, about the astonishing situation in syria. a violent crackdown there. but given the fact that president asad is no friend of the u.s., iran's biggest ally in the middle east, what should we do about syria? >> first, it's important to understand what we are doing with the world community in libya is what the arab world wants to us do. what the arab street wants to us do. finally we are on the side of the mass of people yearning to be free in the arab world. secondly, i think the world has made a clear statement in l

the chimes with colonel gaddafi 's defiance. >> we support muammar gaddafi.ou cannot take the oil without taking the blood. >> today, colonel gaddafi's libya is more isolated and alone in the world than it has been for years. the aerospace and seaports are closed to traffic. the land borders are sealed. libya waits for the first attack. the world waits for libya's response. bbc news in tripoli. >> in eastern libya, government troops battled rebel forces on the coast between benghazi and another area. they claimed they captured around 20 government soldiers. ian panel travelled to the front line. he is now back in the rebel stronghold of benghazi. from there, he sent this report. >> what began as a rebellion now sounds more like a war. in the distance is a town attacked from the land and sea. hours after the u.n. resolution passed, a fighter jet was still bombing the residents and rebels of this small town. over the last hour or so, we've been listening to the sounds of what appeared to be a brutal battle between the two sides. we cannot go any further down th

this should be clear to those around gaddafi and to everybody. history is not on gaddafi's side. with the time and space we have provided for the libyan people, they will be able to determine their own destiny. that is how it should be. >> president obama speaking just an hour and a half ago in washington. steve kingston has been watching them with us and discussed the president's justification for the involvement of the united states in libya. >> i think it really comes down to one key point, the international community feeling that if they had not acted there would have been a massacre in benghazi. the president put that in pretty stark terms. he said it if we had not acted, they could have suffered a massacre that would have reverted erected across the region and stand the conscience of the world. he kept coming back to that as the reason why the united states got involved in this. he conceded that america's national security was not necessarily threaten right now by colonel gaddafi. essentially, he was saying that we did the right thing. we took the moral course. we have a re

"bill away gaddafi -- "go away gaddafi." there is a real hatred. in the square and in 1981, several people were hanged. simply because they opposed his will and wanted his -- wanted freedom. tell us what you think about the air strikes over the last few days? >> the air strikes -- the people here are very happy. because we were so afraid of what would happen to them. so, now they are all white and they are expecting good things will happen here -- they are all right and they are expecting good things will happen here and in the future, also. >> thank you in d. here are pictures of those who have died here, and pictures of the hangings back in 1981. people come here to pay their respects for the dead. there is a sense in tobruk that this town is free. it is no longer under colonel gaddafi's control. but people are saying that is not enough. they want the whole of libya to be freed from colonel gaddafi and for him to leave. >> ben brown for us. the general in charge of implementing the no-fly zone insists that and i sat in colonel gaddafi is not the

the rebels have gone up and down this road, but the gaddafi forces have more fire power. >> when gaddafi fight with airport, you know, big weapons, and we don't have anything. where everybody? we need help, yeah. >> colonel gaddafi's war planes and heavy weapons could be decisive if the rebels don't get help from abroad. the regime is suggesting the americans might want to arm the rebels. >> i have the general with me and he's ready to take the call. >> libyan tv has what seemed to be an interceptive phone call, supposedly between the u.s. ambassador and a rebel general in the east. >> this is ambassador gene crist talking to you. >> what equipment do you have? >> it's not clear what exactly the american diplomat, if it was him, was offering. >> if they want to support the militia, do it. and we are not afraid. america, nato, france. it is our country. we live here, we die here. we will never, ever surrender to those terrorists. >> later in tripoli, colonel gaddafi's most prominent son addressed the quarters he called the real libyans. they were supposed to be libya's future, until the r

to bring out-moammar gaddafi-test there is no question that libya be better off without moammar gaddafi i also embraced that and will actively pursue this with non-military needs. to broaden our military, be a mistake, however, to a prayprotect the libyan people from a immediate danger and carry a no-fly zone carries a u.s. mandate and international support. it is also with the libyan opposition asked us to do. if we tried to overthrow moammar gaddafi by force of a coalition with splinter. we would likely have to put u.s. troops on the ground to accomplish that mission. or, risk killing several civilians from the air. the danger faced by our men and women in uniform would be far more and also a responsibility of what comes next. to be blunt, we went down that road in thiraq and things source of incredible sacrifices we admit we're hopeful for their future. regimen changes took eight years, thousands of americans lives, i wreck lives and a nearly one trillion dollars. that is now something i can afford to repeat in libya. thousands of lives of a wreck and the bulk of what we can do, and

colonel gaddafi was driving himself in a golf buggy. his strategy is clearer, pushing back with armed force into rubble-held areas and killing libyans and foreign critics that without him the country would face chaos and domination by al qaeda. there is tremendous passion here, people cheering and saying how much they love colonel gaddafi, right at the center of things. he is being in the adulation of his supporters. he is expressing bewilderment at the international acts, saying libya is a friend of countries like britain, cooperating in things like fighting terrorism. during his three hour speech, the colonel said libya's troubles were foreign conspiracy. >> the plot is to control libyan oil, libyan territory. this is impossible. we will fight until the last man in defense of libya from south to north, from east to west. >> they cheered all their defiance. but there were hints of reconciliation. colonel gaddafi's speech will be dismissed out of hand by the most committed rebels. but as he drove off, he left behind an offer of an amnes

like. >> and have the east go to gaddafi, the west to gaddafi. after he gets -- maybe [everyone talking at once] >> you act like this is the first time we've ever had a no- fly zone. we've done if in kosovo, iraq, we caged saddam hussein. there's a possibility -- >> should under what a no-fly zone is. no fly means the enemies cannot -- the case of gaddafi, he cannot fly, but we can fly. that's what no-fly means. it doesn't mean we can't fly. it means the enemy can't fly. that's what obama wants. that's what he has got. >> it's not the first time that the u.s. has done that. we've done that in bosnia, in kosovo, in iraq. >> and hillary clinton said it never worked. [everyone talking at once] >> go ahead. >> by the way, we've done these no-fly zones over the former yugoslavia, iraq. it doesn't necessarily prevent the kind of humanitarian slaughter that we're trying to prevent here. two differences between reagan and obama. number one, american ready. reagan didn't wait for international stamp of approval to move. and number two, with reagan, there

says gaddafi's grip on the country is weakening. celebrations as air strikes check the advance of libyan forces in the east. but for how long? >> the truth is that colonel gaddafi's forces have not gone away and the cease fire that he declared appears meaningless. >> and the debate over the aims of the operation intensifies, president obama says the libyan leader has to go. in other news, protests in yemen gather pace. the president refuses to step down despite a number of high-profile defections. >> welcome to "bbc world news." explosions and anti-aircraft fire have been heard near tripoli as allied forces enforce the no-fly zone over libya for a third night. dozens of targets have been hit, but the coalitions say the libyan leader is not being targeted and insist that the campaign is aimed at protecting civilians. alan is in tripoli, starting our coverage with the latest of the allied support. >> from the ground, you cannot tell what is being hit, but you hear the impact of the missile strikes and the distant rumble of the blasts.

gaddafi's tr. rfour times, pro-gaddafi planes bombed the crossroads.bombing again. but bomb landed on the other side of the road. now coming in again. >> that time the blast from the bomb knocked one member of our team to the ground but he was not hurt. soon, the weather closed in. colonel gaddafi's pilots to not like flying low because there are vulnerable to ground fire. this volunteer explains there giving orders. for better or worse, most of the volunteers are full of fight and so far, they're holding their own. 2w>> the bbc's middle east editr spoke to my colleague. >> it is fair to say that byrd force and khadafi seem to be prevailing? >> brick force and i think some clever political calculations and technical considerations on the ground as well. his people seem to be getting the upper hand here which is 30 miles from here. we cannot go there for to cooperate. resistance seems to be fading in the face of a severe attack by khadafi's people. one man saying they place has been reduced to ashes. >> is there any way the rebels can survive even in th

gaddafi's airplanes fired into the city. there were about 20 people dead today in this fight over the city. >> you are an -- in benghazi. what can you tell us about preparations there? >> it was amazing. when the news came this morning about the fighting in the other city, people were worried, but all the youngsters went into the barracks here, which are abandoned. they want to get military training. i went to some of the barracks. some of the soldiers who went over to the revolutionary side or teaching youngsters how to use a kalashnikov and other things. they went off on trucks into the war zone. it seems like they will be successful to stop this offensive. >> we thank you for that update. meanwhile, the international criminal court in the hague says it is opening an investigation into possible war crimes committed by the gadhafi's regime. the violence in libya has prompted thousands to flee, causing a growing refugee crisis. france and britain say they will evacuate thousands of egyptian workers stranded on the border of

this condemned gaddafi's actions. it imposed a travel ban and assets freeze on those at the top of his regime. it demanded an end to the violence, access for international human rights monitors and the lifting of restrictions on the media. and it referred the situation in libya to the international criminal court, so its leaders should face the justice they deserve. mr. speaker, in my statement to this house on 28th february, i set out the steps that we would take to implement these measures. our consistent approach has been to isolate the gaddafi regime, deprive it of money, shrink its power and ensure that anyone responsible for abuses in libya will be held to account. i also told this house i believed contingency planning should be done for different scenarios including involving military assets, and that this should include plans for a no fly zone. mr. speaker, intervening in another country's affairs should not be undertaken save in quite exceptional circumstances. that is why we've always been clear that prepari

gaddafi, you have been known as the leader, and for years. and plenty of people in this country would say that the biggest obstacle of change for them and libya is you. >> he said that his presence actually instigated change for the people. >> in recent years you have had important western leaders like tony blair coming here. and now there are western leers leaders saying you should go. >> of course it's betrayal, they have no morals, besides if they want me to step down, what do i step down from? i am not a monarch or king. >> but you can step down even if you don't have a formal title. >> it's honor, he said, nothing to do with exercising power or authority. in britain who has the power, queen elisabeth or david cameron. he said that we didn't understand the system. >> i understand the system you have here. >> no, you don't understand. and the war, don't understand the system here. the system here. you don't understand it. >> but how do the people show their authority then? some who have gone on the street to protest said that your people h

why are you protesting against colonel gaddafi? why are you backing the anti-gaddafi forces? >> because he was controlling everything in our lives. we are not able to say or do anything against him unless -- we're just doing what he tells us to do. >> if you got a good job, if you got a nice car, enough food to feed your family, why is it so important that you can criticize your government enough to sacrifice your children, your life? >> we are doing it for dignity and humanity and freedom. this is what you need because gaddafi is a cultural everything and no good education, no good health care, no freedom in anything. you can't even read what you want to read. you cannot even say what you want to say, so he is controlling everything in our lives. >> and they are not the only people to say this. certainly gaddafi supporters are keeping a very low profile here. supporters of the anti-gaddafi forces will tell you that they are prepared to last as long as it takes to not see him back in power in libya again. karzai is expected to bring out the first phrase later this month and t

what happens of colonel gaddafi respects this u.n. resolution and is not attacked benghazi, basically with straws and leaves the status quo? what happens then? >> this is a legal matter. looking at the language in the resolution, i don't think that there would be a mandate for military action. that is clearly in contact with the statements we have heard from european leaders and some american politicians. they are seemingly portraying the possibility of regime change. i think that this is a tension that is yet to be resolved along with many open questions. we have seen the authorization of a set of tactics and given legal backing to those international actions but we have yet to see a filling in of a strategy on how this will play out. who will be participating. what will be undertaken. to ensure many onlookers, it would be useful to have a concrete picture about just what is going to unfold in the coming days and what kind of consensus have we come to. the language is broad, it could be interpreted in many different ways. >> the form

we froze more than $33 billion of gaddafi's regime assets. joining with other nations of the united nations security council, we broadened our sanctions, imposed an arms embargo, and enabled gaddafi and those around him to be held accountable for their crimes. i made it clear that gaddafi had lost the confidence of his people and the legitimacy to lead. i said that he needed to step down from power. in the face of the world condemnation, gaddafi chose to escalate his attacks, launching a military campaign against the libyan people. innocent people were targeted for killing. hospitals and ambulances were attacked. journalists were arrested, sexually assaulted, and killed. supplies of food and fuel were choked off. water for hundreds of thousands of people in misrata was shut off. cities and towns were shelled, mosques were destroyed, and apartment buildings reduced to rubble. military jets, helicopters, and gunships were launched on people who had no means to defend themselves against assaults from the air. confronted by this brutal repression

bobby gaddafi -- gaddafi's tanks in israel were hit. schelling's have resumed. >> a propaganda war is also being waged in libya. brandishing, a presenter on libyan state television pledged to give his last breath for libyan leader gaddafi. state television also broadcast images of gaddafi's supporters staging demonstrations and gaddafi himself making a brief public appearance for the first time in days. speaking from his compound, gaddafi pledged victory, denouncing what he called the unjustified aggression of crusader nations. although the united nations- backed strike had forced his troops to retreat, battles are still waiting on the ground. rebels and regime forces are still fighting for controleastee been engaged in a standoff for days. the u.s. president says intervention would not end until it had entered the safety of the libyan people. >> unless he is willing to step down, there will still be potential threats toward the libyan people, and we will continue to support the efforts to support -- protect the libyan people. >> presid

colonel gaddafi was driving himself in a golf buggy. here he is pushing back with armed force in the rebel areas, and telling libyans and foreign critics that without him in the country would face his and doppler -- faced chaos and domination beit al-qaeda. -- by al-qaeda. >> people are cheering. they are basking in the adulation year. they are also expressing bewilderment at the international record of what is happening here, saying libya is a friend of france and britain, cooperating. during his three-hour speech, the colonel said libya's troubles were a foreign conspiracy. >> the plot now is to control libyan oil, libyan territory. this is impossible. we will fight to the last man and last woman. from north to south, east to west. >> they cheered all the defiance. but there were hints of reconciliation, too. colonel gaddafi's speech was read out of hand by the most committed rebels. but he left behind and offer of amnesty, even talks of a free press. for his hard-core supporters, it was a family day out and they did not care what he

we are telling muammar gaddafi to leave. he is a muslim but his mask has slipped. >> aerial bombardments were reported in a neighboring town. muammar gaddafi's forces intensified their assault near tripoli. at least 30 people were killed and 300 wounded. witnesses told dw-tv will list soldiers conducted many rebel fighters. the battle has been raging for days. this amateur video was shot during an air strike. protesters took to the streets after friday prayers. they were met by security forces who fired live ammunition. loyalists are keeping the capital under lockdown. >> earlier i spoke to martin fletcher who was in tripoli. i asked him to tell us more about the demonstrations today. >> there were only two demonstrations against the regime. this was a day on which muammar gaddafi's forces saturated the city. wherever you went there were tanks and roadblocks and loyalists in unmarked cars. we were turned back several times. it was almost impossible to move without being stopped. one demonstration was [unintelligible] a few h

colonel gaddafi told the bbc that all of the people love him. not here. this is the grave of a 22-year- old killed last friday. he left a child and a pregnant wife. jeremy bowen, bbc news, tripoli. >> in those areas of libya held by anti-gaddafi forces, there is concern they can use military force. the opposition holds one town, and as john simms and reports from there, so far, it has seen at three attacks by air -- as john simpson reports. >> slowly, the rebels in the east are preparing themselves for a showdown with colonel gaddafi. in benghazi, there is no shortage of volunteers. they are looking for intervention from western powers. >> everybody here, they do not want military, international. we saw it happen in iraq. >> we would like them to not fly over us. >> there is a strategic town. there's more enthusiasm for the idea of a no-fly zone. for the rebels here, this guy is the danger. -- the sky is the danger. colonel gaddafi has set his plane's three times to attack this huge weapons dump. in fact, two of the three pilots who have been sent to atta

gaddafi trimspa take back cities. -- take back some cities, gaddafi troops. and how to stop the radioactive leak at fukushima. the change that protesters in syria have been calling for is not coming anymore. assad spoke before parliament and did not hint once that he is considering ending the decade- long emergency law. he blamed foreigners for trying to send syria into chaos. >> the president's speech was eagerly anticipated. it was his first public appearance since the wave of unrest broke out in parts of the country two weeks ago. since 1963, his party has been unchallenged in the syrian parliament, and the party faithful are still standing behind him. he blames the recent unrest on the outside conspirators, intent on creating division and chaos in the country. >> this is an exceptional moment, when it is testing their unity. conspiracies against the country. but thanks to the will of god, we will always succeed in overcoming conspiracies, boosting our unity and strength. >> assad said he favored reform, but he defied calls to lift the 48-year state of eme

-- leave gaddafi or some successor government to gaddafi in control of at least part of the government. >> two workers in these fukushima power plant that are being treated for high exposures to radiation. their feet where -- came into contact with contaminated water. they have been trying to restore the cooling system, which was crippled by the earthquake and tsunami earlier this month. >> a first glimpse at the workers that they're calling the fukushima 50. they are battling to stabilize the nuclear plant. the risks of radiation are ever- present. this is dangerous, unpredictable work. japan is already calling them heroes. with smoke rising over the plant, confirmations to the risk that the workers based. 3 feared poison by the radiation, two of them seriously. >> the workers got their feet wet from the water that had a high level of radioactivity. it is very regrettable. they have been sent to the hospital and they are being treated there. >> in tokyo, they were handing out water rations. stocks of bottled water are running low. fears about radiation in the top water remain, even af

gaddafi's forces are no longer advancing across libya. in places like benghazi, a city of some 700,000 that gaddafi threatened to show "no mercy," his forces have been pushed back. so make no mistake, because we acted quickly, a humanitarian catastrophe has been avoided and the lives of countless civilians -- innocent men women and children -- have been savied. as i pledged at the outset the role of american forces has been limited. we are not putting any ground forces into libya. our military has provided unique capabilities at the beginning, but this is now a broad, international effort. our allies and partners are enforcing the no fly zone over libya and the arms embargo at sea. key arab partners like qatar and the united arab emirates have committed aircraft. and as agreed this week, responsibility for this operation is being transferred from the united states to our nato allies and partners. this is how the international community should work -- more nations, not just the united states, bearing the responsibility and cost of upholdin

they want to see gaddafi stay in power.y get what they want and have access to whatever they want. the hypocrisy is we really cannot help libya. we cannot provide a no-fly zone. it just depends where you are. they will lead to it in africa because i hate to say this -- but it is racism. we saw hundreds of thousands of people slaughtered in africa and the europeans did nothing. pinkoson well -- inkosovo we have a no-fly zone. every single american president has known what this man has done. he has been responsible for massacres and murders in africa. it is not charles taylor who should be in court. it is colonel gaddafi, because he is the one who aren't the troops and trained them. no country in africa has been able to withstand this. uganda is facing problems with fragmentation because gaddafi cited to make himself king of kings. now every single tribal kaine is saying -- tribal king is saying i will not recognize the central government. they know that. europeans know that and yet they will let it live because of interests.

secretary-general, thank you moon, with gaddafi -- ban ki moon, with gaddafi. guest: the libyan mission to the u.n., which diplomats there, renounced the gaddafi after he began slaughtering people in broad daylight. remember that he has been killing people for years. that is how he stayed in power in libya. what has happened with the rebellion is it is now in plain view. the current libyan mission as a collection of photographs are still there. here you have him shaking hands with president obama, a friendly handshake, when gaddafi came to speak at the general assembly. then there is one here of ban ki moon with gaddafi at a barbecue in ethiopia in 2008. that was not necessary for diplomatic etiquette. they were having a good time in this. then there is another one in the luxurious surroundings where ban ki moon hosted a meeting of the arab league which has now asked the coalition to go in and protect the civilian population of libya. gaddafi hosted a meeting of the arab league in 2010. ban ki moon flew in. the speed at which everyone has forgotten this is rema

gaddafi dug in. americans were surprised by mubarak leaving and then everything that happened around that. gaddafi was going to stick it out. with the obama administration has been struggling to do is come up with a coherent policy for dealing with such an unprecedented change, often in countries where we do not know a lot about the political alternatives. we have leaders who have been in power for decades. i think that what the white house has said is they are doing this on a case by case basis. libya situation has demonstrated the limits that we're speaking about the future of the middle east. host: we have a comment on e- mail by george. >> richard from maryland. caller: how are you today? host: we're good, thank you. caller: there is no doubt that gaddafi has done terrorism in the past. if he was as bad as everybody said, i think the united states with their position on terrorism as a result of 9/11 would be willing to go in there and knock his socks off, so to speak. the underlying issue is that

gaddafi has genuine support here. people would not be out on the streets like this if they thought there wasn't in it chance of violent regime change. but look what somebody put it discreetly and without saying anything into one of the hands of my colleagues, a shell casing. it feels very different. they come at night, sometimes opening fire, sometimes taking people away note -- away. >> talking to you right now, if somebody sees me, maybe i will not stay at home tonight. >> the authorities say single figures show there have not been massive problems. we were given pictures to show what happens. -- happened. it is not clear which part of them opened fire. but they were shooting to kill. the regimes as its men only shoot in self-defense, against crowds inspired by it al qaeda. colonel gaddafi told the bbc that all of his people loved him. not here. 32 years old, killed last friday, he left a child and a pregnant wife. jeremy bowen, bbc news, tripoli. >> defiance and determination in the capital of tripoli, and also, to

çit seems quite a success for gaddafi's army.lazed away, a rational built -- russian built air force came in for the attack. whether the pilot mist on purpose wasç not clear. we did not wait to find out. it landed just there. we got to move over here away from the [inaudible] we better take cover here. the rebels only answer to gaddafi's airç power is their high morale. but soon they were reinforcing this place again bringing out new defenders along the road. cutting the road is a priority for pro-gaddafi forces. one bomb destroyed a car withça family escaping from the fighting. a couple and their small children were killed. >> everybody is dead. why? why us? stop killing. stop hating. ç>> the road is the rebel's greatest ally. so far it remains untouched. the rebels can keep on fighting. >> the un and libya as agreed to let the team into the country to assess the humanitarian situation. thousands of people have fled intoç neighboring countries. many are still stuck in border areas. it $160 million aid package has been broug

. ♪ >> todos contra muammar al gaddafi. el cielo libio resplandece.e misiles explotan. amanece en libia. a esta hora tratan de evacuar quÉ daÑos causaron los misiles lanzados por una coaliciÓn en contra del gobierno de muammar al gaddafi. segÚn la tv libia habrÍa 48 muertos y 150 heridos pero no se ha podido volver lanzar. el mundo volviÓ a ver misiles al aire. lo Último del ataque aÉreo. >> es el fuerte estraundo que hizo un misal al ser lanzado de un buque de guerra estadounidense hacia libia. el ataque perpetrado por una coaliciÓn internacional liderada por estados unidos, tiene como objetivo detener la ofensiva del gobierno de muammar al gaddafi contra su propio pueblo que lucha por sacarlo del poder. >> no podemos quedarnos parados mientras un tirano le dice a su pueblo que no tendrÁ misericorda y sus fuerzas atacan ciudades. dijo el presidente barack obama desde brasil. el operativo se produjo luego de que el consejo de seguridad de la naciones unidas que se reuniÓ en una cumbre de emergencia en parÍs, autorizada el uso de fuerza para hacer cump

the fact is that gaddafi is still in power. i think this is french frustration with that balancing act. they want to push everyone toward recognition. of course, diplomats say, what does that mean anyway? on the gund, frankly, it does not amount to much more than rhetoric. >> thank you very much, jeff. >> in libya, gaddafi troops appear to be winning ground on the rebels. there are reports that they have -- that the opposition forces have lost the oil city. >> they hit it with heavy artillery and bombs. rebel forces retreated in the face of the onslaught but they intend to fight on. >> i saw two planes coming in very low. if i had been ready, maybe i could have shot down the planes. >> the fighting does not show any sign of letting up. in an interview, the dockery's son vowed never to surrender to the rebels who he called terrorists. -- gaddafi boss' son vowed never to surrender to the rebels who he called terrorist -- gaddafi's son vowed never to surrender to the rebels who he called terrorists. meanwhile, the red cross has wa

this condemned gaddafi's actions. it imposed a travel ban and asset freezes on those of the top of his regime. it demanded an end to the violence, access for international human rights monitors, and the lifting of restrictions on the media, and vitally it referred the situation in libya to the international criminal court so that its leaders should face the justice they deserve. mr. speaker, in my statement to this house on february 28 i set out the steps we would take to implement these measures. are consistent approach has been to isolate the gaddafi regime, deprive it of money, shrink its power, and ensure that anyone responsible for abuses in libya will be held to account. i also told this house that i believe contingency planning should be done for different scenarios, including involving military assets, and they should include plans for a no-fly zone. mr. speaker, intervening in another country's affairs should not be undertaken save in quite exceptional circumstances. that is why we have always been clear that

bobby gaddafi -- gaddafi's tanks in israel were hit. schelling's have resumed. >> a propaganda war is also being waged in libya. brandishing, a presenter on libyan state television pledged to give his last breath for libyan leader gaddafi. state television also broadcast images of gaddafi's supporters staging demonstrations and gaddafi himself making a brief public appearance for the first time in days. speaking from his compound, gaddafi pledged victo, denouncinghat he called the unjustified aggression of crusader nations. although the united nations- backed strike had forced his troops to retreat, battles are still waiting on the ground. rebels and regime forces are still fighting for control in eastern libya, where thehave been engaged in a standoff for days. the u.s. president says intervention would not end until it had entered the safety of the libyan people. >> unless he is willing to step down, there will still be potential threats toward the libyan people, and wwill contin touppo the efforts to support -- protect the libyan peo

in libya, colonel gaddafi sources seem to be gaining the upper hand -- gaddafi's forces seem to be gaining the upper hand. there is much talk but no agreement on what to do next. france has officially recognized the rebels. in afghanistan, efforts are intensifying to let the country be responsible for its own security. a new afghan army recruits have just eight weeks of training before they face the taliban. will they be ready in time? >> the main recruitment center in publikabul. these afghans have come here to join the army. almost all say they want to serve the nation. they have to meet certain conditions before joining. first of all, they should be afghan citizens. they should not be disabled so they can put bill their duty. they should not be drug addicts -- fulfill their duty. they should not be drug addicts and should not have committed a crime in the past. >> we will follow them until the end of their training. >> there are 2500 new troops sent from across afghanistan to the recruitment center here. they will go through a to weeks of training until they become soldiers. -- through

the rebels have had no answer to colonel gaddafi is weaponry -- colonel gaddafi's weaponry. although the libyan air force has pretty much been destroyed, some tanks remain inside misrata. the coalition cannot do anything about the pro-gaddafi snipers in the town. misrata's hospitals have been hit by fire. these pictures have come in over the last few days. there is no possibility of verifying them because the government has not allow this to go there. many patients have been hit by snipers. some of the pictures are too disturbing for us to show. misrata matters because it is the last big town in western libya still in western -- still in rebel hands. the airport was shut down today, and the main hospital seemed to be controlled by pro- gaddafi forces. the fighting today is said to be centered on the port. last night, the coalition bombed the capital, -- the capitol, tripoli, for the fourth night running. images on the television plainly showed military vehicles running. but the government insisted that civilian areas and had been hit and 18 civilians had died. according to l

and that is that gaddafi step down. we are going to continue to work with the international community to try to achieve that. and we are going to be in close consultation with these opposition groups as they get organized to see how we can bring about that outcome. now, with respect to the budget, i think it's important to understand that right now the discussion is about last year's business. we're talking about how to fund the remainder of this fiscal year. this is an appropriations task. and we have been in very close contact with all members of congress, both parties. i've had conversations with mr. mcconnell. i've had conversations with mr. boehner, with nancy pelosi, and with harry reid about how they should approach this budget problem. know. what we the republicans in the house passed a budget that has been now rejected in the senate. they are not going to get 100% of what they want. the democrats have put forward spending cuts, many of them pretty painful, that give republicans already half of what they were se

this attack was by the gaddafi's troops. the military troops of the dufty -- of gaddafi, they used heavy weapons like mortars and tanks. >> we have some footage that you shot that you have given to us. we are just plain that. we are seeing plumes of smoke coming from a building. -- we are just playing that. what happened when you took those pictures? >> this building is the social insurance building. this is one of the highest points in the city. i was shooting this smoking which was coming up from the building. the rebels told me that -- were located on the building. they started to move out of the building. they went to the main court. this is just opposite to this building. >> very briefly, described to us if you are still getting the water and electricity that we were speaking about. >> yes. no, no, right now we don't have any water supplies. this is supplied just too small part of the city, that is all. >> we appreciate you talking to us. that is a resident in misrata with pictures that he took from the situation on wed

gaddafi was getting overstretched.er the opposition could have held else without the bombing or through some other types of assistance, that's an open question. the reality is that there is no dew over. these questions are interesting, but they are irrelevant. what the president did in his speech that the administration has not done before it's too late out a path forward and the u.s.'s part in that. he described three things that have to be done. one, isolate and contain gaddafi, so he can eventually be brought to justice. the second task is he has to prevent gaddafi's military from going back on the offensive. that's the second task. that was accomplished with military intervention. the third task is you have to identify and build a credible opposition. by credible, i mean, one that will not be anti-democratic and one that will not be infiltrated by terrorists. those are the three essential tasks. it was good to hear the president laid that out. there are still unanswered question. nobody doubted the capacity of mili

an attack on colonel gaddafi is an attack on libya itself. it is akin to treason. they are mystified that the united nations cannot see that. >> what about the united nations? >> i hate the united nations. i hate britain. i hate france. i love libya. i love libya only. >> we are ready to give our lives for muammar gaddafi and for libya. >> the more intense fighting becomes, the more intense their loyalty to gaddafi. >> when they speak of the international community, they speak in different towns. >> the vote last night at the un has changed this conflict. it authorizes air strikes against ground troops, like these on the front lines, should they attack civilians. the libyan government does not want that, so, in contrast to what it says to the libyans, it said this today to the international community. >> therefore, libya has decided to have an immediate cease-fire, and the stoppage of all military operations. >> only yesterday, colonel gaddafi said his men were coming to benghazi. those who resisted would be shown "no mercy." has he changed his mind? president obam

>> i am here to kill gaddafi. he is in a crime now. we know about them. >> how are you going to kill him? >> we are going to go to tripoli. >> the compound? >> yes. he is the killer. he killed our people. our children. our people are worse than in prison. he is a killer. >> what is your name? and he is your friend? >> yes. what did you decide to come together? >> yes. >> you also want to kill them? how old are you? >> 17. >> this is dangerous. >> no, no, it is not dangerous. it is not dangerous. >> this man killed my children. >> your children? >> not our children, no. >> what are they in teaching you here? >> we have learned how to take the gun and shoot everywhere and not to run with the gun. just things about it. >> are you expecting to be sent to the west to fight? >> yes. yes. we want to be there. i want to be there. >> all lib dem 3 >> all of them? they have only had one day or so. >> they are coming year. hear, we are trying to convince them they must be trained using weapons, first-aid. we are trying to teach them all. and we a

especially with gaddafi clinging on? -- for libya might be? especially with gaddafi clinging on? >> there is some talk in the corridors of hope. it may not be much more than that, but if the gadhafi's regime -- but that the gaddafi regime will crumble under enormous internal pressure. as the ring closes around him and his sons, they would do better to bolt, to go somewhere, venezuela, zimbabwe and try to garner as many games as they can. because almost no one believes he can restore his state. he is never again going to be the unchallenged dictator of all libya. they do not have to fight all the way westward to tripoli, but the regime travels from within and they could get a rare -- fairly rapid success in this. this could go on for some considerable time. >> and yet another sign of unrest throughout the region. today, the entire cabinet in syria resigned. here, too, is in an attempt to quell a wave of protests in the last two weeks. the president and his supporters are making their voices heard in the street. >> contents of thousands on the street in damascus, the syrian capital

action against colonel gaddafi with a resolution to -- the un council backs action against colonel gaddafiith a resolution. celebrations in been gaungazi ae news of the resolution reaches the rebels. desperate for aid, more than 300,000 people are still homeless and food is in short supply. >> the united nations security council has approved a resolution for the creation of a no-fly zone to protect the people of libya. the resolution calls for all necessary measures, but rules out the use of foreign ground troops. 10 countries voted in favor and none were against. there were five abstentions, including russia and china. >> when it came, there was no opposition to the plan that britain, france, and 11 on had presented. sit -- significantly, both russia and china were among the five countries to abstain. afterwards, britain made clear why its government felt it had to act. >> the world should not stand by and accept the dump the hospitality against his own people. this resolution. tonight in the united nations security council is an expression of that resolve. it is a positive response to th

pro-gaddafi forces have launched air strikes on the city. the libyan leader attempts to recapture lost territory in the east of the country. inhabitants are fleeing the battles. there were intense clashes further west, in the oil port held by the rebels. gaddafi is striking back from his stronghold in the capital, tripoli. libyan state television broadcast his latest rambling speech, in which he vowed to fight until the last man and woman. in benghazi, the rebels controlled the center of the uprising. >> we are here to be trained by army officers to free tripoli and its suburbs. >> the rebel national libyan council has called for external backing against gaddafi's mercenaries, who it says have been recruited from other parts of the africa. >> we call upon the un and any otheorganization that supports our resolution to deliver air strikes on mercenary strongholds being used to conduct attacks against civilians. >> but the group has voiced opposition to other foreign intervention. it says it aims to topple gaddafi without the help of outside f

. -- and they tell gaddafi's says it is time is running out. remembering the tragedy, as benefits soccer match in japan for survivors of the earthquake and the tsunami. the future of libya as a plot of the agenda and london on tuesday. more than 40 politicians met to discuss the post gaddafi era. qatar wning gaddafi that he has a matter of days to save themselves. the coalition says they did not tell the car rentals in libya but france said that that option is still on the table. -- the coalition says that they did not agree to arm the rebels in libya. >> the rebels are on the back foot again. after fierce fighting, they have pulled back and are regrouping. after this latest setbacks, there is calling for more international support. >> where is america? where is great britain? they should help us. they should be giving us weapons or stopping gaddafi forces from advancing on us. >> they say they will not be sending in ground forces. germany is especially opposed to the idea. foreign minister has offered humanitarian help. >> delegatesagreed that

laying out plan b allows gaddafi -- let's not forget who gaddafi is. chemical program, nuclear program, support for terrorism the pan am 1 03 flight. it seems that when you begin to pick at it, it unravels completely. >> i am glad you reminded me of iraq. i am not a big fan of articulating policies and in doing nothing -- than doing nothing to implement them. that is my fear about what we may have done here. i am hoping we will hear from the president that there is a plan to take this vision of a libya without gaddafi and turn it into policy. if you want to go beyond what i have laid out with the afghan option, then you are talking about a ground invasion of tripoli. i do not see any interest in that. i am not convinced that it is writing -- rising to that level to justify that. the inc is right in there neck and neck with these guys. the issue is political sustainability. we saw it with a rock. over time, the coalition got smaller as we tried to enforce the no-fly zones over iraq. in iraq, there was not a plan to bring about saddam's device -- demise.

the rebels intend to move on to gaddafi's next stronghold. they feel sure they can do it. >> our correspondent in washington says there has been a change in washington's language. >> the message from president obama today was much harsher, talking about the gaddafi must leave now. there was also a direct threat to anyone associated with this government, basically saying, if you are responsible for violence we will bring you to account. the big question is what the united states can actually do about libya short of using direct military force. we heard president obama pimm talk about preparing a full range of options. -- president obama talk about preparing a full range of options. the subtext is, if pushed to that point, but that is certainly not where the government is at this moment. it is a less preferred option. there has been a lot of talk about the no-fly zone over libya. that would require military action. the united states is not ruling that option out, but is very reluctant to commit to it. the reason for that is that the united stat

gaddafi and mr. ron struck an agreement by which both sides would pull out of -- mitterand struck an agreement by which both sides would pull out of chad. france pulled out, gaddafi camouflages forces and let them in. to think that you can somehow walk away leaving gaddafi in place does not make sense. it brings us back to the different scenario that we've already started putting on the table. the history of air power is that you have a capable opposition, you could run something like the afghan approach. i do not think libyan opposition is the equivalent of the northern alliance. what we have going is the bolivian military is not -- the libyan military is not the equivalent to the taliban. we of seen whether -- we have seen how they have fled at some of the risks of shots. they may not take a lot. it might not take as much effort as it did in afghanistan. but that is pure speculation, to go back to the uncertainty, and is much more likely that if the u.s. or our allies want to employ that approach,

colonel gaddafi is continuing to defy the u.n. cease-fire resolution by announcing a deadly attacks on his own people. the city of misrata remains under siege from pro-gaddafi forces. rebels there say they are running out of food and water. our correspondent sent us from tripoli. >> and raf fighter and in action over libya. by intervening, the coalition has changed the situation completely. on the 130 miles from here, there is a real war going on here yet in the besieged town of misrata, the rebels are fighting with their backs to the walls. here in tripoli, it is a different war in date. missiles and bombs fall every night. the main struggle is up propaganda one. libyan television is showing these pictures of civilian supposedly killed in the raids. are the genuine? impossible to said. international journalists are immensely restricted, although we are free to say what we want without censorship. today, we were bussed out to see what we were told was a hit on a civilian target. you can conceive the growing effects of the war. thi