| News agencies report that the U.S.-led NATO alliance has stepped up its bombing of the Libyan capital Tripoli and other parts of the country. NATO officials have undertaken a new phase in operations April 19 with "deliberate, multiple strikes" by British aircraft on communications infrastructure and the headquarters of the Libya's 32nd Brigade located six miles south of Tripoli, it is reported. These attacks are ostensibly under the auspices of UN Security Council Resolution 1973, which states that the aim of the military mission is to enforce a no-fly zone for purposes of protecting civilians. Libyan state television reported seven civilian deaths as a result of the attacks on Tripoli that were aimed at civilian and military targets and which destroyed several houses. In addition, the Libyan state information agency JANA said NATO planes attacked the town of Bir al-Ghanam to the south of Tripoli, killing four more civilians there. Brigadier-General Mark van Uhm, NATO's chief of allied operations, claimed the attacks on Tripoli, which is outside the major combat zones, were justified, saying "What we are doing is attacking the regime's ability to supply and sustain [its] attacks [...] across the country." Uhm also said that NATO aircraft had destroyed significant numbers of tanks, armoured vehicles and rocket launchers besieging the Libyan city of Misurata, 200 kilometres east of Tripoli on April 18. Reports cite NATO sources saying the number of NATO airstrikes has doubled over the last two weeks. Michel Chossodovsky, writing for Global Research, provides information on the scope of the NATO military intervention: "NATO data confirms the magnitude and destructive nature of the Libya military operation. "'Since the beginning of the NATO operation (31 March 2011, 08.00GMT) a total of 2,771 sorties and 1,110 strike sorties have been conducted. "'A total of 18 ships under NATO command are actively patrolling the Central Mediterranean. 22 Vessels were hailed on 17 April to determine destination and cargo. 1 boarding was conducted (no diversion). "'A total of 384 vessels have been hailed, 10 boardings and 3 diversions have been conducted since the beginning of arms embargo operations.' [NATO website] "The above number of sorties includes only those tabulated since NATO took command of Operation Odyssey Dawn. It does not include the sorties between March 19 and March 30 "The coalition is currently running more than a hundred sorties a day. "We are dealing with a formidable military force, a deployment of naval power and air force bombers directed against a country of less than 7 million people, less than the population of Switzerland. "Let us be under no illusions. There is evidence of mass civilian casualties. These are war crimes (using advanced weapons systems) directed against a defenceless population." (Agencies) |