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BBC NEWS on Libya
March 19, 2011
1825: A member of the opposition Transitional National Council in Benghazi, Dr Fathi Baja, says he is confident that rebels can overcome Colonel Gaddafi's troops. "The coming few hours will prove that our forces, who are surrounding Gaddafi's criminal forces and mercenaries, really are capable of crushing and destroying the remaining supporters of the criminal regime," he says. "Gaddafi's regime is living its last days and its last hours, by the will of God."
1823: The Daily Telegraph's Rob Crilly in Benghazi tweets: "There's some sort of frigate or destroyer lying off coast but too far out to tell who/what it is. Security guys think is unfriendly #libya"
1820: Russia has said it regrets the decision by western leaders to take military action in Libya, according to Reuters, citing a Russian foreign ministry spokesman.
1811: The skies have darkened in Tobruk but the mood has lightened following news from Paris, says the BBC's Kevin Connolly in the rebel-held town. The rebels, he says, are essentially civilians who have taken up arms and believed at the start of the process that unarmed protests would sweep Gaddafi from power - now there are question marks about whether they have the resources to march on Tripoli, our correspondent adds.
1805: The International Red Cross has called on all sides in the conflict to allow medical staff safe access to the injured, Reuters reports.
1758: Activist group Liberty4Libya tweets: "#Libya #Zintan, heavy shelling into the city of #Zintan, #Gaddafi troops' tanks advancing under the fire cover."
1748: French aircraft have destroyed four Libyan tanks in air strikes to the south-west of Benghazi, Al-Jazeera television has reported.
1744: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says he's pleased with the outcome of the Paris summit. "The signal which we send to Colonel Gadaffi and his regime is unequivocal," he says. "I believe that now the Brits, the French and the Americans will come to swift action."
729: BBC correspondent Richard Colebourn says foreign journalists in Tripoli have been taken to visit Colonel Gaddafi's military base and compound in the city. A few thousand supporters outside the base at Bab al-Azizia were chanting slogans in support of their leader. They said they were prepared to die if the compound was targeted in any air strikes. Libyan state TV is showing pictures of other supporters doing the same at Tripoli airport
1722: The BBC's Katie Connolly in Washington DC says both the White House and the US State Department have been emphasising the same line - that the US has been invited to take action and is not leading operations.
1718: Talking about the first shot by a French aircraft on a Libyan military vehicle, French defence ministry spokesman Laurent Teisseire told reporters: "A first target was engaged and destroyed." An armed forces spokesman told the same briefing the operation to halt Colonel Gaddafi's advance on rebel forces involved around 20 planes and an area 100 km by 150 km (60 by 100 miles) around the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi. France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier will leave France for Libya on Sunday, the spokesman added. A central command centre for the operation was still being set up.
A French warplane fired its first shot in Libya at 1445 GMT, the Defense Ministry in Paris confirms
1700: The Defence Ministry in Paris says a French warplane has fired the first shot in Libya as part of the enforcement of the no fly zone imposed by the United Nations. The target was a Libyan military vehicle.
1659: Around 20 warplanes are involved in operations over Libya to enforce a UN-sanctioned no-fly zone and prevent Colonel Gaddafi's troops attacking rebels, the French defence ministry told AFP.\r
1653: France will send an aircraft carrier to Libya, the French defence ministry has told AFP.
1650: Mrs Clinton says calls by the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council for UN action to impose a no-fly zone "were of historic importance".
