| By Al Jazeera Staff in | on March 19th, 2011. |
As the uprising in Libya continues, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe. Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.
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(All times are local in Libya GMT+2)
The Taliban has issued a statement condemning the strikes in Libya, saying they represent a "politically-motivated and uncalled-for intervention and adventure" of Western nations in the internal affairs of the country.
The "anti-Islamic" and "colonialist" forces don't want a solution to the bloodshed, the statement said, but rather plan to weaken Libya and take its oil through "direct invasions."
The Taliban called on Muslims and rulers in the Islamic world not to remain neutral and to help Libya to "wriggle free" and "save itself from the tentacles of the foreign colonialism."
The Washington Post reports that Western reconnaissance satellites are watching a "small garage" south of Sirte where it is believed the Gaddafi regime stores around 10 tonnes of mustard gas.
Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, says there is no sign of Libyan regime aircraft in flight, a sign that they may have been destroyed or their facilities too badly damaged to use.
According to the AFP news agency, one hospital in Benghazi says at least 94 people died in Gaddafi's last push on the city late Friday night and Saturday morning, in the hours after the UN security council approved military action against him but before coalition planes were in the air.
The US Defense Department released this photo of briefing on Odyssey Dawn that shows approximate coalition target areas in Libya. One appears to be an airfield around 120km west of Tripoli (or roughly 30km east of the Tunisian border). Here's a Google satellite map image of the airfield:
Gaddafi spoke for about 15 minutes, a comparatively short address by his standards. During his remarks, Libyan state TV showed a static image of monument at the Bab al-Azizia - a giant gold fist crushing a fighter jet with "USA" written on the tail. Gaddafi was never shown, perhaps out of fear that he would reveal his location and expose himself to a coalition attack.
The Libyan leader was characteristically pugnacious, promising an endless war against the "Christian" enemy - France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and others.
"There is no justification for this cold war against Islam," he said.
Gaddafi also pointed to the wars in Vietnam and Iraq as well as US military efforts against Osama bin Laden and armed militias in Somalia as examples of the fate that awaits foreign military intervention in his country.
Gaddafi vows to fight for all the land of Libya. "We will not allow the enemies to come defeat us, we have already defeated the Italians," he says.
Gaddafi is speaking now, carried on Libyan state TV, though he is not visible in the picture.
A resident of the western city of Misrata tells Reuters there are loyalist Gaddafi snipers on the rooftops in the centre of the city.
Libyan state television reports that Gaddafi will speak soon. Who knows when that may actually be.
Women have often stayed off the streets of east Libya during the uprising against Gaddafi for reasons of safety and religion, but this lady is most definitely not hiding indoors:
According to Reuters, she is a rebel fighter celebrating the withdrawal of Gaddafi troops from Benghazi on Saturday.
Citizen video, apparently filmed yesterday after Gaddafi troops attacked Benghazi, gives a sense of how loyalist fighters were cut down in urban gun battles. The jeeps shown here look to be the same style and colour as those we have seen being used by Gaddafi troops in numerous other videos and images.
Tony Birtley reports on the deadly results of Gaddafi troops' final push on Benghazi before coalition air forces began their strikes:
Issandr el-Amrani gives a critical, some might say pessimistic, analysis of the international intervention on his Arabist blog, wondering how the coalition will topple Gaddafi's regime while avoiding the side effects of a prolonged civil war.
Amrani predicts that the coalition's mission will move from air strikes to ground attacks and wonders how the rebels - whom he refers to as "insurgents" - will treat pro-Gaddafi civilians and the remnants of the regime.
It gets more complicated [if] the Qadhafis are gone, both Westerners and Arabs may be ready to deal with regime remnants (particularly if they play a role in getting rid of the Qadhafis) but the insurgents may not want anyone associated with the former regime in place. So prolonged civil war is one possible outcome, yet again. This is why some kind of recognized leadership for the insurgency that is able to negotiate with whoever comes after Qadhafi is necessary.Iraq's parliament was set to vote (likely in favour) about whether to recognise the Libyan national opposition council but had to delay until after the Persian new year - set to begin tonight - in order to get a quorum, Al Jazeera's producer in Baghdad reports.
More information on the force that has been deployed against Libya in the past 24 hours. CBS News reports: Three U.S. B-2 stealth bombers dropped 40 bombs on a major Libyan airfield
Add Russia to the list of those publicly disapproving of military action in Libya now that hostilities have begun. China has "expressed regret," the African Union has called for an "immediate halt," and now Moscow has "reacted 'with regret'" to the air strikes, according to a report by CNN.
The Russian statement said that the UN Security Council resolution on Libya - which came more than a month after the regime began killing civilian protesters - was "hastily adopted".
The African Union has reportedly joined China in expressing disapproval of the coalition's military action against Libya. The AU's Libya committee met in Mauritania and released a statement on Sunday calling for an "immediate halt" to the attacks, the AFP news agency reported.
The AU was created in 1999 after a summit in Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi's hometown, and Libya has both funded the AU and established extensive economic interests throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Here's video of the USS Burke, a guided-missile destroyer, firing a Tomahawk cruise missile at Libya. According to a tweet from CNN's Wolf Blitzer, each Tomahawk costs around $1 million, and the United States has fired more than 100 so far.
China, which abstained from the UN Security Council vote approving military action in Libya, has publicly expressed regret for the ongoing coalition air strikes in the country.
"China has noted the latest developments in Libya and expresses regret over the military attacks on Libya," said a statement from the country's foreign ministry.
"We hope Libya can restore stability as soon as possible and avoid further civilian casualties due to an escalation of armed conflict."
An Al Jazeera crew exposed a Libyan envoy's secret visit to Tunis, as Al Jazeera's web producer Yasmine Ryan blogs here.
Libya state TV is reporting that airstrikes have killed 48 people and wounded 150 in "civilian areas". Citing an armed forces statement it said the capital Tripoli as well as cities of Benghazi, Misurata and Zuwarah were also hit.
Mark Toner, the acting deputy spokesman for the US state department, said no US officials remain in Libya. He said in a statement citizens are strongly advised against travel to the country, and urged those already there to leave immediately.
Gunfire and anti-aircraft fire heard over Libyan capital Tripoli.
Libya has decided to suspend co-operation with Europe in the fight against illegal immigration, state TV citing a security official reported on Sunday.
Libya on Saturday said it consider the UN security council resolution on a ceasefire by its forces no longer valid following the air raids by international forces on its territory.
Libyan state media said there were casualties caused by the bombing of civilians targets in Tripoli. An army spokesman was quoted as saying that fuel tanks feeding rebel-held city of Misurata, east of the capital, were also hit.
Libyan TV said a French warplane was shot down in Njela district of Tripoli, but French military was swift to deny the report.
A British submarine fired missiles into Libya as David Cameron, the British prime minister, urged and end to Gaddafi's "appalling brutality". A Trafalgar-class submarine launched the Tomahawk cruise missiles in a joint attack with US forces. More than 110 missiles were fired.
Gaddafi says he will arm civilians to defend Libya against "colonial, crusader" aggression, adding:
It is now necessary to open the stores and arm all the masses with all types of weapons to defend the independence, unity and honour of Libya.
US national security official says Libya air defence systems "severely disabled", according to Reuters news agency.
Spain's defence ministry in a statement said four F-18 fighter jets and refuelling aircraft have been sent to the Italian base on the island of Sardinia as part of international air raids on Libya. It will also deploy an F-100 frigate, an S-74 submarine and a CN-235 maritime surveillance plane.
The statement said:
These planes will carry out patrol mission and will be operational from tomorrow, Sunday.
Gaddafi vows Libya will defend itself from what he called "crusader aggression" as international forces launch airstrikes on Saturday. Speaking to Libyan state TV, he said the action was unjustified and "simply a crusader aggression that may ignite another large-scale crusader war".
AFP reports that the United Arab Emirates will be contributing 24 fighter jets (Mirage 2000-9s and F-16s) and Qatar will contribute between four and six Mirage 2000-5s, citing a French official.
Earlier today, as international air strikes became imminent, supporters of Muammar Gaddafi gathered at several locations to act as human shields. Aisha Gaddafi, his daughter, is seen here outside the Bab al-Aziziyah palace, Gaddafi's residence in Tripoli. [Picture: Reuters]
Muammar Gaddafi threatened to attack both military and civilian targets in the Mediterranean in retaliation against air and sea strikes on Libyan air defences, AFP reports.
Gaddafi calls on Africans, Arabs, Latin Americans and Asians to stand by Libyans, Reuters reports.
Welcome to Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of developments in Libya, on a night where international forces have begun air strikes on Libyan air defence targets, including SA-5 missile sites, communications sites and parts of the air defence command and control infrastructure.
Catch up with all the latest by reading our news story, as well as yesterday's live blog.
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