NATO kills Gaddafi's son and grandchildren. "Allies" lament civilian deaths.
Gaddafi and his wife were in the house, but escaped; NATO says the targets were military, not civilians. War could escalate again.
247 - An air strike by the international coalition led by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) killed the youngest son of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and three of his grandchildren on Saturday. Mussa Ibrahim Saif-al Arab was 29 years old. He was still a student, pursuing a doctorate, after having been educated in Germany. The missiles were fired directly at a residential area of Tripoli, the capital of Libya, where the country's wealthiest families live.
Muammar Gaddafi and his wife were in the house at the time of the attack, but were not injured, according to official sources. "It was an attempt to assassinate the country's leader," said spokesman Moussa Ibrahim. According to journalist Anita McNaught, Saif al-Arab was the most discreet son of the Gaddafi couple, and the least involved in the country's political affairs. In an official statement, NATO lamented the deaths of civilians and innocent people and said that all its targets were military personnel linked to the massacre perpetrated by Gaddafi against the Libyan population.
The attack reveals a new NATO strategy, which, in 45 days of conflict, has failed to achieve its objective of forcing rebel troops to advance. Now, the objective is to capture and kill Gaddafi, who has been tracked by his "allies." Before Saturday's fatal attack, international forces also attempted to assassinate dictator Gaddafi on Friday night. This was, at least, the version presented by the Libyan state television network Great Yamahiriya. A building near the television station was bombed at the exact moment Gaddafi was recording a speech to the population. "The target was the leader of the revolution," a statement from the state network indicated.
In his recorded speech, Gaddafi called on international forces to cease air strikes on Libya and open a channel for negotiation. "We haven't attacked anyone and we haven't crossed the sea. Why are they attacking us?" Gaddafi asked. The Libyan dictator, accused by the international coalition of massacring his own people, said the war could reach the West and that the real reason for the attacks is the pursuit of oil hegemony by the "invading" countries.
In the end, he warned that he would not seek political asylum in other countries. "No one can force me to leave Libya or to stop fighting for my country." Launched more than 45 days ago, the international offensive against the Tripoli government has not yet achieved its central objective, which is to overthrow Gaddafi.
International analysts predict an escalation in the conflict. Gaddafi says the war could reach the West.