Senior Libyan official Resigns, new blow to Regime

AJDABIYA, Libya (AP) - Opponents of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi were knocked back by government troops for a third straight day Thursday but took heart in a sign that the embattled regime is cracking at the highest levels: the defection of the second top official in roughly 48 hours.

Ali Abdessalam Treki, a former foreign minister and U.N. General Assembly president, had been named to represent Libya at the United Nations after a wave of defections early in the uprising. But Treki, who is currently in Cairo, said in a statement posted on several opposition websites that he was not going to accept that job or any other. "We should not let our country fall into an unknown fate," he said. "It is our nation's right to live in freedom, democracy and a good life."

Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa flew to England from Tunisia on Wednesday and the British government said he had resigned. He is privy to all the inner workings of the regime, so his departure could open the door for some hard intelligence, though Britain refused to offer him immunity from prosecution.

Gaddafi issued a defiant statement after the departures, calling on the leaders of countries attacking his forces to resign and accusing them of being "affected by power madness."

Libyan officials, who initially denied Koussa's defection, said he had resigned because he was sick with diabetes and high blood pressure. Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said Koussa was given permission to go to Tunisia, but the regime was surprised to learn he had flown to London.

"I talked to many people and this is not a happy piece of news, but people are saying, 'So what? If someone wants to step down that's his decision,'" Ibrahim said.

Nations behind the campaign of international airstrikes that have hobbled Libya's military hailed Koussa's resignation as a sign of weakness in Gadhafi's more-than-41-year reign. 

Koussa "can help provide critical intelligence about Gaddafi's current state of mind and military plans," said Tommy Vietor, U.S. National Security Council spokesman. He added that his defection "demonstrates that the people around Gaddafi understand his regime is in disarray."

Analysis: "While the recent defections are welcome news to opposition and coalition forces, they mean very little in a practical sense. Unless these Libyan officials can provide useful intel or spark a wave of numerous high-level defections, this will not affect Col. Gaddafi or his ability to fight the rebels. Apart from that, it could just be opportunistic political maneuvering."

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Libyan Rebels seen at risk of Failure

WASHINGTON (AP) - Fresh battlefield setbacks by rebels seeking to oust Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi are hardening a U.S. view that the poorly equipped opposition is probably incapable of prevailing without decisive Western intervention — either an all-out U.S.-led military assault on regime forces or a decision to arm the rebels.

Gaddafi is reaching deeper into his military ranks to send reinforcements onto the battlefield, has adopted new, unconventional tactics to counter the effects of coalition airstrikes, and apparently is convinced he can retain power by gradually retaking a degree of control of eastern Libya, a senior U.S. intelligence official said Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence on the condition and capabilities of regime and rebel forces.

On Wednesday, rebels under heavy shelling pulled back further eastward from the oil port of Ras Lanouf. Gaddafi's forces were shelling Brega, another important oil city to the east and appeared poised to attempt to retake the town of Ajdabiya, just south of Benghazi.

Helping propel the Gaddafi forces eastward was a change in battlefield tactics, the senior U.S. intelligence official said. Having seen much of their armor pounded by Western airstrikes earlier, Gaddafi commanders left many tanks and other armor in hiding places in Sirte and advanced eastward instead with small convoys of sedans, minivans, SUVs and other civilian vehicles that the official called "battle wagons" armed with small rockets and other weaponry.

This made it harder for Western pilots to distinguish the Gaddafi troops as military formations and lightened the logistics load for the Gaddafi forces.

Gaddafi in recent days also has mobilized second-tier ground forces that U.S. officials believe are less capable and less trusted by Gaddafi, the official said. This appears to reflect the Libyan leader's determination to press his advantage while the Western powers are self-limited in their assistance to the rebels.

President Barack Obama has explicitly ruled out using American ground forces, but his administration and European governments participating in the U.N.-sanctioned mission in Libya have said they are considering providing arms to the rebels. Such a move would require Obama to step back from his pledge to avoid an open-ended commitment in Libya.

Similarly, a decision to fully coordinate Western air power with rebel ground movements would place Washington openly on the side of the rebels, whose goals and makeup are murky and whose chances of winning — even with more air support — are questionable.

The alternatives include sticking to the current approach, which was cast by Obama in a speech to the nation Monday as focused on protecting Libyan civilians from attacks by regime forces. That effort succeeded last week in stopping pro-Gadhafi forces from entering the de facto rebel capital of Benghazi in eastern Libya, but when the rebels this week advanced westward to the doorstep of Gadhafi's home town of Sirte, they were repelled and forced to retreat.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. government was still gaining a better understanding of the opposition, and that no decision had yet been made on providing arms or any other assistance to rebels fighting Gadhafi's troops.

"Our assessment will help define our actions as we go forward," he said Wednesday.

Analysis: "As Gaddafi rides another wave of momentum towards the rebel capital of Benghazi, the UN will again be called on to aid Libya's opposition. Having successfully established the no-fly zone, the US and her allies will need to clarify their level of support for Libyan rebels in the coming days. There is no easy choice here for participating nations, with possible solutions ranging from an Iraq-style prolonged no-fly zone, to active logistical and military support for the opposition."

Read the Full Article here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110330/ap_on_re_us/us_libya_rebel_strategy

Also: Obama Authorizes secret help for Libya Rebels (Reuters)

Syrian President blames Protests on 'Conspirators'

DAMASCUS (AP) - Syrian President Bashar Assad blamed "conspirators" Wednesday for an extraordinary wave of dissent against his authoritarian rule, but he failed to lift the country's despised emergency law or offer any concessions in his first speech since the protests began nearly two weeks ago.

Assad said Syria is facing "a major conspiracy" that aims to weaken this country of 23 million. The Assad family has ruled Syria for nearly 40 years, using the feared security services to monitor and control even the smallest rumblings of opposition. Draconian laws have all but eradicated civil liberties and political freedoms.

"We don't seek battles," Assad, 45, said in an unusually short, televised speech before legislators who cheered for him and shouted support from their seats. "But if a battle is imposed on us today, we welcome it."

Assad's speech was surprising not so much for what he said but for what he left out. His adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, said last week that Syria had formed a committee to study a series of reforms and constitutional amendments, including lifting the state of emergency laws, in place since Assad's Baath party took power in 1963.

Assad had been widely expected to formally announce those changes. But the fact that he failed to mention any of them was a major disappointment for thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets since March 18, calling for reform. Human rights groups say more than 60 people have been killed as security forces cracked down on the demonstrations.

Within minutes of his speech, social networking sites exploded with activists expressing major disappointment, with some calling on Syrians to take to the streets immediately.

"The fact that he is blaming everything on conspirators means that he does not even acknowledge the root of the problem," said Razan Zaitouneh, a Syrian lawyer and pro-reform activist. "I don't have an explanation for this speech, I am in a state of shock ... There are already calls for a day of anger on Friday. This cannot sit well with the Syrian people."

The unrest in Syria, a strategically important country, could have implications well beyond its borders given its role as Iran's top Arab ally and as a front line state against Israel.

Analysis: "Assad's over-hyped, under-delivered speech could show uncertainty within the president's inner circle. To essentially renege on a pledge of a major announcement could point to a last-minute change of policy for the Baathist regime. With the immediate options for Assad being crack down or offer concessions, he is opting for neither at the moment. Expect to see Assad make a decision soon."

Read the Full Article here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_SYRIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-03-30-09-27-37 

World Powers keep up Pressure as Gaddafi Beats Back Rebels

TRIPOLI (AFP) - World powers vowed Tuesday to continue military action until Moammar Gaddafi stops his "murderous attacks" on Libyan civilians, as loud blasts rocked his stronghold in Tripoli.

At a meeting of more than 35 nations in London, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Prime Minister David Cameron said that allied air strikes would go on until the Libyan leader met UN demands for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, two loud explosions rocked the area close to Gaddafi's tightly-guarded residence, an AFP correspondent in the Libyan capital said.

France, a driving force behind the air campaign, was prepared to hold discussions with its allies over arming the rebels, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said after the three-hour London meeting. His Italian counterpart Franco Frattini told AFP that "A consensus has been reached. Participants at the meeting unanimously said that Gaddafi must leave the country."

Gaddafi's forces had earlier checked the westward progress of anti-regime rebels towards his hometown of Sirte, an advance which began when Britain, France and the United States started air strikes on March 19.

On Tuesday, the rebels retreated 40 kilometres (25 miles) from their frontline positions to Nofilia, 100 kilometres from Sirte, which is the next big target in their efforts to oust Gaddafi as they head west towards Tripoli.

His forces unleashed barrages of artillery fire, triggering a stampede of rebel fighters, many fleeing aboard their pickup trucks.

Analysis: "Col. Gaddafi continues to show his superior firepower and military personnel when it comes to head-on clashes with rebels. Without support from NATO airstrikes, rebel forces are at an extreme disadvantage against Gaddafi, and it appears that NATO will need to increase its support of rebel fighters if Gaddafi's exit is to be ensured."

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Syrian Government Resigns

DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) - The Syrian government resigned Tuesday amid an unusual wave of unrest that has roiled the nation, state TV reported.

President Bashar al-Assad accepted the resignations Tuesday, the same day that tens of thousands of Syrians poured onto the streets of Damascus to demonstrate in favor of the government. A new government should be named in a few hours, said Reem Haddad, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Information Ministry.

Meanwhile, the president plans to make "a very important speech" on Wednesday, she said. The speech will "reassure the Syrian people," the state-run SANA news agency has reported.

The pro-government rally on Tuesday followed violent clashes between protesters and security forces in the cities of Daraa and Latakia in recent days. At least 37 people have been killed since last week, according to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Many demonstrators at the pro-government rally held posters of the president. Others waved Syrian flags, while some painted their faces and chests in national colors. Crowds filled the square in front of the Central Bank and jammed all roads leading to it, aerial pictures on state TV showed.

There were also pro-government rallies in the cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Hasaka, the broadcaster said.

Analysis: "President Assad is employing a tactic used by Mubarak in Egypt and King Abdullah in Jordan, to different effects. In Jordan, a majority of protesters were at least temporarily satisfied by the move. In Egypt, however, the ire of the opposition was too focused on Mubarak, and concessions were too late. By appointing a new government relatively early in the opposition movement, Assad may delay or stop the spreading of major protests throughout Syria, giving the government time formulate a major concession package."

Read the Full Article here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/03/29/syria.unrest/index.html