Gaddafi's troops step up offensive, G8 mulls 'no fly' zone

Cairo, Mar 14 (PTI) Pro-Gaddafi forces Monday stepped
its military offensive against the rebels, who are desperately
seeking to defend the key town of Ajdabiya, as world powers
considered a 'no-fly' zone over Libya.
The attack on Ajdabiya, little over 100 kilometres to
the west of Benghazi, is seen by the rebels as "a vital city"
and "the last line of defence" to Benghazi, the stronghold of
the rebels. It is Libya's second largest city and capital of
the opposition's interim National Council.
"It's on the route to the east, to Benghazi and to
Tobruk and also to the south. Ajdabiya's defence is very
important... We will defend it," rebel commander General Abdel
Fatah Yunis, who resigned as Muammar Gaddafi's interior
minister, was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera channel.
It said "Gaddafi forces are advancing and it seems
that fighting is carrying on and coming close to Benghazi."
"It seems like we are entering the final phase of the
conflict but whether this revolution will fail or succeed,
that will only be determined in the coming weeks," it said.
Ahead of a key meeting of G8 foreign ministers in
Paris Monday to consider options for Libya, British Foreign
Secretary William Hague said the restive nation risks becoming
a "pariah state" if remains at the helm of affairs.
"If Gaddafi went on to be able to dominate much of the
country, well this would be a long nightmare for the Libyan
people, and this would be a pariah state," he was quoted as
saying by the BBC.
As US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other top
diplomats from the G8 nations were gathering in Paris, France
said it was discussing the setting up a 'no-fly' zone to
protect civilians "in the face of the terrible violence
suffered by the Libyan population."
Even as Britain and France, which are drafting a
resolution for the UN Security Council, have come out openly
in support of the idea, firm backing from the EU or Nato has
been lacking so far.
Rebels, who have retreated from the eastern oil town
of Brega amid relentless pounding by troops loyal to Gaddafi,
have called for a no-fly zone to defang Libya's air force.
The recapture of Brega by Gaddafi's forces led to the
killing 25 government soldiers and capturing 20 others, Al
Jazeera said, adding it came amid a string of setbacks for the
rebels who lost several cities in the east to the Libyan Army.
As the Gaddafi regime wrested back momentum against a
month-long uprising, the rebels received morale-boosting
support from the Arab League who on Saturday approved a no-fly
zone over Libya and establishing contacts with oppositions'
provisional National Council based in Benghazi.
It also appeared to confer legitimacy on the rebels'
National Council, saying it would establish contacts with the
group.