900002011-03-19 13:04:19.0This page will automatically update every 90 secondsOn Off• Video: War plane shot down over Benghazi
• France hosts a summit to discuss military options today - Clinton, Cameron, Merkel to attend
• Reports that Gaddafi's troops are advancing on rebel-held stronghold of BenghaziLatest
12.55 David Cameron, the Prime Minister, and other world leaders have begun the snap summit in Paris on the Libyan situation.
David Cameron, the Prime Minister, is greeted by Nicolas Sarkozy, right, the French President, before a crisis summit on Libya at the Elysee Palace, in Paris.
12.50 Al Jazeera reports 26 dead and more than 40 wounded in Jala hospital in Benghazi after the eastern Libyan city was bombarded.
A rebel fighter holds a RPG launcher as he shouts "Allahu Akbar!" in Benghazi
12.47 The snap summit bringing together US, European, Arab and African leaders in Paris to decide on possible military action against Muammar Gaddafi's forces has begun, wires agencies report.
Libyan women shout slogans while holding pictures of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli
12:36: Damien McElroy sends the following update from the ground in Libya:
Crowds of Libyan citizens are converging on targets which France is expected to attack, Libya's state-run Jana news agency reported on Saturday. This could mean human shields in the line of danger, which would complicate the picture considerably.
12.11 A senior rebel official has told the AFP agency that the jet fighter destroyed over Benghazi today was loyal to the rebels.
A pilot could be seen ejecting as the French-built Mirage fighter spiralled down towards earth.
"Yes, it was one of the insurgents' planes. It was downed by Kadhafi's forces," the senior rebel official said.
"From what I hear the pilot is dead but I cannot confirm that."
Some Libyan government units defected to the rebels after the revolt broke out a month ago.
AFP
11.56 There now appear to be confirmed reports from Libyan rebel leaders that the jet fighter shot down today over Benghazi was one of theirs, and not a Gaddafi aircraft.
11.51 The evacuation of Benghazi continues. Hundreds of cars full of civilians are heading out of the city, heading deeper into rebel-held areas further east.
"Do we have to wait till he (Gaddafi) kills us all before the (world) acts. We are very disappointed," said Adel Mansoura, an air traffic controller fleeing Benghazi with his family.
"When we heard the UN resolution, we were very happy and thought we had our freedom but now we have been left on our own to the killers."
11.44 Two RAF Tornados have been seen taking off from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, says Twitter. Two Tornados, which could be the same two aircraft, also reported landing at RAF Marham in Norfolk, as preparations for deployment in Libya continue.
11.40 An important development on the question of Abdel Fatah Yunes' loyalties. The leader of the Libyan rebel movement has denied a claim that Yunes had switched back to supporting Gaddafi after his earlier defection.
Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, head of the rebel council, told Al Jazeera that Abidi was still leading the rebel forces.
Earlier, a Libyan state television report said that the former interior minister had been reappointed and showed footage of him being greeted by Gaddafi. It was not clear when the footage was filmed.
11.36 Reports coming out of the Libyan city of Misrata say there have been two deaths by snipers loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. Libyan government officials deny attacking rebels and reports from Misrata cannot be verified independently because authorities have prevented journalists from reaching the city. However, a resident named Saadoun told the Reuters news agency by telephone:
We have two people dead this morning ... because there are snipers on some houses and they are shooting people, they are shooting whoever they see.
11.24 Damien McElroy, the Telegraph's correspondent in Tripoli, has just sent us this:
There is now a sensational claim that Benghazi has fallen from within. Libyan state TV said that interior minister Abdel Fatah Yunes, who defected to the rebels at the beginning of March, had returned to the Gaddafi camp and to his old job. He was a military leader of the eastern enclave. William Hague called him at the beginning of the crisis.
11.21 They call it the fog of war - and we can expect plenty of claims and counter-claims today. Take this Tweet from Jenan Moussa, a reporter for Arabic Al Aan TV, pertaining to our 11.17 blog post below.
Head of #Libya transitional council in a call with #Aljazeera denies that minister of interior is back in his position
11.17 Libyan state television says Abdel Fatah Yunes, the interior minister who defected to the rebels at the beginning of March, had returned to the Gaddafi camp and to his old job. There was no immediate confirmation of General Yunes' alleged about-turn.
11.13 This Twitter feed from a Libyan youth movement ShababLibya makes an interesting claim:
11.07 Agencies quote a resident of the Libyan city of Misrata saying that pro-Gaddafi forces fived four to five artillery shells against the rebel-held area this morning.
10.58 Reports coming in of a shelling attack on the Red Cross/Red Crescent centre in Benghazi.
10.50 While we await the outcome of the politicians' summit, NATO's top decision-making body - the North Atlantic Council - has adjourned its military planning meeting until 1500 GMT. Officials said the military staff was putting the final touches on plans to deploy dozens of fighter-bombers, tankers, helicopters and surveillance planes to several air bases along Europe's southern rim.
10.30 Reuters report David Cameron, Hillary Clinton and Nicolas Sarkozy will meet at 1130 GMT in Paris ahead of the wider summit on the Libya situation in Paris.
10.20 Rob Crilly, our correspondent in Benghazi, says rebels tell him the plane could have been theirs - and also is not convinced by initial reports that the fighter plane was a Russian-made Mig.
Rebels telling us they think the plane shot down was a rebel plane - fog of war #benghazi
10.14 Telegraph correspondent Rob Crilly in Benghazi tweets
10.08 Our correspondent in Tripoli, Damien McElroy, has managed to get hold of extracts of Gaddafi's letters.
I have all Libyan people with me, and I am prepared to die and they are prepared to die with me.
We are confronting al Qaeda and nothing more.
What would you do if you found them controling American cities with the force of weapons.
To Sarkozy, Cameron, Ban Ki-moon:
Libya is not yours the resolutions of the UN are invalid. This is injustice it is a clear agression. You have no right to interfere in our internal affairs.
We would never fire one bullet against our people.
10.05 Ibrahim Moussa, the government spokesman, continues to read Gaddafi's letter:
We would never fire one bullet against our people. We are fighting Al Qaeda - what they call Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
10.04 Government spokesman Ibrahim Moussa has just switched to English, to read from letters that Gaddafi has sent to Western leaders.
This is injustice.
10.01 The press conference has begun. Government spokesman Ibrahim Moussa speaking now. But unfortunately, it's all in Arabic so I can't tell you what he's saying. And they don't seem to have a translator.
09.55 The Libyan government is due to give a press conference any moment now. Will be interesting to see what they have to say about the shooting down of the jet, fighting in Benghazi and bombardment of Zintan.09.53 A spokesman for the rebel National Libyan Council told Al Arabiya television that there was a bombardment on the western town of Zintan by forces loyal to Gaddafi. He said five shells had fallen on the outskirts.
09.43 Here's the latest footage of the fighter jet being shot down outside Benghazi. You can see the pilot ejecting out of the plane.
Libya crisis: war plane shot down over Benghazi
09.37 Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the rebel National Libyan Council, said that the world must act fast to save Libyans. Speaking on Al Jazeera television, he said:
Today in Benghazi there will be a catastrophe if the international community does not implement the resolutions of the UN Security Council.
We appeal to the international community, to the all the free world, to stop this tyranny from exterminating civilians.
09.28 In case you missed it, here is the story from today's Telegraph - Damien McElroy and Richard Spencer report from Tripoli on the West's scepticism over Gaddafi's claim of a ceasefire.
How that is to be achieved, however, remains unclear, while Oliver Miles, a former British ambassador to Tripoli, said getting rid of Gaddafi still left the question of what took his place.
"What they lack is any structures Gaddafi has deliberately destroyed them," he said. "There is no civil society, there are no parties."
09.21 Rob Crilly, our correspondent in Benghazi, writes on his blog what he describes as "a blogpost I almost finished before leaving the roof of the hotel."
It came in from the sea, somewhere to the north. At first the residents of Benghazi cheered, believing it would herald the start of air strikes against Gaddafi forces still rumbling towards their city. “Is it European,” shouted one. Then it swung back around the city, describing, a high, slow circle even as artillery shells pounded the outskirts of the city. If it was a Mirage then maybe it was one of Gaddafi’s last
It’s next run would have been more deadly, as it roared back across the city, this time flying low and straight – the very definition of intent – as anti-aircraft guns roared along its western path.
All week we have seen the guns firing more with hope than any real skill. Many have no sights, the gunners relying on Allah and beginners’ luck.
Not this time. A flash illuminated the jet, somewhere near its tail. The flash grew to a flame as an explosion ripped through the plane, stopping it as if caught by an invisible hand rather than anti-aircraft fire. Slowly the plane sycamoured towards the ground where it exploding in another, bigger fireball.
The no-fly zone might be meaningless until the French and British are able to get their jets in the air. And Gaddafi might be racing for Benghazi to beat the strikes. But these rebels still have plenty of fight.
There are now tanks in the streets. Getting out.
09.17 Libyan armed forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi are under attack from rebels near Benghazi, Libya's state news agency said, contradicting rebel reports that troops were attacking the city. The Jana news agency said:
Libyan officials describe the rebels as belonging to al Qaeda, though the rebels say that is not true.
09.00 Dramatic images this morning of a Libyan fighter plane being shot down over Benghazi.
Saturday 19 March 2011
Libya Live: UN Security Council approves no-fly zone - Telegraph
via telegraph.co.uk
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