Libyan Army Ordered To Retreat From City Of Misrata, Says Wounded Government Soldier

April 23, 2011 6:45:02 AM

MISRATA, Libya, April 23 (Reuters) - A wounded Libyan government soldier captured by rebel forces in Misrata said on Saturday the army had been ordered to retreat from the city.

"We have been told to withdraw. We were told to withdraw yesterday," the soldier, Khaled Dorman, told Reuters.

Lying in the back of a pickup truck, he was among 12 wounded army soldiers brought to a hospital for treatment in Misrata.

As he spoke, other uniformed soldiers moaned in pain, saying "My god, my god."

Another serviceman, asked by a Reuters correspondent if the government had lost control over Misrata, said "Yes."

Misrata, the last large city held by rebels in the west of the country, has been under siege for nearly two months. Hundreds of people have died in shelling and fighting, petrol is scarce and thousands of migrant workers are trapped there.

Ayad Muhammad, a young soldier, said troops had come under attack from rebel forces earlier in the day.

"The rebels attacked us while we were withdrawing from Misrata near a bridge this morning," he said. (Reporting by Michael Georgy, Writing by Maria Golovnina; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Achim]

08:37 AM on 04/24/2011

There is no telling how many ruses Gaddafi has got up his sleeve. Judging by the diplomatic efforts undertaken by his regime there can`t be that many left:

Russia will help with Libyan settlement on condition of ceasefire

MOSCOW. April 24 (Interfax) - Russia is ready to support the efforts of the African Union and the United Nations to direct the developments in Libya to a political and diplomatic channel on the basis of unconditional implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and guarantees of an immediate ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told head of the Libyan government al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmudi..
Al-Mahmudi said that the Libyan leadership is ready for full observance of UN Security Council resolutions #1970 and #1973, the report says.
Ml

interfax

April 24, 2011 14:52

[7voiceofreason7]

08:07 PM on 04/23/2011

The turning point has come, Qaddafi is soon to be out of power.

[becky bradshaw]

10:28 AM on 04/24/2011

20 SAS.

[jayrag123]

07:08 PM on 04/23/2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2T8nlGI-64
rebels interogate captured government soldiers and militia

[Nicholas Azarian]

07:42 PM on 04/23/2011

Looks more like propaganda from some anti-Amercian Serbian to me.

[7voiceofreason7]

08:03 PM on 04/23/2011

That looks like govt soldiers interrogating captured rebels to me.

[Basselope]

06:27 PM on 04/23/2011

Although I do not actually approve of the US intervening around the world when we have so many pressing problems at home... I do find it somewhat comforting to know that there is an adult in charge of the decision making and I have no doubt that careful consideration will be made of the ACTUAL facts and consequences with each step we take.

[Don Stalvino]

05:45 PM on 04/23/2011

What a cluste rbang! This sounds like a partition will be the likely outcome, but all Kaddafis dead or gone would be preferable.

[Hieroglyph83]

05:03 PM on 04/23/2011

Hate to break this to you but no one cares about the Congo

[pzureick]

11:52 PM on 04/23/2011

The Congo?

[CaptainVideo]

04:56 PM on 04/23/2011

While on can argue about whether or not the original intervention was in the interest of the United States, now that we have intervened, ousting Gaddafi is in the vital interests of the United States. If he remains in power, he will go back to supporting terrorism, and he has already shown what he is willing to do.

We should arm the rebels and give them financial support. Also we need to bring in the tank-busting warthogs and the gunships to make sure he is ousted.

[nelson rivera]

05:30 PM on 04/23/2011

Good idea. I don't know if Obama will do the right thing and give full support to the freedom fighters.

[jayrag123]

06:49 PM on 04/23/2011

Rebels in Libya have ties to al qaeda in Iraq, Afghanistan,Gulf, North Africa

Presidents of many North African and West African countries have said that AQIM(al qaeda in maghreb) are allied with groups in the libyan rebels.
Many of the rebels have fought against Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Once these rebels take over libya then it will give AQIM access to unlimited funds to cause trouble in Africa.

[7voiceofreason7]

08:08 PM on 04/23/2011

The Repub party has ties to the Kl an.

So?

[Achim]

04:05 PM on 04/23/2011

9:38pm
Abdelati Obeidi, the Libyan foreign minister, has crossed the border into Tunisia, according to Tunisia's state TAP news agency.

TAP said Obeidi, who entered Tunisia through the main transit point of Ras Jdir on the Tunisian-Libyan border, was heading to Djerba airport. It said he was believed to be on his way to Cyprus, but a senior Cypriot government source said: "We cannot confirm this report, he is not coming to Cyprus."

A security source at Djerba airport said Obeidi later took a flight to the capital Tunis.

Hm - heading where?
Maybe it is time for some high-profile diplomatic mission to negotiate a transition settlement.

[TJ Logan]

04:26 PM on 04/23/2011

If you have been watching closely on satellite TV as the events in Libya unfold, you will understand that the Quadaffi leadership has no credibility outside Tripoli. Even within Tripoli, the foreign journalists make it clear that the Quadaffi claims of outrages against the Libyan people and civilians cannot be proven.

Further when watching Qadaffi press conferences the obvious lies and distortions of the Government Ministers have bordered on the humorous, delusional, and simply mad cap.

While a negotiated settlement may have been possible earlier in the conflict it’s now too late. Too much blood has been spilled in this civil war. No external force can or will guarantee a negotiated peace as long as Quadaffi remains.

Unfortunately, negotiation is not an option, only blood and death.

[nelson rivera]

05:32 PM on 04/23/2011

Maybe its time to run and hide from Gaddafi.

[TJ Logan]

03:50 PM on 04/23/2011

According to a Library of Congress study in 1985, individuals organized into Quadaffi militias was estimated at 45,000. If one assumes that the size of the Militias stayed static, and that only 50% remained loyal, the available militias at the outbreak of the revolt could have been as low as 20,000.

With the official army having an active enrollment of 119,000 (and a reserve of 195,000) and having been neutralized at the beginning of the revolt, it is possible to speculate that Qadaffi is simply running out of loyal fighters. The rebels, as untrained and uncoordinated as they seem, do potentially have an advantage in sheer numbers. Time will tell if Quadaffi’s withdrawal from Misrata is real or a trick. If the withdrawal actually occurs then Quadaffi’s days are numbered.

[nelson rivera]

05:35 PM on 04/23/2011

Its a Trick of cause. Gaddafi Army will be in civilian clothes.

[nicholas B]

03:22 PM on 04/23/2011

I hope this will be a critical turning point for the rebel forces. Combined with assistance coming through the port of Misrata, and the recent addition of the drone air cover and the presence of the British/French/Italians advisers in Benghazi, the momentum may finally be going in the right direction. Although it will still be a protracted struggle.

[jayrag123]

04:07 PM on 04/23/2011

In Iraq and Afghanistan the government soldiers and militias took off their uniforms and blended into the population. This will be libya.
Qadhdhaafee will leave power or be killed but the tribes will fight on. African wars last no less than 10 years to 20 years.
These tribes will want revenge after Qadhdhaafee is gone. I see no good future for libya.

[nicholas B]

06:27 PM on 04/23/2011

Tribes? From what I've read, he's basically down to his own personal tribe his family derives from, and maybe one or two other small ones in the west. I think the cities will lead the way in making the country work, at least I hope so.

[jayrag123]

02:12 PM on 04/23/2011

Anyone know what is happening to libyan government soldiers who are captured by rebels?

I've heard that the rebels shot their prisoners after they question them.........................

[Achim]

02:18 PM on 04/23/2011

through the grapevine?

[jayrag123]

02:58 PM on 04/23/2011

Actually I watch videos on youtube.......................its horrible what the animals in libya are doing.

If you watch the videos it will be hard to support either side in this civil war. Both sides are doing terrible things to each other and to civilians.

Don't make me post a link to the videos.

[alkamm]

02:49 PM on 04/23/2011

The paid African mercenaries from Mugabe are probably doomed. People tend to resent hiring people to brutally kill their countrymen.

[jayrag123]

03:32 PM on 04/23/2011

Mugabe is president of zimbabwe. Only african migrants from zimbabwe were in Libya. 90% of Africans from other countries in libya were laborers. The rebels grabed Africans off the street and accused them of supporting Qadhafe just because they were black.

A handful of Africans from otherArabic speaking speaking countries have been given citizenship in Libya and some join the army or militias. Africans from :nijer, chad, mali,mauretania,sudan have been living in libya for 20 years or more.

[jayrag123]

01:51 PM on 04/23/2011

Rebels took the Libyan government soldiers away and shot them after they finished interogating them........................
Does anyone know where their bodies were dumped...........?

[nb693]

03:33 PM on 04/23/2011

Not likely story, the freedom fighters treated the G-Militia with dignity. It is also the smart thing to do

[jayrag123]

04:00 PM on 04/23/2011

Go to youtube and you find dozens of videos of rebels torturing and beheading and shooting government soldiers.

The HP moderators won't let me post a link.

[Ronju01]

01:45 PM on 04/23/2011

Gaddafi may use his proxy tribesmen and call it civilian vs. civilian conflict.

[Achim]

02:22 PM on 04/23/2011

Well, if they did his bidding he would have "used" them for a while - those mythical tribal forces.

[Fahim Ahsan Satopay]

02:54 PM on 04/23/2011

When Qaddafi is gone, the splintered rebels fighting under pro-west transitional national council will turn on them for power and it will Rebel vs Rebel conflict.

[jayrag123]

03:47 PM on 04/23/2011

true, the rebels will turn on each other after NATO kills Qadhdhaafee.....................but that would be good for NATO. Devide and conquer is how Europe colonized the World.

[nb693]

09:37 PM on 04/23/2011

Libya is united against Gaddafi.

Tripoli is under siege since the days they protested and were viciously gunned downed, everything went underground.

Gaddafi has left two options for Libyans I rule you or I kill you.

[omega777]

01:08 PM on 04/23/2011

oil for war
war for oil

[CaptainVideo]

04:49 PM on 04/23/2011

Libyan oil is sold on the world market just as oil produced in the U.S. gulf is. That will not change if Gaddafi is replaced. Because of this this cannot be a war for oil.

[Gaaltero]

12:51 PM on 04/23/2011

Not good news for the rebels.

[Achim]

02:20 PM on 04/23/2011

What is? Their ridding the city of snipers?