On Tuesday, a day full of explosions and bombings spearheaded by NATO forces against Gadhafi in Tripoli, the Libyan dictator of 42 years defiantly exclaimed: “We will not surrender, we will not give up.” Gadhafi continued with this line of rhetoric, underscoring the fact that he will not step down, a reality which made recent talks of a cease-fire between Gadhafi’s forces and the rebels pointless. His words of bravado (“Dead, alive, victorious, it doesn’t matter”) make it all the more clear that this struggle will never end with Gadhafi backing down in any way. If it means admitting defeat or relinquishing certain powers, Gadhafi will not do it.
According to a spokesman for the Libyan government, at least 31 people were killed (some being civilians) and many more were wounded in the barrage of NATO missile attacks Tuesday. Echoing Gadhafi’s defiant tone, spokesman Musa Ibrahim stated: “No one has the right to shape Libya’s future except for Libyans.” Libyan officials have argued that NATO air strikes have caused civilian casualties and damages to civilian infrastructure, with NATO naturally arguing otherwise, with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen citing “significant progress” with respect to the military objective of avoiding civilian casualties.
According to William Hague, the British Foreign Secretary, the EU has enacted additional sanctions against Gadhafi-controlled ports in order to place even more pressure on the besieged incumbent dictator. Hague also opined that: ”Any political settlement in Libya requires an end to violence and Gadhafi’s departure.” Gadhafi has made it clear that the latter will not transpire voluntarily, so one can deduce that that only possible outcome is that NATO air strikes will continue, the economic stranglehold imposed upon Gadhafi will tighten, and, ultimately, Gadhafi will be defeated. How quickly this occurs is another matter entirely, but his defeat seems to be an inevitable result of a conflict between two uncompromising forces (i.e., Gadhafi vs. the rebels), with one–the rebels–receiving the backing of NATO military might. We can all hope that as many casualties as possible can be avoided, but the situation is looking bleak to say the least.
Contains information from CNN.
