Obama: Coalition cannot militarily force Gaddafi to leave

On the military front

• Air Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell, the commander of British aircraft operating over Libya, said that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s air force “no longer exists as a fighting force.” He said the allies could now operate “with near impunity” over the skies of Libya.
• He said they were now applying unrelenting pressure on the Libyan armed forces. “We have the Libyan ground forces under constant observation and we attack them whenever they threaten civilians or attack population centres,” he said.
• Gaddafi’s tanks are shelling the hospital in the rebel-held western city of Misrata. Witnesses had earlier said the tanks encircling the city had pulled back from their positions under air assault from international forces.
• Loyalist forces have surrounded two rebel-held cities in the west, Zintan and Misurata, and the strategic eastern city of Ajdabiya, and cut off telecommunications, electricity, and water.
• On Wednesday there are also reports of fierce fighting between rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces in the strategic eastern town of Ajdabiya. Residents fleeing the town described shelling, gunfire, and houses on fire.
• On Wednesday night there were reports of a huge explosion at a military base in the Tajura region 32 kilometers (20 miles) east of the Libyan capital Tripoli.
• Rear Admiral Gerard Hueber, U.S. chief of staff for the Libya mission, who said: “We are putting pressure on Gaddafi’s ground forces that are threatening cities.” Asked if that meant air strikes, he replied: “Yes.”
• Allied aircraft had flown 175 sorties in the last 24 hours — 113 of them by U.S. aircraft.
• Ships from NATO nations have started patrolling off the Libyan coast to enforce a UN arms embargo against Col. Gaddafi’s regime. A spokesman for the Western military alliance, Canadian Brig. Gen. Pierre St Amand, said six vessels were taking part in the first day of patrols. They aim to intercept and board ships suspected of ferrying arms to the Libyan government.

On the political front

• U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has again urged Col. Gaddafi to step down and leave Libya.
• Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa spoke by telephone Sunday night with assistant secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman. No details were released.
• UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged all sides in Libya to cease hostilities. “All those who violate international humanitarian and human rights law will be held fully accountable,” his spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
• NATO members have been holding talks about assuming responsibility for the no-fly zone over Libya, so far without agreement.
• Turkey is an integral part of the naval blockade but expressed concern about the alliance taking over command of the no-fly zone from the United States.