With the aid of air strikes that continue unchecked as the international community weighs a no-fly zone over Libya, forces loyal to Muammar Qaddafi are pushing rebel forces into retreat in the eastern and western regions of the country. Rebel leaders have told journalists that their pullbacks have been strategic, but their pleas to the UN to institute the no-fly zone indicate an awareness that without it, they don’t stand much of a chance next to the better trained, organized, and equipped government forces. Hillary Clinton met with representatives from the rebel faction in Paris yesterday, which has given hope to some, but the United Nations Security Council still remains divided over whether to strategically intervene.
Meanwhile, the psychological warfare is also continuing in earnest. Government television continues to tell the populace that the resistance is being organized by Al Qaeda, while simultaneously offering amnesty to rebels who put down their guns and switch loyalty to Qaddafi.
Pro-Qaddafi Forces Press Rebels East and West of Tripoli [NYT]
