Qaddafi Shells Misrata Amid Chemical Weapons Fears

Qaddafi Shells Misrata Amid Chemical Weapons Fears

MISRATA, Libya -- Muammar Qaddafi's forces used tanks to shell the besieged western town of Misrata on Monday, as rumors fueled fears that the Libyan leader was preparing to use chemical weapons.

Hundreds have been killed in Misrata over the past two months as Qaddafi has attempted to seize the only major rebel bastion in the western part of the country. Rebels succeeded in pushing Qaddafi forces out of several areas in the center of the city about a week ago, but they have responded with relentless shelling from the outskirts.

The most recent barrage came after Qaddafi forces brought their tanks to the western gates of Misrata, said Libyan activist Rida al-Montasser. The shelling started up early Monday morning and only paused with the threat of NATO airstrikes, he said.

"Only when we heard the NATO planes flying over, the shelling paused," said al-Montasser.

Foreign nations have been enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya for about a month and a half, but NATO officials now leading the effort have said that pilots are having trouble hitting Qaddafi forces in crowded urban areas like Misrata, which has a population of about 300,000.


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Certainly an intresting turn of events... Even more so since Gadaffi supposedly gave up his wmd programs some times back in order to be removed from the terror watch list as well as to re-establish Diplomatic relations.

Even as the shelling paused Sunday, fear spread through Misrata that Qaddafi forces were preparing to use chemical weapons in their fight to defeat the rebels, who control eastern Libya and have demanded the Libyan leader step down.

"We heard like everybody else that the soldiers are distributing gas masks" in the nearby city of Zlitan, said al-Montasser.

The rumors could not be independently confirmed.

Rebels have asked officials in Benghazi, the de facto rebel capital in eastern Libya, to send a shipment of gas masks to Misrata, said al-Montasser.

Qaddafi pledged to give up his chemical-weapons in 2003 as part of his reconciliation with the West, but some officials have expressed fear that he may still have stockpiles he could use.


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Possible? Fear mongering from the rebel camp in an attempt to force more involvement from NATO / UN?

Fearmongers
On
Xtacy

strikes again. The "rumors" about chemical weapons "could not be independently confirmed".

'But, hey, we'll just throw it into our article anyway."