Live Blog Libya - March 22

Live Blog Libya - March 22

As the uprising in Libya continues, we update you with the latest developments from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe. Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.

• Timestamp: 

  11:27pm

  A majority of French support the foreign military operations in Libya, according to the first poll carried out in France since operations started against Gaddafi's forces on Saturday.

  According to the survey conducted by pollster IFOP, 66 per cent of those surveyed supported the intervention and there was no difference between left-wing or right-wing political streams.

• Timestamp: 

  11:05pm

  AP: France says it has agreed with the United States that NATOshould have a role in coalition's military operations in Libya.

• Timestamp: 

  8:50pm

  Hussein El Warfali, one of the heads of a Gaddafi brigade near Tripoli, has reportedly been killed.

• Timestamp: 

  7:25pm

  Channel 4 News is reporting that six villagers in a field on the outskirts of Benghazi were shot and injured when a US helicopter landed to rescue a crew membr from the US fighter jet that crashed late on Monday.

  It said the local Libyans who were injured in the rescue mission are currently in hospital and that one young boy is expected to have his leg amputated due to a bullet wound.

• Timestamp: 

  7:16pm

• Timestamp: 

  6:55pm

  Reuters: US Admiral Samuel Locklear said Gaddafi's air force is unlikely to have a negative impact on UN backed operations after it was hit hard enough by allied military strikes.

  He also said that air forces from Qatar would be "up and flying" by the weekend as part of efforts to police the no-fly zone.

• Timestamp: 

  5:33pm

  Reuters: Resident says at least 10 people killed in bombardment of west Libya town of Zintan

• Timestamp: 

  5:05pm

  Western warplanes attacked a military aircraft belonging to Muammar Gaddafi's armed forces that was flying towards the rebel-held city of Benghazi.
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  4:25pm

  
  

  A US F-15 jet crashed in Libya late on Monday, reportedly due to a technical fault during a raid against anti-aircraft defences in the northeast. Both its crew ejected safely, the US Africa command said Tuesday.

  Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons is onboard the USS Kearsarge, just off the Libyan coast, which was involved in the recovery of the crew of the F-15.

  "We're told two aircraft were involved in the recovery operation," he said.

  "The two pilots are in good condition. They are expected to be heading possibly to his ship which has excellent medical facilities on board.

  "They were over flying northeast Libya on mission. It is not known exactly what they were engaged in."

• Timestamp: 

  3:20pm

  Al Jazeera's correspondent, James Bays, who is 9km from Ajdabiya, said that rebel fighters were attacked 800m from where they are stationed.

  "Fighters gathered up there and one of their vehicles was hit ... all fighters fled that position and are now where I am, which is basically the front line," he said.

  "Their vehicle was hit by tank round or a missile. I don't think anyone was hurt.

  No one really is making any progress. The oppositon are where they were 24 hours ago ... They are lightly armed volunteers ... a professional officer on the rebel side told me they're very brave but to the point of being suicidal.

  "Gaddafi forces are much more heavily armed. The opposition have the numbers and they seem to have the momentum but on the other side the Gaddafi forces have the power."

• Timestamp: 

  3:06pm

  Al Jazeera's James Bays filed this report from the front lines today:

• Timestamp: 

  3:03pm

  Megan Scully has a thorough article on the National Journal website looking into the massive cost of maintaining a no-fly zone and attacking Gaddafi's ground troops. The first day cost the United States around $100 million alone, she estimates.

  Meanwhile, it generally costs $10,000 per hour, including maintenance and fuel, to operate F-15s and F-16s. Those costs do not include the payloads dropped from the aircraft. The B-2s dropped 45 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMS, which are 2,000-pound bombs that cost between $30,000 and $40,000 apiece to replace.

• Timestamp: 

  2:20pm

  Al Jazeera correspondent James Bays just gave us a report from the desert around nine kilometres north of Ajdabiya, as far as our team there was able to go (they came under missile attack 300 metres farther down the road earlier today).

  The front line hasn't moved much in the past 24 hours, Bays said, but rebels are confident they'll be able to take back Ajdabiya. That confidence may not have much basis in reality, since rebels seem to be relying heavily on coalition air strikes to move anywhere and lack the discipline and heavy weapons a conventional force might have.

  As we mentioned earlier, rebels use mobile phones to communicate and revert to word-of-mouth when the network goes down. 

• Timestamp: 

  1:57pm

  David Cenciotti, a former Italian air force pilot and aviation journalist, has been writing an easily digestible and straightforward account of the technical, military aspects of Operation Odyssey Dawn, the coalition military campaign to enforce the UN Security Council resolution on Libya.

  If you're curious about which nations are involved, what kind of forces they're using and why seemingly mysterious military events are happening, read Cenciotti's blog (and check out our open-source Google Doc).

  Here are Cenciotti's summaries of days one, two and three of Odyssey Dawn. 

• Timestamp: 

  1:25pm

  The Independent newspaper highlights a little off-message chatter from UK armed forces minister Nick Harvey. In the debate over the Libya no-fly zone, ground forces were a red line - they had to be ruled out to win support from Arab nations and reassure skeptic domestic audiences in the West. But Harvey apparently hasn't ruled them out:

  Harvey said he would not rule out deploying a small force in a defensive role to protect civilians.

  "I don't think we would at this stage rule anything in or rule anything out but I agree with the distinction that you draw between landing an occupying force and the use of anybody on the ground," he told BBC1's Breakfast programme, the Independent said.

• Timestamp: 

  1:13pm

  US Africa Command (AFRICOM), which is overseeing American efforts in Libya, has released a statement on the downed F-15:

  Two crew members ejected from their U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle when the aircraft experienced equipment malfunction over northeast Libya, March 21, 2011 at approximately 10:30 p.m. CET. 

  Both crew members ejected and are safe. 

  The aircraft, based out of Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, was flying out of Aviano Air Base in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn at the time of the incident. 

  The cause of the incident is under investigation. 

  The identities will be released after the next of kin have been notified.

• Timestamp: 

  1:09pm

  Al Jazeera's James Bays, on the road outside Ajdabiya with opposition fighters, says his group came under rocket fire from loyalist troops outside the town, around 160km south of Benghazi.

  The rebels have been using mobile phones throughout the uprising, but when the network goes down, they are forced to rely on word-of-mouth, sending men forward in trucks and jeeps with mounted machine guns and hearing from them what the situation is ahead.

• Timestamp: 

  12:07pm

  The Guardian newspaper's Chris McGreal says he saw four plumes of smoke rise near Ajdabiya after hearing planes overhead, indicating a possible coalition air strike there - the first reported one today. 

  Crilly (the Telegraph correspondent who just found the downed US plane) earlier reported that rebels and coalitions forces were coordinating the strikes. Coalition spokesmen have tried to avoid the appearance of taking sides in their official comments, but have indicated that the no-fly zone and military campaign to carry out the UN Security Council resolution is ultimately aimed at ending Gaddafi's regime.

• Timestamp: 

  12:04pm

  Two minutes after writing on Twitter that it was a "good day to check out a dodgy sounding tip," Telegraph newspapers correspondent Rob Crilly said he had found a US warplane that apparently crash-landed in a field late last night. The Telegraph says the plane seems to be an F-15E. Crilly has been reporting from the rebel stronghold on Benghazi, in the east.

• Timestamp: 

  10:16am

  Libyan expats are tweeting short snippets about their family and friends and what it was like for them to live under the tyranny of Gaddafi's 41-year regime, using the hashtags #100factsaboutme and #gaddaficrimes:

  @LibyaCyrenaica: "I am Libyan and #Gaddafi shot my 16 year old cousin in the spine. He is now paralyzed."

  @bunbunbunnyyy: "My father's friends in college were tortured & murdered by #gaddafi , we have yet to see justice."

  @AliLePointe: "My dad and 1000s of others had attempts on their lives when they started speaking against #gaddafi in '70s."

  @Bint_Al_Sahraa: "Some of my relatives r very high ranking G goons, are an embarrassment to my family for their roles in #gaddaficrimes"

  @Tripolitanian: "#Gaddafi used to promise every man woman and child $5000 from oil profits, gave us bullets instead."

• Timestamp: 

  10:06am

  Three journalists who went missing in eastern Libya more than 72 hours ago have been arrested by Gaddafi troops, the AFP news agency reports. AFP reporter Dave Clark and photographer Roberto Schmidt were arrested along with Getty photographer Joe Raedle, their driver says.

  The team drove from Tobruk, near the border with Egypt, to Ajdabiya, which had fallen under the regime's control. They encountered a convoy of military jeeps and transport vehicles "a few dozen kilometres" from Ajdabiya and were arrested by regime soldiers, along with other civilians who came down the road.

  Apparently, the journalists told AFP editors they were going to head around 35km outside of Tobruk to speak with refugees. Ajdabiya is 403km from Tobruk via a straight, inland road that runs between two towns.

• Timestamp: 

  9:28am

  Pakistan's foreign office has issued a carefully-worded statement on the intervention but appears to be opposed to military action:

  Pakistan is following, with serious concern, the developments in Libya in the wake of the military strikes. The loss of precious human lives is indeed regrettable. Peaceful political solution needs to be evolved by the Libyan people themselves in the spirit of mutual accommodation and national reconciliation.

  The statement also gives credence to the regime's claim of civilian casualties, calling such reports "extremely distressing."

   

• Timestamp: 

  9:16am

  China isn't backing down on its opposition to the no-fly zone. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu used a regular news briefing today to say that China had "deep concern" about civilian casualties and the possibility of a "humanitarian disaster" and wanted an end to the fighting. 

  Though Gaddafi's regime claims dozens of people have died in the air strikes, there's no way of knowing for sure, and the coalition has completely denied any civilian casualties.

• Timestamp: 

  9:10am

  Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh tells us that Iraqi Shia political leader Muqtada al-Sadr on Sunday announced he  "refuses and denounces" the foreign military intervention in Libya. 

• Timestamp: 

  8:49am

  So far, the military coalition enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya and attacking Gaddafi forces on the ground has been an entirely Western affair: The United States, United Kingdom and France have provided all of the forces in action, while other nations have made bases available and offered support, if necessary.

  That's about to change. Reuters reports that six Qatari Mirage fighter jets are due to land at a military base in Souda, Crete, today. We don't know yet how they'll participate in the action. Twelve F-16s and 12 Mirages from the United Arab Emirates are also going to head to Sicily soon, but the exact date isn't know, Reuters says.

• Timestamp: 

  8:19am

  New video purports to show the results of the battle for the western town of Misurata, home to a major oil refinery, where the Gaddafi regime and the opposition disagree about who is currently in control. The government claims Misurata was "liberated" three days ago, but the rebels claim they retain control. This video shows at least three abandoned Gaddafi tanks and an armoured personnel carrier.

• Timestamp: 

  6:05am

  It seems that the spat about whether Gaddafi's regime used journalists as "human shields" Sunday night is more over terminology than fact.

  Nobody disputes that journalists from CNN, Reuters, CBS, Channel 4, the AP and the Times of London were brought to the Bab al-Azizia after a missile strike there. Niall Paterson, defence correspondent for Sky News, wrote on Twitter on Monday that the British military chose to abort a Tornado strike on the compound when it learned that the journalists (and other civilians) were in the vicinity.

  CNN may have been singled out for attention because it was broadcasting live from the scene.

  Whether Gaddafi's men knew about another attack and brought the journalists there on purpose to prevent it - that's the question.

• Timestamp: 

  5:25am

  The 'road of death' links Libya's Benghazi to Tripoli, as Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley reports. Watch here:

• Timestamp: 

  3:25am

  Only one in three Britons agree with the decision to take military action in Libya, according to a poll published on Monday. The ComRes/ITN survey found that 43 per cent disagreed with the action and 22 per cent were unsure. 

  But in parliament, British legislators voted 557 to 13 in favour of military involvement.

• Timestamp: 

  2:52pm

  Libyan state television reports that Libyans keep backing their leader, with crowds flocking to al-Aziziah square to show their support. It also says many world capitals are witnessing demonstrations in support for Libya while the "crusader enemy" continues bombing civilian targets.

• Timestamp: 

  2:33am

  CNN correspondent Nic Robertson dismisses a report by Fox News that journalists in Libya were used by Gaddafi's forces as human shields. He says the allegation is "outrageous and it's absolutely hypocritical". 

  "When you come to somewhere like Libya, you expect lies and deceit from the dictatorship here. You don't expect it from the other journalists."

• Timestamp: 

  2:12am

  Our correspondent Anita McNaught says the government claims there have been heavy civilian casualties in coalition attacks on two major airports. Journalists have been invited to visit hospitals on Tuesday.

  
  Anti-aircraft rounds fired in Tripoli [Reuters]

• Timestamp: 

  1:30am

  Brazil's foreign ministry has spoken out about the events in Libya, saying in a statement:

  Brazil laments the loss of life occurring in the conflict in the country. The Brazilian government has the expectation of the implementation of an effective ceasefire as soon as possible, with the capacity to guarantee the protection of the civil population, and create conditions for the path for dialogue.

  "Brazil reiterates her solidarity with the Libyan people and their participation in the future politics of the country in an environment that protects human rights.”

• Timestamp: 

  12:56pm

  Al Jazeera Arabic reports that coalition forces have hit radar installations at two air defence bases east of Benghazi.

• Timestamp: 

  12:49am

   

  Fox News reports that Gaddafi's regime has used journalists as human shields. The US broadcaster said an attack on Gaddafi's compound on Sunday had to be curtailed because of journalists nearby.

   

  British sources confirmed that seven Storm Shadow missiles were ready to be fired from a British aircraft, but the strikes had to be curtailed due to crews from CNN, Reuters and other organizations nearby. Officials from Libya's Ministry of Information brought those journalists to the area to show them damage from the initial attack and to effectively use them as human shields"

• Timestamp: 

  12:26pm

  The UN Security Council has turned down a Libyan request for a special meeting to discuss what it called "military aggression" by coalition forces. The council said it would wait for a briefing on Thursday by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on how the resolution that set up the no-fly zone is being implemented.

• Timestamp: 

  12:16pm

  President Barack Obama says the United States expects to transfer the lead military role in Libya to other allies in a matter of days.

  NATO will be involved in helping to co-ordinate the next phase of action in Libya, the US president said.

• Timestamp: 

  12:05pm

  Al Arabiya television reported late on Monday that the western Libyan city of Misurata is now controlled by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.

  The channel was quoting a spokesman for Gaddafi's forces. There were no further details. Due to a lack of communications, the report has yet to be confirmed.

• Timestamp: 

  12:00pm

   

  It's midnight in Libya and our live blog continues for another day. To keep track of all that's happened, be sure to check out our blog from yesterday, March 21, here.