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| Libyan rebels flee from Brega |
The Head of the Libyan opposition's armed forces, Abdul Fatah Younis, has accused NATO of acting too "slowly", or not acting at all, to protect the rebels in their fight against Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader.
Younis' comments came as the rebels were forced out of the oil town of Brega in the country's east by a renewed offensive launched by Gaddafi's forces. The rebels were forced to retreat to
Ajdabiya, ending a stalemate over the last five days over who controlled Brega.Speaking at a press conference in the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, Younis, who was formerly the country's interior minister, said that NATO had "disappointed" the rebels, even though it is helping them.
"Unfortunately, and I am sorry to say this, NATO has disappointed us. My staff have been in contact with NATO officials to direct them to targets that should protect civilians, but until now, NATO has not given us what we need," he said.
He also complained that NATO was not allowing the opposition to use the MiG fighter aircraft and helicopters that it had repaired.
"NATO is moving very slowly, allowing Gaddafi forces to advance ... NATO has become our problem," he said.
Earlier in the day, Brigadier General Mark van Uhm, NATO's chief of allied operations, said that NATO's new "number one priority" was the western town of Misurata, which Younis said was being inadequately protected.
Van Uhm said that Gaddafi's troops have been adjusting their tactics to deal with the threat from coalition airstrikes, travelling in trucks and light vehicles to the front line and hiding their tanks and armoured vehicles from sight.
He said NATO had so far taken out 30 per cent of Gaddafi's military power, and had struck targets near Misurata on Monday.
Brega falls to Gaddafi forces
Earlier on Tuesday, Libyan rebel forces abandoned the oil town of Brega and headed east toward Ajdabiya in the face of a renewed offensive by troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.
Both sides exchanged heavy fire on Tuesday, but just a day after rebels had taken over a residential part of the city, they were forced to retreat.
Opposition forces said they came under rocket and artillery fire while they attempted to fight back with mortars and rockets of their own.
"When you see this, the situation is very bad. We cannot match their weapons,'' said Kamal Mughrabi, 64, a retired soldier who joined the opposition army. "If the [coalition] planes don't come back and hit them we'll have to keep pulling back."
Early in the day, a coalition airstrike targeted eight government vehicles that were advancing on opposition positions, rebel officer Abdel-Basset Abibi said.
Rebel oil export
Meanwhile, the rebels plan to load their first oil shipments on Tuesday.
A full load of oil on either tanker would be worth millions of dollars, helping the rebel leadership to pay salaries and bolster its image as a potential government capable of taking over.The last oil shipment to leave Libya was on March 18.
It is unclear at the moment who is buying the oil, though the Suezmax tanker is flying under a Liberian flag, and theEquator is operated by a Greek company.
The frontline in the conflict has been bogged down around Brega for nearly a week, with Gaddafi's advantage in tanks and artillery cancelled out by NATO-led air strikes which effectively back the rebels.
After a series of rapid rebel advances followed by headlong retreats, the pro-democracy fighters had at least held their ground in this oil town for several days, putting their best trained forces into battle for the town and keeping disorganised volunteers away.
Abibi, the rebel officer, said the two sides battled inside the city until nightfall on Monday and then the rebels moved back to the outskirts. The night passed without much incident, until the coalition airstrike on Tuesday morning.
Tuesday's Gaddafi offensive, however, broke the pattern.
