20110322
Xinhua
TRIPOLI, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Government forces of Libya pulled back 100 km from the main opposition stronghold of Benghazi on Monday after a weekend of Western-led air attacks.

The forces retreated to the strategic town of Ajdabiya, south of Benghazi, after the airstrikes destroyed much of their armor and seriously degraded the North African country's air defense systems.

Part of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's residential compound was also destroyed on Sunday.

Footage of the Libyan state TV showed that a building near the tent where Gaddafi usually receives guests was severely damaged.

"It was a barbaric bombing" and could have hit hundreds of civilians who gathered near the destroyed building in support of the Libyan leader, said government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim, who declined to say whether Gaddafi was still inside the compound.

Libyan authorities said that at least 64 Libyans had been killed and 150 others wounded by the missiles and bombs rained upon Libya over the weekend. But the intervening forces denied targeting civilians.

Dubbing the attacks "a crusader war" against the Libyan people, Gaddafi said Sunday that the airstrikes were "terrorist means" and he vowed a "long war."

Echoing Gaddafi's warning, a top French official said that the international military action against Libya is likely to last "a while."

Henri Guaino, a top adviser to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, told RMC radio that the strikes dealt a serious blow to Libya's air defenses and stalled Gaddafi's troops.

When asked about how long the military operation would continue, Guaino said they were likely to last "a little while."

Libyan people's patriotic sentiment has run high after Western countries launched the joint military action. Pro-Gaddafi rallies and protests against the military intervention in Libya were seen as many people and students would take to the streets after work or school.

A Xinhua correspondent said the government has already opened arms depots to the people to protect the country and any Libyan citizen who registers at the government department can get guns and bullets now.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged Libyan authorities to end violence against civilians in a press conference held in Cairo.

He said that Libya must end violence immediately and it is vital that the world speaks as one on the issue of Libya.

ANTI-WAR VOICES

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday criticized West-led military actions against Libya, saying they were based on a "flawed" UN Security Council resolution.

Speaking in the town of Votkinsk, Russia's military-industrial "capital" in Udmurt republic, Putin said Security Council Resolution 1973 "is, surely, flawed and lame...it allows intervention in a sovereign country."

Resolution 1973 authorizes the use of force and the creation of a no-fly zone over Libya.

Putin also criticized the role of the United States in the actions against the North African country.

"Use of force against other countries became a steady trend in the U.S. policy," Putin said, adding that this trend was "disturbing."

The Palestinians in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Monday expressed their support for the legal demands of the Libyan people to change their regime, but opposed at the same time any foreign intervention in Libya's internal affairs.

Talal Abu Zareefa, a leader of the left-wing Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, told Xinhua that his group rejects any foreign intervention in the internal affairs of Libya, adding "this gives the U.S. an excuse to intervene in the Arab countries' internal affairs."

"We reject such intervention which basically aims at looting the Arab people's resources and welfare under the pretext of democracy and human rights. At the same time, we reject the violence that the Libyan regime used against its own civilians," said Abu Zareefa.

Dawood Shihab, spokesman of the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement in the Gaza Strip, told Xinhua that the Palestinian people politically and spiritually support the Libyan people who are struggling to gain their rights and get rid of the regime of Gaddafi.

"We were hoping that the Arab League and the Arab states could strongly move to help the Libyan people and protect them, and we are so concerned about the Western intervention that aims at changing the current regime and replacing it by another regime loyal to the United States," said Shihab.

India on Monday again expressed its concern over the situation in Libya and called on all parties to stop violence.

"We view with grave concern the ongoing violence, strikes and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Libya. We regret the airstrikes that are taking place," said Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.

"India believes that all parties and stakeholders should engage themselves in a peaceful dialogue through the United Nations and other regional organizations and come to a settlement," Krishna told the press.