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NATO Strike Hits Gadhafi Family

  • May 1st, 2011
  • Posted by EUEditor

military-aircraftorg11.jpegLibyan authorities have confirmed the death of Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, 29, youngest son of the Libyan government leader, Moammar al-Gadhafi, and three of his grandchildren, in a NATO missile strike.

There were reports that Gadhafi was himself in the building, in Tripoli, with his wife, but emerged unhurt.

“The leader himself is in good health; he was not harmed; the wife is also in good health”, a spokesperson said.

He said the attack was an assassination attempt against  Moammar al-Gadhafi, who called for a ceasefire on the weekend, while stipulating it could not involve his ever leaving the country.

Opposition groups rejected the idea saying it lacked bona fides; some also questioned whether Saif al-Arab Gadhafi was really killed, suggesting it might have been a trick to get him out of the country.
NATO says the target was a military compound.

Its statement issued from Brussels:-

NATO continued its precision strikes against Qadhafi regime military installations in Tripoli overnight, including striking a known command and control building in the Bab al-Azizya neighbourhood shortly after 1800 GMT Saturday evening.

“All NATO’s targets are military in nature and have been clearly linked to the Qadhafi regime’s systematic attacks on the Libyan population and populated areas. We do not target individuals,” said Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, Commander of NATO’s Operation Unified Protector.

The strike was part of NATO’s coherent strategy to disrupt and destroy the command and control of those forces which have been attacking civilians.

“I am aware of unconfirmed media reports that some of Qadhafi’s family members may have been killed,” Lieutenant-General Bouchard said. “We regret all loss of life, especially the innocent civilians being harmed as a result of the ongoing conflict.  NATO is fulfilling its UN mandate to stop and prevent attacks against civilians with precision and care – unlike Qadhafi’s forces, which are causing so much suffering.”

NATO’s operation is conducted under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which called for an immediate end to all attacks and authorized all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya. NATO plans and conducts its strikes with great deliberation to minimize the risk to innocent people.

“I want to remind again all civilians in Libya to distance themselves as much as possible from Qadhafi regime forces, equipment and known military infrastructure to reduce the potential danger to them,” Lieutenant-General Bouchard said.

As NATO and partner foreign ministers made clear, NATO will continue operations until all attacks and threats against civilians have ceased; until all of Qadhafi’s forces, including his snipers, mercenaries and paramilitary forces have verifiably withdrawn to their bases, and until there is full, free and unhindered access to humanitarian aid to all those in Libya who need it.

Reference

Deutsche Welle, Bonn, “Gadhafi’s youngest son killed in NATO missile strike”, 1.5.11.
http://www.dw-world.de/, (1.5.11).

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Brussels, “NATO strikes command and control facility in Tripoli”, 1.5.11.