They included women holding babies, and have camped within the Libyan
leader's fortress, a large slice of southern Tripoli that includes air
defence and army operations rooms. Their swelling numbers are sitting on
mattresses and snacking on takeaway food. A child holds a toy rifle with a
flashing barrel. Muatas, a 45-year-old engineer, said: "I love Gaddafi.
He is our father. I'll die for him."
Some people presumably already have. An RAF air strike destroyed a building at
the heart of the Bab al-Azizia complex, dubbed Libya's "Green Zone"
after the famously-protected international area of Baghdad.
The three-storey destroyed block was located on a parade ground just 100 yards
from Col Gaddafi's tent, where he holds court for foreign dignitaries and
the media. Officials said the building was an administrative unit, and not
connected with the military, but an Arab newspaper reported that Col
Gaddafi's son, Khamis – a military commander – was gravely injured in the
strike.
Col Gaddafi's response was to bus in more volunteers. In fact, he is drawing
on every part of the civilian population to withstand the opening rounds of
the UN-backed campaign to contain his regime. The Ministry of Defence
yesterday admitted that RAF Typhoons were forced to abandon a Tripoli
bombing raid after spotting civilians in the vicinity of a facility targeted
in a second attack on the compound.
Libya's leader was also yesterday wheeling out children at a local school to
demonstrate that support for his rule can withstand the barrage.
"God, Muammar, Libya only," children chanted over and over from
behind their desks.
Girls as young as six recited for foreign visitors the regime's main slogans,
including the latest chants about the army going house to house to wipe out
those involved in the uprising that has divided Libya.
Yesterday's Spring Equinox holiday – March 21 – is the highlight of the year
for Libyan children as families distribute gifts and cakes. Officials had
brought Barbie dolls and its locally branded Islamic equivalents to the
Meethaq school in Saraj, a southern suburb of Tripoli. As the gifts piled
up, they pushed the pupils to chant in unison. Leila Mohammad, the head
teacher, claimed that normally 200 pupils attended the modest three-story
school but that only 50 could attend yesterday.
Precision bombing carried out so far by the coalition has not given Col
Gaddafi's supporters much scope to condemn the attacks. The regime has been
unable – or unwilling – to open up its hospitals or morgues for independent
verification of the toll of dead and injured.
Despite a second night of bombing, Libyan officials have been unable to update
the number of 64 killed that was published on Sunday morning. Instead the
children's day events were used as cover for a much more broader accusation
of unflinching foreign brutality.
"Most of the children could not come here today. The houses of some of
the teachers and children have been damaged in the bombing," the
teacher said. "None were killed but there were some injuries and others
are too afraid to come.
"What has this got to do with a no-fly zone? This is just frightening
children by using weapons against them."
On what should have been a festive afternoon, the mood was subdued across
Tripoli. Gharash, the main shopping strip, boasts a Zara, Marks &
Spencer and other familiar outlets. Because of the Equinox its traffic
should have been at a standstill but the area was easy to navigate.
The Libyan leader has also moved tanks and heavy equipment into residential
areas. Military experts warned the tactic could allow the Libya military to
preserve its firepower and re-emerge to take on the opposition. "The
more important portion of Libyan government assets are poised on the
periphery of urban areas and capable of causing great damage to civilians,"
said Shashank Joshi, an expert at the Royal United Services Institute.
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