Libya: Waiting for air strikes to break a stalemate
Listless rebels are waiting on the road to Brega for more coalition air strikes, and have even apologised for drawing down friendly fire.
After ten minutes of struggle and the formation of a human pyramid, a barefoot young rebel managed to scale the telegraph pole and hoist his revolutionary flag. For his bored comrades egging him on along the stark desert road to the strategic oil town of Brega, it was the day's greatest excitement so far and they cheered wildly.
After lightning advance and wild retreat, the rebellion against Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces has settled into stalemate in eastern Libya. The rebel forces on Sunday were stretched out along the road between gentle rolling ridge lines in the same positions they have occupied for four days, awaiting Nato help to drive back government troops.
Such is the desire for more Coalition air strikes that the rebels even apologised for drawing down friendly fire on themselves in a mistaken Friday evening attack which killed 13 fighters.
An American warplane fired on a rebel vehicle on the road to government-held Brega after it fired its anti-aircraft gun into the air. "It was a terrible mistake, and we apologise, and we will not let it happen again," said Abdul Hafidh Ghoga, a spokesman for the rebellion's Transitional National Council.
Perhaps because of that incident, on Sunday the jubilant fire which regularly rises from the rebel ranks was absent. When the flag was hoisted at the top of the telegraph pole, one young rebel who raised his weapon to his shoulder and prepared to fire a celebratory volley was rounded on by his comrades.
Early in the day the rebel military vanguard launched a probing attack on an industrial area on the east of Brega, but it had been beaten back by rockets and an ambush, fighters said. Instead of pushing forward, eyes were on the sky and the promise of British and French warplanes which have become both the rebel's main weapon and greatest hope of salvation. "We are waiting for Nato," explained Mohammad Abdul Saleh, a stout 55-year-old veteran, as his colleagues prepared to pray on the roadside. "We cannot push forward without them. Gaddafi's side just have better weapons than we do."
The roar of Nato jets and rumble of explosions could be heard from the rebel front line and Nato said its aircraft flew 70 "strike sorties" on Saturday. However, the rebels remained unsatisfied. "What are they doing, are they dropping bombs on empty bases or something?" asked one man frustrated at the lack of effect.
There were signs though of growing organisation along the front and improving tactics after the removal of the chaotic, youthful militia who had swelled rebel ranks. Better trained fighters were expanding their positions into the desert from the road to stop attacks from Col Muammar Gaddafi's men from outflanking them.
American CIA or special forces teams are reportedly working with the rebels and on Sunday a 4x4 truck full of Western bearded men seemingly in military equipment, drove to the front line hiding their faces from journalists.
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