More Libyan diplomats expelled
Two more Libyan diplomats have been given their marching orders, as the Libya contact group meets in Rome.
Foreign secretary William Hague said the diplomats and their dependants had until May 11th to leave the country, “on the basis that their activities were contrary to the interests of the UK”.
He said: “We keep the status of the Libyan embassy and its staff under constant review. I judged that the behaviour of these individuals had become unacceptable, and that they should therefore be declared persona non grata.”
It follows the expulsion of Libya’s ambassador to the UK, Omar Jelban, and two other diplomats, and is the latest step-up in pressure on Muammar Gaddafi’s regime by the British government.
On Tuesday RAF aircraft successfully engaged two multiple rocket launchers east of Sirte and destroyed an armoured personnel carrier and two artillery pieces engaged in the bombardment of Misrata, the Ministry of Defence said.
Yesterday a Typhoon and a Tornado attacked a pair of surface-to-air missile launchers near Tripoli, as the international coalition implementing the no-fly zone continued its work.
The Libyan capital is now a city “under siege and in great fear of the Gaddafi regime”, Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt in a video message after speaking to eyewitnesses.
“Listening to some of these stories has been heart-rending when you realise families and others are still left in these circumstances,” he added.
The Libya contact group is meeting in Rome today to discuss ways in which the international community can assist the Benghazi-based interim national council.
Rebel forces are struggling to make progress against Col Gaddafi’s military, leading to question-marks about whether UN security council resolution 1973 is sufficient to justify directly arming the rebels.
