Gaddafi's forces deploy throughout countryIn Zawiyah, residents said Gaddafi's forces had deployed in large numbers over the past days. "We estimate there are 2,000 on the southern side of town and have gathered 80 armored vehicles from the east," resident Ibrahim said, adding a battalion had also come from the west side."But our youths are not sitting idle. We killed two of their men last night and operations like these allow us to build up our arsenal. We have already seized 10 to 15 of the army's tanks and a large number of Kalashnikovs," he said.His account could not immediately be verified.The government says it is not using military force to retake rebel-held cities although one official did not rule it out if all other options were exhausted.On Thursday, Venezuela said Gaddafi had agreed to its proposal for an international commission to negotiate an end to the turmoil in the world's 12th largest oil exporting nation. Venezuela hopes Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva could head the peace commission, a government source said.'No need for foreign mediation'Gaddafi's son Saif al Islam said there was no need for foreign mediation in the crisis, a leader of the uprising rejected talks with the veteran leader and the Arab League said cautiously the plan was "under consideration".In Paris, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said France and Britain would support the idea of setting up a no-fly zone over Libya if Gaddafi's forces continued to attack civilians.But Juma Amer, secretary for African affairs at the Libyan Foreign Ministry, told journalists: "Media reports that civilian areas were bombed are false."Saif said Brega was bombed to scare off militia fighters and to gain control of oil installations. "The bombs (were) just to frighten them to go away," he told Britain's Sky News.On the ground, rebels leading the unprecedented popular revolt pushed their front line west of Brega. They said they had driven back troops loyal to Gaddafi to Ras Lanuf, site of another major oil terminal, 600 km (400 miles) east of Tripoli.
Libyan warplanes strike outside rebel-held base
Rebels and Gaddafi forces fight for oil sites; warplanes bomb town of Brega for second day; gov't forces expand deployment.
Gaddafi's forces deploy throughout countryIn Zawiyah, residents said Gaddafi's forces had deployed in large numbers over the past days. "We estimate there are 2,000 on the southern side of town and have gathered 80 armored vehicles from the east," resident Ibrahim said, adding a battalion had also come from the west side."But our youths are not sitting idle. We killed two of their men last night and operations like these allow us to build up our arsenal. We have already seized 10 to 15 of the army's tanks and a large number of Kalashnikovs," he said.His account could not immediately be verified.The government says it is not using military force to retake rebel-held cities although one official did not rule it out if all other options were exhausted.On Thursday, Venezuela said Gaddafi had agreed to its proposal for an international commission to negotiate an end to the turmoil in the world's 12th largest oil exporting nation. Venezuela hopes Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva could head the peace commission, a government source said.'No need for foreign mediation'Gaddafi's son Saif al Islam said there was no need for foreign mediation in the crisis, a leader of the uprising rejected talks with the veteran leader and the Arab League said cautiously the plan was "under consideration".In Paris, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said France and Britain would support the idea of setting up a no-fly zone over Libya if Gaddafi's forces continued to attack civilians.But Juma Amer, secretary for African affairs at the Libyan Foreign Ministry, told journalists: "Media reports that civilian areas were bombed are false."Saif said Brega was bombed to scare off militia fighters and to gain control of oil installations. "The bombs (were) just to frighten them to go away," he told Britain's Sky News.On the ground, rebels leading the unprecedented popular revolt pushed their front line west of Brega. They said they had driven back troops loyal to Gaddafi to Ras Lanuf, site of another major oil terminal, 600 km (400 miles) east of Tripoli.