In search of the war

News of John Simpson’s arrival in Tripoli perhaps sent shivers down Colonel Gaddafi’s spine, as an omen that the regime is doomed.

But hope is still high in Tripoli.

Last night the foreign minister told assembled journalists that the Gaddafi regime was willing to accept the offers of mediation from the Russians and Turk, not only to conclude a peace treaty with the international community but also with the rebels.

This hope appeared dashed today when Turkey agreed to join the coalition, by sending ships to help enforce the naval blockade, and in doing so clearing the way for NATO to take over the running of operation Odyssey Dawn; and in doing so solve a fractious diplomatic row. Whether anything will come of the Russian offer remains to be seen.

Elsewhere Air Vice-Marshal Greg Bagwell declared that the air strikes had destroyed Gaddafi’s ‘eyes and ears’.

Something that CNN reporter Nic Robertson might attest to.

The Libyan news agency, JANA, announced that civilian houses had been hit in a raid in eastern Tripoli and civilians killed. Thus the minders herded the assembled press from their hotel and took them in search of the story. Unfortunately the bombed out houses could not be found. And after driving around the suburbs of Tripoli for a while the reporters were returned to their hotel.

With news in short supply, in part because of the lack of internet access from Libyan and the tight censorship of the regime, headline writers have resorted to making the most out of the snippets they are fed. Thus today headlines declared an allied success at shooting down a Libyan plane. Dramatic stuff, except that the latest reports claim the plane was destroyed on the ground.