NATO-backed rebels suffer further losses in Bani Walid as field commander Daw Saleheen is killed by Libyan forces.
by Tony Cartalucci
As reported earlier, rebel fighters tasked by NATO to take Bani Walid have begun filtering back home after frustrating and continuous defeat by the city's defenders. A recent rocket barrage managed to kill rebel commander Daw Saleheen, who was leading operations against Bani Walid, Associated Press reported. Saleheen had taken part in a previous, CIA-MI6 1993 attempt to overthrow Qaddafi and the Libyan government, and was subsequently imprisoned for 18 years. Tempting fate twice, Saleheen became a field commander for this most recent Western-backed attempt to seize Libya, featuring brutal air bombardments by NATO aircraft and foreign arms and training being freely shipped into the country. Despite these increased odds, for Daw Saleheen, his ignoble battle has ended in defeat.
Meanwhile, the coastal city of Sirte is still holding out against NATO attacks civilians are describing as "genocidal," while rebel forces concede their "final assault" has failed, and are regrouping for yet another "final assault." The rebels, with NATO assistance, are still cutting off Sirte from essential supplies, including food, water, and electricity, intentionally creating a humanitarian disaster to, as the rebels say, "starve the city into submission."
