Libyan rebels continue westward drive (towards Sirte)

[maddezmom]

Source: SMH

Libyan rebels have advanced further west along the Mediterranean coast to Bin Jawad, inching closer towards Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, an AFP reporter says.

"We pushed them past Bin Jawad and today we will pound them back to Sirte," said one fighter, an officer who defected from the military when the uprising began more than two weeks ago.

An AFP reporter saw groups of rebels on Saturday in Bin Jawad, a small settlement of two restaurants, shacks and houses, about 150km from Sirte.

Libyan planes were circling over Bin Jawad and the small oil town of Ras Lanuf further east, which the rebels seized after heavy fighting with pro-Gaddafi forces on Friday.



Read more: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/libyan-rebels-continue-westward-drive-20110306-1bj3u.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[CJvR]

2. Well...

...it is certainly not impossible since he seems willing to pay the butchers bill and have successfully picked off city after city in the west in the last few days. The current action at Zawiyah could be decisive, if Gaddafi have the firepower to crush a major center of the revolt then the outcome must be in doubt. If he fails then it is likely only a matter of time until the regime falls.
The advance of the easterners on Sirte is a big factor in the game also. As long as Sirte holds for Gaddafi the revolution is split in isolated pockets that can be smashed one by one but if Sirte falls then it will be the regime that is isolated in the Tripoli pocket and the southern pocket and ripe for defeat in detail. Right now the major advantage of the Gaddafi regime is probably neither arms, mercenaries or cash but rather that it has leadership while it's enemies are a fragmented gang of rebellious cities.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. I concur that Sirte looks to be pivotal

This is far from a sure thing

[Botany]

4. From what I have read although very bloody it looks bad for Gaddafi

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igh0DvqR6b6k1QtSBxI3NQib0PpA?docId=CNG.97f06e36a1a0cb62da2c4bda69870ba9.9f1

Rebels now hold land east and west of the Capital, seem to be gaining in strength (in the east), and will be driving west towards Tripoli.

One question is Sirte the same city I see on maps called Surt?