Libya crisis: Rebels vow not to use landmines

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Rebel leaders in Libya have pledged to stop using landmines in their fight against Col Muammar Gaddafi.

The BBC filmed rebels planting anti-vehicle mines near the key town of Ajdabiya earlier this month.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) researchers said the mines had been laid despite rebel assurances they would not be use the weapons.

HRW has also gathered evidence of use of mines and cluster munitions by Col Gaddafi's forces.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13243929

[trud]

1. A more accurate heading would be Libyan Rebels use landmines

I'm sure it would read like that if it were Qaddafi doing this.

Plus it looks like the "rebels" have already lied about this.

[joshcryer]

2. They admitted their wrong and vowed to correct. Gaddafi used cluster munitions...

...which were verified by several outlets, and denied he ever used them.

[PuffedMica]

3. Correct headline "Libyan Rebels run out of land mines and can't get any more"

The Rebels might as well gain as much favor on the world scene as they can from not using weapons they don't have.

[joshcryer]

4. When Gaddafi loyalists bailed from Ajdabiya they left behind hundreds of them.

Some of the rebels, likely without permission or orders, went out and started deploying them. The TNC told them not to do that and to get rid of the ones that they deployed. The rebels aren't going to like it but they'll comply if only to get HRW off their back. Strategically speaking the landmines and anti-personal mines are useless.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Included within those were cluster munitions

making it impossible to tell who used or planted them.

[joshcryer]

6. Cite?

The cluster munitions were used in Misrata not Ajdabiya as far as I know. There were no reports of cluster munitions in Ajdabiya that I saw.