Outrageous Nato and "Rebels" Co-ordinate Attack on the Legitimate, Sovereign Government of Libya
The Associated Press
The announcement came as Libya also barred Italy, one of the country's largest investors, from its oil sector because of Rome's role in the Nato airstrikes.
Moussa Ibrahim told journalists that rebel forces attacked the town of Brega backed by Nato forces in the sea and air in a coordinated attack that he said violated the alliance's UN mandate to protect civilians.
"It was a full scale attack and it was heavy and merciless," he said. "We were successful in combating this attack and we did defeat both Nato and the rebels and we killed many rebel forces and captured a good number of them as well."
Mr Ibrahim's assessment of the fighting could not immediately be verified.
Nato is enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya and hitting government targets as part of a UN mandate to protect civilians. It is not, however, supposed to be the military arm of rebel ground forces, which have been trying to retake Brega for months.
"It proves Nato is not interested in democracy, protecting civilians or peace," added Mr Ibrahim.
The civil war in Libya appears to have hit a stalemate, despite a protracted Nato bombing campaign against Gaddafi-loyal forces.
Rebels control eastern Libya and pockets in the west, while Gaddafi is holding on to Tripoli and large stretches of western Libya.
The attack on Brega was apparently an effort to restart the stalled war as well as capture the country's valuable oil infrastructure.
July 15, 2011
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