Escalation in Libyan War from the CFR

Escalation in Libyan War

NATO warplanes attacked Tripoli Tuesday night, while rebel fighters edged closer (Reuters) to the Libyan capital by pushing back government forces loyal to leader Muammar al-Qaddafi in the east and the west of the country.

In the west, rebels forced Qaddafi's forces to retreat (al-Jazeera) from the town of Kikla, about 150km southwest of Tripoli. While in the east, fighters launched attacks on government forces near the strategic oil town of Brega, a point considered vital to clearing the road to the capital.

The rebel advances came as Qaddafi's forces shelled a residential area (WSJ) in Msurata , disrupting the fragile peace in the rebel-held city, east of Tripoli. Meanwhile, according to the Guardian, the leader of Msurata , Sheikh Khalifa Zuwawi, appealed to NATO to rescue inhabitants of a neighboring town who are being "annihilated" by government forces.

Analysis:

In Foreign Policy, Portia Walker outlines the challenges facing rebels in Msurata , a stronghold "deep in Qaddafi-held territory."

In the International Herald Tribune, Lynda Calvert, a visiting scholar at the NATO Defense College in Rome, argues that NATO is losing the "war of words" on Libya to Qaddafi.

In a recent op-ed for Foreign Policy, Georgetown University's Daniel L. Byman and CFR's Matthew Waxman discuss six reasons why it has been so tough to get Qaddafi to quit.