Losing ground in Libya
Pro-democracy fighters appear to make headway but then retreat as soon as they encounter pro-Gaddafi firepower.
Libyan pro-democracy fighters seem to be unable to hold the ground they capture – repeatedly making headway for a few miles and then retreating as soon as they face pro-Gaddafi firepower.
Meanwhile, pro-Gaddafi forces have adapted their efforts to frustrate NATO air strikes, no longer using tanks or other military vehicles that could easily be identified and attacked. They are now using the same pick-up trucks and civilian guise as the rebel fighters.
This situation on the ground has prompted NATO member states to consider the next phase of the battle to oust Muammar Gaddafi, including looking to Arab countries to train the Libyan rebels or to fund their training.
Inside Story presenter Teymoor Nabili discusses the mounting confusion in Libya with guests: Guma El Gamaty, a Libyan political commentator; Daniel Korski, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations; and Abdulhadi Alajmi, the secretary of the board of the Kuwait Historical Society.
This episode of Inside Story aired on Thursday, April 7, 2011.