From Tripoli, Thierry Meyssan reports on the carnage he has witnessed. Article posted on Monday, at 0:35 AM.
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On Saturday, 20 August 2011, at 8:00 PM, that is to say just after the Iftar, the breaking of the Ramadan fast, the Atlantic Alliance launched “Operation Mermaid.”
The “mermaids” are the mosque loud speakers which were used by Al Qaeda to send the signal to start the revolt. Immediately, rebel “sleeper cells” went into action. Small, highly mobile, groups kept multiplying the attacks. The night combats left 350 dead and 3000 injured.
The situation stabilized on Sunday during the day.
A NATO ship docked near Tripoli unloaded heavy weapons and discharged Al Qaeda jihadists, supervised by officers of the Alliance.
The fighting raged again on Sunday night, reaching a rare degree of violence. NATO drones and planes have been bombarding in every direction. Helicopters are strafing people in the streets to clear the way for the jihadists.
In the evening, a convoy of official cars carrying prominent figures was attacked. It took refuge in the Rixos Hotel where the foreign press is staying. NATO would not dare bomb it in order to spare its own journalists. The hotel where I lodge has been under heavy fire.
At 11:30 PM, there was nothing the Ministry of Health could do but to take note that the hospitals are saturated. By early evening there were 1300 additional casualties and 5000 injured.
NATO was entrusted by the Security Council to protect civilians. In fact, France and the UK are now back to resume their colonial massacres.
Monday, 1:00 AM: Khamis Gaddafi personally went to deliver arms to the hotel and left. There is heavy fighting all around.