In siege Misurata, nowhere to run - Washington Post

MISURATA, Libya - for the 500,000 people of this once prosperous port city, it is nowhere to run.

The city is surrounded by forces loyal to Muammar al-Gaddafi. Its snipers hid on the roofs and open Windows peer. All districts are prohibited because of the blind of artillery and mortar. Hospital is overflowing with wounded, some of these children.

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For residents, it is not only a question of whether if the fight, but how long they can survive. After life under siege for nearly two months, several reach their breaking point that Gaddafi passes its attacks and supplies are becoming increasingly rare. Bread and gasoline lines continue for blocks. Wastewater have seeped into the system of the water. Most of the city is run on generators or has no power. Cell phone service was cut.

Misurata is the last bastion of the opposition in the West of the Libya, but it is not known how long the forces ragtag rebels will be able to take in the daily aggression by the Government. The rebels, this city is a powerful symbol of resistance and a reminder that the uprising that swept the country in late February was not limited to the East. It also represents a dangerous threat to Gaddafi giving his opponents a base which is evil near Tripoli, the capital of the country.

But unlike the eastern rebels, Misurata veterans have no place to retire when they are overwhelmed by the firepower of Government. They have also just a way to source - port - but some masters of ships dared land in the regular bombings. Isolation of the city has also kept the majority of foreign journalists, even if some have arrived in recent days after a perilous journey by sea.

Without a reliable supply chain, potential combatants must wait until a classmate died so they can inherit his weapon. Most use old Kalashnikov assault, stolen rifles from a base of Gaddafi, shortly after the start of the insurgency.

Intense urban warfare

On the coastal road Monday, a Hunter held up a bottle of soda filled with gasoline and a rag soaked in diesel.

"These are our anti-tank weapons," said Ismail Kraweed, 23.

The rebels throw bombs House in vehicles to the Government, but to little effect.

Kraweed hiding Monday behind barriers of dirt shaped in the street near a marked with bullet holes abandoned gas station. Gaddafi forces preparing half less than a kilometre. The rebels are trying to generally attract Government tanks in residential areas, so that they can surround and try to destroy them.

Kraweed and colleagues veterans waiting to spring their trap, General fresh mortar shells sailed and explosions rocked the city. Tripoli Street - main street city - has become a shell of its former self, with buildings as well as it reduced to nil.

Overhead, snipers in the targets while eyes camped in the insurance building - the highest of the block - and in the adjacent Bank. Rebels said that snipers are remarkably effective, ousted from their shot in the head and chest marks. Rebels don't worry to operate at night, because snipers use night vision goggles to target everything in sight.

"We have tried to blow up buildings, but we do not know how," said Alaa el Deen Khesham, 30, a rebel fighter who, until two months ago, has worked in public relations for the Government. "" "". We threw homemade bombs, but it did nothing. ?

He looked with sadness: "We hope NATO would bomb buildings."

There are few signs in Misurata NATO military campaign to protect civilians. The fighting is all urban warfare, making accurate particularly difficult air strikes.

Among residents, anger was mounting with the international coalition for failing to protect them from the dams of Gaddafi.

"We officially let down and disappointed by NATO," said Mohammed, a spokesman for the municipal Council that uses only one name for security reasons. Does he apparently no air strikes in the region in three days for Gaddafi forces to intensify their bombing of the port and industrial city and residential areas.

"What is the mandate of NATO?" It is the protection of civilians, but civilians are dying in Misurata, "he says. "If they cannot do so, they must say that they cannot do."

The increase in the number

The Organization of the United Nations said Monday that it had forged an agreement with the Gaddafi Government to allow humanitarian aid in Misurata. But the agreement was greeted with scepticism in the city, and it is far from clear that the fighting will pause long enough for help to arrive.

In the meantime, the number of deaths climbs. Khesham has said that a friend since childhood and Hunter of fellow rebel, Salah, was killed Sunday after being shot twice: in the thigh and in the head. He was buried the same evening, after that the rebels burnt down the building from which the sniper bullets had been fired.

Khesham was born in Germany, and spent part of his childhood in Boise, Idaho. He has two houses in Tripoli and a sports car. But it has everything to fight with the rebels in Misurata.

Towards the end of the day of Monday, he visited Hikma hospital, which was overflowing with wounded and dead.

"Martyrs how many?" today he asked, his eyes turn red. A doctor checked: one was killed and 26 wounded.

"You know who." Khesham asked.

"No," the doctor said.

"It's the hardest part", Khesham said, as he sought to keep a cool head. "I know that these people fighting and my childhood, and have much when they die."

As Khesham left, four people were carted in with gunshot chest wounds. Around him, leg man was destroyed by an explosion, and others were crying, shouting with God.

Fadell@washpost.com

Denyer by Simon corresponding to Tripoli, Libya, contributed to this report.

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