Witnesses claim Gaddafi’s compound was the target: Some have cried foul over NATO’s increased bombings against Gaddafi territories, saying that the mandate for civilian protection, but the U.N. resolution authorizing the no-fly zone uses a rather vague phrase in defining the mission. It states: “…to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in the country, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory.” A pro-military force type might read that and say, “well, the civilians are in danger as long as Gaddafi is in power.” We’d likely agree with that. It is a bigger and bloodier mission than expected, however, and that may have consequences in public opinion and diplomacy. source
NATO unleashes attacks in Tripoli: The strikes early Monday morning came with reports from NATO officials that nobody had been badly harmed, though Libyan state TV later claimed 45 civilian casualties. The odds of civilian death in this regard aren’t negligible, as Gaddafi has hosted throngs of still-loyal citizens at his sprawling residence to act as human shields, fully hoping that the risk of killing them would deter NATO from launching attacks like this one — be warned that there is a small amount of graphic imagery in the video. source
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