Libya rebels ask Nato for help as Gaddafi forces bombard Misrata

Guardian.co.uk, Xan Rice in Misrata, Monday 2 May 2011 20.16 BST

• Humanitarian aid cannot reach city's harbour
• Evacuees and casualties stranded in the assaults

The harbour at Misrata is being constantly shelled by Gaddafi's forces,
preventing humanitarian aid from reaching the city. Photograph: Christophe
Simon/AFP/Getty Images

Muammar Gaddafi's forces have bombarded Misrata with missiles and tank fire, preventing ships carrying humanitarian aid from entering the port for a fourth straight day.

The sustained attacks on the port are causing deep concern in the city, which has been surrounded by Gaddafi's troops on land for more than two months. Food, medical supplies and other aid can only be delivered through the harbour, while migrant workers and casualties can only be evacuated by boat.

The shelling came as crowds gathered in Tripoli for the funeral of Gaddafi's son Saif al-Arab and three of his grandchildren, who were killed in a Nato air strike on Saturday, according to the government. Gaddafi did not attend the funeral but his son Saif al-Islam did, watching as his brother's coffin, covered in a green flag and flowers, was carried to the cemetery.

The deaths triggered reprisal attacks on the French and British embassies in Tripoli, and the US diplomatic mission, for their role in the Nato mission. But in Misrata, where more than 1,000 people have killed since late February, there is increasing anger that Nato is not doing enough to destroy Gaddafi's missile launchers that continue to pummel the city.

A ferry chartered by the International Organisation for Migration has been forced to wait offshore since Saturday morning. It is due to collect at least 800 African workers who have been trying to escape the city for weeks, and who have been forced to endure the barrage of missiles in recent days. More than 30 hospital patients, four of them in intensive care, are also waiting to board the ship.

"We know the only way to keep Misrata alive is to keep the harbour open," said Hafed Makhlouf, the controller and ship pilot of the port. "Gaddafi realises this too, and knows that the only way to extinguish the revolution is by starving the people."

On Sunday, just hours after Makhlouf had pleaded for Nato to stop the attack on the port, it was pounded again by dozens of missiles that struck the land as well as the sea around the harbour mouth. A checkpoint on the road to the port was also destroyed, killing two guards.

"To be honest, I am not that satisfied with Nato's actions," said Makhlouf, a navy veteran who has worked at the port since 1996. "The harbour has been nearly completely closed for days now."

But a few hours spent with Makhlouf in the controller's office again highlighted the difficulties in communications between the rebels and Nato, which was illustrated last week when 12 rebel fighters were killed after straying into an area that had been cleared for bombing.

"Nato, we have special information for you," said Makhlouf, speaking quickly into the radio. "Do you have a warship close to the breakwater? It's very urgent. Our men are going to fire."

The Nato radio operator answered immediately, promising to check.

Makhlouf ran outside with his satellite phone and binoculars, scanning the harbour entrance. His phone rang: it was Nato confirming neither of its two frigates were that close to the port. Indeed, what the rebel lookouts had spotted was a group of doctors aboard a small boat that had been dispatched from a mother ship forced to remain far offshore.

After losing the battle for Misrata's city centre last week, loyalist forces have concentrated their efforts on shutting down the port, which Gaddafi says is used by rebels to bring in arms. They have been doing so, using small fishing boats from the eastern city of Benghazi but the vast majority of the incoming cargo has been food, drugs and other medical supplies.

In addition to the missile attacks, Gaddafi has also attempted to sink some of the incoming ships using sea mines.

According to Makhlouf, the rebels had received a tip on Thursday from Zleten, a town 30 miles west of Misrata, that three small microbuses had been spotted dropping off a crew of frogmen near the harbour. Makhlouf said he passed on the warning to the two Nato warships stationed off Misrata.

At 4.30am on Friday, while he was asleep on the chair in his office, his radio crackled to life.

It was Nato, saying it had spotted four small dinghies approaching Misrata at speed.

"I asked Nato to act as I was sure it was a plot to destroy the warships, or other ships coming into Misrata," said Makhlouf.

He was right. The loyalist naval team was carrying several floating sea mines aboard two of the dinghies, which they sank about 1.5 miles offshore, directly in the shipping lane to Misrata.

Nato said it had intercepted three mines, and disposed of them.