Gaining the Upper Hand; Libyan Fighting
JOHN KING, HOST: Thanks, Wolf. And good evening everyone. The sound of artillery fire was a constant in key contested cities across Libya today as the regime of Moammar Gadhafi mounts a determined effort to reassert its grip. Let's take a close look at some of the fighting. The most violent fighting out here along the coast to the east -- look at this scene playing out in Bin Jawad (ph). Rebel forces trying to hold off the government here and you watch as it plays out and it's just dramatic. Shoulder-held there -- shoulder-held rocket propelled grenade here. You see that play out there. Now watch as we play this out a bit further. You'll see artillery fire right here off the back of the truck here, surface-to-air missiles going up to shoot. The Libyan government obviously trying to use its air advantage here -- that in Bin Jawad (ph) to the east and look at this scene as well in Ras Lanuf. Again, this is an opposition held town. See those flames. That is a giant fuel storage tanker. It blew up. The Libyan government saying that damage was called by forces loyal to al Qaeda. People on the ground saying it was blown up as part of the gunfire as the opposition forces tried to keep hold of that town under a regime offensive. And with the NATO allies planning a meeting Thursday to discuss military options there is little doubt the regime is rushing, rushing to make the most of its superior firepower. Also no doubt the regime is aggressively targeting opposition leaders. On State TV today, a half million Libyan Dinar (ph) bounty -- that's about $410,000 for the capture of Mustafa Mohammed Abdul-Jalil (ph). He is an opposition leader and in a moment an exclusive CNN interview with Abdul-Jalil who says international help must come now immediately he says before the rebels are overwhelmed. But first the latest on the battle for control of key oil and gas cities all along the northern coast of Libya, these strategic towns right here. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson in Tripoli tonight -- Nic, if you look at Libyan State TV the regime is suggesting that it has retaken Zawiya. What is the balance of power? Is the regime gaining the upper hand?</s>NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It seems to be. The demonstrations of the pro-government demonstrations we're seeing on the state television tonight did appear to be live. They came at dusk. They were on the outskirts of Zawiya</s>KING: And as this plays out and we focus town by town on the situation on the ground, the regime obviously is aware there is a big NATO meeting coming up on Thursday. Do you get any sense from their public statements from what they're saying on Libyan TV what the ministers are telling you about -- is there any sense of trepidation that the dynamic internationally is about to change or do they think they will be largely as they have been so far left alone?</s>ROBERTSON: Oh, they're hugely worried. One official told me</s>KING: And we just talked about Zawiya. When you look at the map where would you look to next in the next 24 to 48 hours beyond Zawiya to get a sense of how aggressive and how successful the regime is being in retaking lost ground?</s>ROBERTSON: If they can retake Mesrata by their own judgment that will be another good fact. I think they feel that time is on their side there, again, because they don't need to use air power there. Where they really need to focus their battle and put their energies in is the places where they need to use air power and that's in the east against the rebels to retake Brega, to retake Ras Lanuf.</s>KING: Nic Robertson for us in Tripoli -- Nic, thanks. And as Nic mentioned</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, what we saw, John today was a massive artillery and rocket barrage from the Libyan forces on to the opposition. It went on for about an hour and a half. It was including air strikes, artillery barrages, rockets and other weapons and, of course, what happened was -- and we're not quite sure what hit it but an oil storage tank caught on fire. That seemed to spread through the entire refinery area causing this huge plume of black smoke to go into the sky, one of the tanks after another exploded. You saw these huge balls of flames going up and that was really just part of the battle that was going on between Ras Lanuf and Bin Jawad (ph), which is a town that the Libyan forces currently hold. It does appear that the rebels in Ras Lanuf are under extreme pressure from the government, what we're seeing is that their shortcomings in terms of organization, in terms of military experience, in terms of command and control are becoming blaringly apparent. We have seen they're sending more and more reinforcements to try to bolster the defenses of the town but it appears that that offensive we were reporting on just a few days ago by the opposition forces has come to a halt and now there's the definite possibility that the forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi could start pushing in the opposite direction -- John.</s>KING: And to that point, Ben, you mentioned shortages of weaponry, obviously shortage of training, you have these people just brought together, put together almost ragtag to do this. Is there a sense even among the anti-Gadhafi forces that in a lengthy war of attrition the colonel would have the upper hand?</s>WEDEMAN: Well, certainly they've met quite readily, that in terms of armaments they are at a distinct disadvantage. We've seen the tanks, the artillery, the aircraft, the helicopters in action from the other side. On this side they say that their biggest weapon, of course, is their determination, their will, their spirit to push on and, of course, many of them say they have Allah, God on their side as well. But when it comes, you know, push comes to shove and those shells start raining in, you start to see the rebels really rushing off in the opposite direction because they realize they are doomed if they keep their positions. Now, this evening as we were leaving Ras Lanuf, we did see significant reinforcements coming to join the opposition forces. Multiple rocket launchers, truck after truck with anti-aircraft guns, heavy machine guns, so I think it does appear that they've come to the realization that this anarchic system of warfare that they followed until now isn't really working that they need to bolster their defenses, organize their defenses, get their men sort of trained to an extent that they can put up a real fight instead of the sort of wild rushes to the front and then wild rushes back as they realize that they've run into sort of a wall of fire -- John.</s>KING: Ben Wedeman for us -- Ben, thanks. And as it struggles to hold its ground the opposition is also trying to organize itself politically. Former Gadhafi Justice Minister Mustafa Mohammed Abdul-Jalil (ph) is the head of what the opposition called its emerging transitional government. He talked exclusively with CNN's Arwa Damon today.</s>ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What happens if the international community is not able to take action, if they deliberate for another week or two?</s>MUSTAFA ABDUL-JALIL, HEAD OF TRANSITIONAL LIBYAN GOVT. (through translator): Has to be immediate action. The longer the situation carries on, the more blood is shed. That's the message that we want to send to the international community. They have to live up to their responsibility with regards to this.</s>KING: Arwa is with us live now from Benghazi and, Arwa, it is clear the sense of urgency there, the new head, Mr. Abdul-Jalil there of the transitional government seems to be saying our days are numbered if we don't get help.</s>DAMON: John that pretty much is the reality here. As we just heard Ben Wedeman there reporting, the opposition is increasingly struggling in the face of this onslaught coming from the air and from the ground by pro-Gadhafi elements. There is the realization that no matter how much will and determination these opposition fighters have realistically speaking, militarily speaking they cannot out-battle, outgun Gadhafi's forces. At this point in time, the opposition firmly believes that the international community has to make a choice. This is not the time to debate whether or not they should be getting involved in Libya. It is not the time to make the point that these are Libyan internal affairs. The international community has to choose which side of this conflict it is going to fall on and by many people's perspective here if they do choose inaction or if they delay their action they're going to have just as much blood on their hands as Gadhafi does -- John.</s>KING: And you're talking there globally about the international community. You also had a very specific conversation about the role of the United States. Let's listen to that exchange.</s>DAMON: What sort of communications have you had with the White House?</s>MUSTAFA ABDUL-JALIL (through translator): We sent a written message to President Obama that reached his office a week ago and we contacted the former ambassador with our requests, but there has been no real result. We received a message that they are working on a United Nations resolution.</s>DAMON: Do you think the U.S. is being aggressive enough?</s>MUSTAFA ABDUL-JALIL (through translator): We expect more. The White House and the international community have the means to put an end to what the Libyan people are going through.</s>KING: They have the means without a doubt, I think, Arwa. The question is do they have the will or do they see the national security interest. Again, you get a sense of frustration that not only are they not getting action right away, it doesn't seem like they're even getting communication back as fast as they would like.</s>DAMON: Yes, John, and it's been very frustrating for people here who really fail to understand how it is that the U.S. and other global leaders are not putting together some sort of a cohesive plan. It's almost as if the U.S. and the international community is debating its own political interests instead of realizing the fact that we're talking about people's lives being at stake. Libyan opposition leaders, everybody here in the opposition held part of the country feel as if a price tag is being put on their very lives, that what is being debated as the cost of implementing a no-fly zone or as a potential global repercussions there could be. They're very aware of the debate going on in the United States as to whether or not American involvement would be viewed as just another U.S. invasion into an Arab country and they say that this is all irrelevant right now. What we're talking about is the United States global leaders' responsibility on a humanitarian basis they say to put an end to a man who obviously has no qualms about massacring his people and the issue is that the longer this goes on, the stronger it appears Colonel Gadhafi's forces become, the greater at risk the opposition is and this is not a man. Gadhafi is not a man who is known to have shown mercy for his opponents -- John.</s>KING: Fascinating reporting under difficult circumstances, Arwa Damon, thanks so much. We'll keep in touch. And here in Washington Republican Senator John McCain urged the Obama administration to recognize that transitional government led by Abdul- Jalil as Libya's legitimate leadership. Senator McCain also repeated his call for swift U.S. and NATO military steps.</s>SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: If this is our policy that Gadhafi must go, then it seems to me some action needs to be taken, for example, a cutting off their -- jamming their communications, jamming their television capability.</s>KING: The White House though remains reluctant to use military force but Thursday's NATO meeting in Brussels will consider potential options from tightening an arms embargo to imposing a no-fly zone over Libya. And the nuts and bolts and the risk of a U.S. and NATO military intervention that's --</s>KING: -- how it would work and how it could change the balance of power in Libya's civil war.