"All those who violate international humanitarian and human rights law will be held fully accountable"

On the sixth day of western coalition raids against embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, blasts and anti-aircraft fire rattled the Libyan capital and a British officer said Libya's air force was mostly obliterated.
  
The raids appear set to continue for the forseeable future with France hailing the success of the operation while British Air Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell claimed Libya's air force had been almost totally obliterated and "no longer exists as a fighting force."

The official JANA news agency said western coalition raids on Tajura killed "a large number" of civilians. Tajura was struck three times, the agency said, adding the third raid "targeted rescuers who were trying to remove the dead and wounded from the rubble and the destruction caused by the first two raids."

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told RTL radio the strikes were a "success" and would "continue as long as necessary" and denied reports that the airstrikes had killed civilians, saying "it is the exact opposite." Juppe also indicated that France, which has so far blocked calls from the United States and much of the West to place responsibility for the campaign in the hands of NATO, was now in favour of handing over responsibility for implementing a UN-approved "no-fly" zone to the alliance.
  
France has insisted on a committee of coalition countries so as not to alienate Arab states, while Italy has demanded a single command under NATO.

A British submarine launched a fresh salvo of Tomahawk missiles at Libyan air defense systems, Major General John Lorimer, the spokesman for the chief of defense staff, said, but gave no details about the targets or the result of the strikes.
  
    US officials are also openly speculating whether the continued pressure will force Gaddafi out of power after four decades in control.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said during a visit to Egypt that mounting pressure on Gaddafi's regime could encourage his associates or even members of his family to turn on him.

US President Barack Obama has insisted Gaddafi must step down, and US officials hinted that members of Gaddafi's inner circle were reaching out to find a way out of the crisis.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon again urged all sides in Libya to cease fire as the Security Council prepared to meet on Thursday, a week after clearing the way for action against Gaddafi. "All those who violate international humanitarian and human rights law will be held fully accountable," Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said, mentioning attacks on Misrata and Zintan, also in the west.