Rebels swear Gaddafi's end is nigh

The Libyan rebels report that they have pushed forward into another strategically important city not far from Tripoli, claiming that dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi's regime is on the brink of collapse. All this optimism reeks of propaganda, writes the liberal daily The Irish Times: "But a push into Tripoli is a challenge of an altogether different order. Its narrow streets will be easy to defend, the fight prolonged and bloody, not least because, reports suggest, Gaddafi still has considerable support in the city. The Nato air support which has been so crucial to the rebel gains will be of relatively little use. And so, despite rhetoric about pushing on to the capital, the likelihood is that the rebels will be reluctant to engage in a full onslaught, preferring to encircle and choke the city in the hope the government will collapse or an uprising in the city can be provoked. A prolonged siege will also require an extension of the Nato mandate for air support, due to be renewed in September. It is to be hoped this will be forthcoming."

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