Libyans gather for funeral of alleged victims of airstrike

    0
    37


    Haas on Libya: ‘Extraordinarily messy’

    STORY HIGHLIGHTS

    • Funerals were held in Tripoli for 13 people the government says were killed in coalition airstrikes
    • Coaliation leaders insist there have been no civilian casualtues so far in aerial war
    • State television has labelled the airstrikes as “crusader colonial aggression”

    Tripoli, Libya (CNN) — Libyans gathered Thursday in the capital for the funerals of 13 people who Moammar Gadhafi’s government said were victims of a coalition airstrike.

    The government showed footage of the airstrike on state television and said 16 people had been killed. Coalition leaders have said repeatedly that coalition jets have dropped precision bombs on military targets and there have been no civilian casualties so far in the aerial war.

    CNN could not independently verify the circumstances of the deaths or who the victims were. Regardless, Gadhafi’s message was loud and clear: innocent people were wrongly killed and the Libyan people will fight back against what state television called “crusader colonial aggression.”


    Part of complete coverage on

    Find up-to-the-minute updates on the situation in Libya with CNN’s This Just In blog.

    Follow CNN correspondents on the ground as they report on conflict in the Arab world.

    Peter Bergen warns against comparing U.S. involvement in two different conflicts.

    Are you in the Middle East or North Africa? Send iReport your images. Don’t do anything that could put you at risk.

    Tunisian Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire — and kick-starting uprisings in the Arab world.

    President Obama talks about Libya objectives during a press conference in Chile.

    Foreign policy expert James Rubin looks at President Obama’s options.

    For full coverage in Arabic of events in North Africa and the Middle East, head to CNN Arabic.

    Go here to read the rest:
    Libyans gather for funeral of alleged victims of airstrike