Libya on the Brink? Reports of Defections From Libyan Military As Ghadffi Orders Crackdown on Protestors

Reuters is reporting that two Libyan Air Force colonels fled the country on Monday after disobeying orders to bomb antigovernment protestors. The Maltese Foreign Ministry confirmed that two single-seat Mirage F1 fighters from the Libyan Air Force landed at the island country's international airport outside the capital of Valetta. Upon disembarking, the pilots then identified themselves and requested asylum according to local news reports.

The asylum request came amid reports of Libyan soldiers siding with antigovernment demonstrators in Libya's 2nd largest city of Benghazi and the capture of African mercenaries flown in by the Ghdaffi regime. On Sunday afternoon, Libyan security forces loyal to Ghdaffi and mercenaries opened fire on a funeral procession for demonstrators killed in earlier clashes in Benghazi.

Libyan military jets have reportedly begun indiscriminate aerial bombardment of targets in Tripoli and Benghazi. In the capitol of Tripoli, the Austrian Army is reporting that the airspace over the city is closed after sending a C-130 transport as far as Malta to evacuate European nationals from Libya. However, the attempt was delayed upon finding that only a handful of European nationals were able to reach the airport at Tripoli.

Libyan leader Mummar Ghdaffi appeared briefly on TV Monday to quell rumors that he had fled to Venezuela. Communications in and out of Libya appear to have been cut, including mobile phones and social networking sites like Facebook. Foreign journalists have also been banned from Libya, although even prior to the unrest in that country, the movement and activities of foreign reporters were tightly controlled and monitored by the Ghdaffi regime.

The following is a capsulized version of developments in Libya in the last week or so:

Feb. 15-16:

- Police in Benghazi use force to disperse a sit-in protesting against the regime.

- Protesters demand the release of a lawyer representing the families of 1,000 prisoners gunned down in a Tripoli prison in 1996.

- At least two protesters reported killed by security forces in Al-Baida.

Feb. 17:

- Eight reported killed in clashes between demonstrators and security forces; calls go out on Facebook to turn the day into A Day of Rage against Gadhafi's regime.

- At Zenten several people arrested and a police station and public building torched.

- Feb. 18: Death toll is estimated to pass 40. Clashes reported in the east, notably Benghazi, where a radio station was burned down.

- The "Islamic Emirate of Barqa" hangs two policemen trying to disperse the crowd.

- Social-networking site Facebook blocked in Tripoli.

Feb. 19:

- Death toll passes 80, says Human Rights Watch (HRW).

- At least 12 reported killed as the army fires on a Benghazi crowd storming a barracks.

- Clashes spread to Misrati. Feb. 20:

- HRW says the death toll is at least 223; a hospital official is quoted saying it is 200.

- Authorities arrest dozens of Arab nationals from a "network" they say aims to destabilize Libya.

- Witnesses in Benghazi say Libyan security forces backed by "African mercenaries" have been shooting at crowds "without discrimination."

- Dozens of lawyers join a sit-in outside a Tripoli court, protesting against repression.

- Libya warns European Union president Hungary's ambassador to Tripoli that the bloc must stop fanning pro-democracy protests if Libya is to continue to co-operate against illegal immigration.

- Attempt by saboteurs to set fire to oil wells is foiled.

[Hat tip: Pundit Press]