US, French and British warplanes continued to strike targets in Libya March 21—including Qaddafi's central compound, sparking accusations that Allied forces are trying to kill the Libyan leader. This was denied by the Pentagon, but Hillary Clinton stated: "We will continue to work with our partners in the international community to press Qaddafi to leave, and to support the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people." There were rumors that Qaddafi had been killed; he spoke the day before the strike to pledge resistance to the Allies' "naked aggression," but hasn't been heard from since. The Libyan military announced a ceasefire, but this was met by skepticism. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: "I sincerely hope and urge the Libyan authorities to keep their word. They have been continuing to attack the civilian population." Rebel fighters trying to retake the eastern town of Ajdabiya said they were driven back by rocket and tank fire from government loyalists still controlling approaches to the city. Fighting was also reported from Misurata, the last western city held by the rebels.

As the West intervenes in Libya, protest and repression continue to escalate throughout the Arab world. On March 20, lawmakers in Bahrain called on King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to declare a state of emergency and invoke martial law after 5,000 protesters marched to demand an end to the monarchy. In Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh declared a state of emergency throughout the country March 18—one day after a massacre of protesters in the capital, Sanaa. The state of emergency will last 30 days and gives security forces greater powers to maintain order. Saleh stated that a "committee of neutral bodies" will investigate the massacre and called those killed during the protest "martyrs of democracy." (Jurist, March 19)

The international operation to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya "has been successful," top US military commander Michael Mullen said March 20. "They are no longer marching on Benghazi," Mullen, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told ABC News. Meanwhile, the Arab League secretary general, Amr Moussa, protested the air-strikes against Libya, saying he would call a league meeting to reconsider Arab approval of the Western military intervention. "What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone," he said. "And what we want is the protection of civilians and not the shelling of more civilians." (Middle East Online, WP, March 20)

Republicans going in for the kill on public radio were notoriously dealt a coup by the secretly taped sting interview given by NPR top fundraiser Ronald Schiller to undercover conservatives posing as potential donors from a non-existent Muslim group. Both Ronald and NPR executive Vivian Schiller (no relation) stepped down in the aftermath—part of an almost uniformly craven response on the part of public broadcasters and liberals in general. Those who aren't retreating are merely crying foul. Among lefty commentators, Jason Linkins on Huffington Post March 14 charges that "deceptive editing" made Ron Schiller's comments seem worse than they really were. That strikes us as somewhat beside the point. It would also be a little beside the point to complain about how widespread this game of "gotcha" has become (the left having pulled off similar stings of Scott Walker and Sarah Palin), and the effect this is having on our intellectual climate—although it is pretty funny to watch right-wing websites and left-wing websites each complaining that the "biased" media are giving coverage to the other side's stings at the expense of their own. But there are some far more serious points here that nobody seems to get.

Following opening French air-strikes near Benghazi, US and British warships launched more than 110 Tomahawk missiles at defense facilities along the Libyan coast. The strikes targeted specifically surface-to-air missile sites and radar detectors that are part of the Libyan military's air defense infrastructure, said Vice Admiral William E. Gortney, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command. The campaign, code-named Operation Odyssey Dawn is being co-ordinated at a US headquarters in Germany. In a brief statement, Qaddafi pledged resistance to the "colonial crusader" attacks. (LAT, BBC News, March 19)

France has launched military strikes on Libyan tanks advancing on rebel-held Benghazi, Paris announced March 19. After an international meeting on the situation in Libya at Elysee Palace, President Nicolas Sarkozy said: "At unity with our partners our air forces will counteract any attacks from Col. Qaddafi planes on the residents of Benghazi. Other French aircraft are ready to countervail against armored vehicles which may threaten civilians." The French air-strikes on Qaddafi's forces came just as Qaddafi's planes carried out their first air-strikes on Benghazi, sending thousands of residents fleeing the city. The highway to al-Bayda, the next town to the east, is reported to be clogged with cars packed with families fleeing Benghazi. (APA, BBC News, AP, AGI, March 19)

The shelling of a market in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on March 17, which killed at least 25 people and wounded 40, may be a crime against humanity, the United Nations says. The UN blamed forces loyal to the incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo, whose refusal to cede power set off the crisis. The market was in the suburb of Abobo, a stronghold of Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner of the Nov. 28 presidential race. “Such an act, perpetrated against civilians, could constitute a crime against humanity,” the UN said in a statement. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council to “take further measures with regard to the Ivorian individuals who are instigating, orchestrating and committing the violence."

Reports from Syria say at least five were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in the city of Deraa on March 18. Video footage posted on various websites shows large crowds said to be in Deraa chanting "God, Syria, Freedom" and other anti-corruption slogans. Reports from the city say authorities responded with waters cannon and live fire. The official SANA news agency said "infiltrators" had mingled with crowds of Friday worshipers, "to create chaos and unrest," setting cars and shops on fire—thereby obliging security forces to intervene "to protect citizens and their properties." Large protests are also reported from the cities of Homs and Baniyas, and security forces reportedly broke up a demonstration after Friday prayers in the main mosque in Damascus. (Haaretz, BBC News, SANA, March 18)