Qaddafi Vows 'Long War'; Two Saved From Rubble in Japan; Wyclef Jean Shot in Haiti

By Rosie Gray Sun., Mar. 20 2011 at 9:14 AM

Categories: Haiti, Important Things, International News, Japan, Libya, Link Dump, Military, Rosie Gray, War

A Libyan jet crashes in Benghazi. NYT via Patrick Baz/AFP

The U.N.-sanctioned allied attack on Libyan targets continues today as Muammar Qaddafi promises a "long war," telling state television that "We will not leave our land and we will liberate it." U.S., French, and British forces began air strikes yesterday, reportedly destroying one of Qaddafi's convoys in eastern Libya. The New York Times is reporting that American B-2 bombers have struck a major Libyan airfield. The coalition is targeting Libya's air defense systems near the capital of Tripoli. Rebel-controlled Benghazi was quieter today after yesterday's heavy fighting that led thousands of people to flee. Interestingly, Operation Odyssey Dawn (that's what they're calling it) coincides almost to the day with the beginning of the war in Iraq eight years ago. [LA Times, NYT, CNN]

Meanwhile in Japan, the official death toll has climbed to 8,277. On a more hopeful note, an 80-year-old woman and her teenage grandson have been rescued nine days after the quake from their destroyed house. The boy was able to pull himself out and lead rescuers to his grandmother. [MSNBC]

As for Japan's nuclear situation, the battle to cool down reactors at Fukushima Daiichi has begun to succeed. But officials say there is mounting pressure in reactor number 3, and they may have to release gas in order to relieve pressure in the containment vessel. Authorities have evacuated about 200,000 people from a 12-mile area surrounding the plant. The government will decide tomorrow whether to ban the sale of food produced near the plant, as testing of milk and spinach from that area turned up abnormally high levels of radiation. [CNN]

Al Jazeera explains what assets the different players in Oddysey Dawn are bringing to the operation (by the way, their Libya liveblog is very useful):

[Al Jazeera]

Wyclef Jean was shot in the hand yesterday in Haiti on the eve of that country's presidential elections today. He wasn't seriously hurt -- apparently it just grazed him. Wyclef is fine, but how will Haiti do? So far, the elections are going relatively well, or at least they haven't descended into chaos like November's elections. [WSJ, Miami Herald]

An elderly Brooklyn woman was attacked by two Rottweilers while walking through Prospect Park yesterday morning. She was injured on the hands and face but is okay. [NYP]

[rgray@villagevoice.com] [@_rosiegray]

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