Diplomats discuss Libya, Misurata shelled

TRIPOLI, Libya, April 14 (UPI) -- As Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi digs in, Western allies must be unified in their response to the crisis, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday.

At a two-day summit of NATO nations in Berlin, U.S. officials played down divisions among allies, saying they would work toward bridging those gaps, The Washington Post reported.

Since NATO took over the Libyan operations from the United States, complaints have risen within the coalition and among Libyan rebels who say airstrikes should be increased and that NATO should work more directly with the opposition to oust Gadhafi.

U.S. officials, however, have pushed back against the demands.

"If the commanders feel they need more capability, the commanders will ask for more capability. That's not what they are doing so far," a senior U.S. administration official told the Post. NATO commanders "seem satisfied with pace of the operation and we're satisfied."

In fact, NATO commanders did seek "more capability," specifically equipment to conduct precision attacks on ground forces, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

"Our requirements change with the situation on the ground as the tactics of the regime forces change," Rasmussen said.

"We had great initial success bombing Gadhafi's tanks, but we're encountering problems now that he's moving his heavy armor closer to civilian populations," a Western diplomat said.

In Libya, besieged city of Misurata was rocked again by rocket and artillery fire as troops loyal to Gadhafi stepped up their attacks on the only opposition foothold left in western Libya, forcing the city's port to close, residents said.

Shelling in Misurata prevented boats loaded with medicine and other supplies from docking, said port authority officials in Benghazi, the rebels' headquarters.

Doctors reported Misurata's hospitals were filled beyond capacity Thursday, with at least 13 dead and 50 wounded in the latest attacks, the Post said

In Berlin, Clinton outlined the U.S position on what must be done in Libya now, including better coordination between NATO commanders and rebel forces and stepping up international pressure on Gadhafi.

"To be legitimate, any process will have to reject extremism and include a broad representation of Libyan tribes, groups and people," Clinton said.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, who has been sharply critical of other NATO allies, said the allies have the same objective -- "to allow the Libyan people to enjoy democratic freedom."