Libyan rebels advance on Qaddafi's home town and call for further airstrikes; Human Rights Watch reports Tripoli war crimes; Analysis: peaceful transition unlikely, Transitional Council could split; Japanese party chooses new PM; Close election in Singapore; Indian faster wins concessions; US hopes to finish off al-Qaeda; and more

Libyan Rebels hunt Qaddafi, negotiate with tribes

Libyan rebel fighters advanced toward embattled leader Muammar al-Qaddafi's hometown of Sirte, but waited on troops (al-Jazeera) to secure the capital of Tripoli before launching an assault on Qaddafi's stronghold.

Rebels have reportedly been in negotiations with tribal leaders in Sirte (BBC), but have so far failed to reach an agreement that would preclude military confrontation.

Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, the head of the rebels' National Transitional Council, said Qaddafi was still a threat while at large and called on NATO (NYT) to continue its air campaign against Qaddafi loyalists.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch said evidence indicated that Qaddafi's forces committed war crimes (WSJ) after going on a rampage of "arbitrary killing" in last week's battle for Tripoli.

Analysis

As rebels try to strengthen their hold on Tripoli, the odds of a peaceful, democratic transfer of power in Libya are long and the need for ongoing international intervention is very likely, says CFR's Robert Danin.

Fears over a split in the rebel National Transitional Council are legitimate, but there are reasons to be positive about the future, writes the Arabist's Steve Negus.

The Middle East is undergoing less a democratic revolution than a crisis in central authority, writes Robert Kaplan of the Center for New American Security in the Financial Times.

How can the Benghazi-based and European-backed NTC persuade Berbers, Islamists, southern tribesmen, and Qaddafi loyalists from the west that it is the government of all Libyans, asks James Traub in Foreign Policy.

 

PACIFIC RIM

Japanese Ruling Party Chooses New PM

Japan's governing Democratic Party elected Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda (JapanTimes) as its new leader, setting him up to succeed Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

SINGAPORE: Former deputy prime minister Tony Tan (FT) won the country's presidential election by a razor-thin margin, which could undermine the long-ruling People's Action Party.

 

ELSEWHERE:

Hazare ends fast, Indian government accepts demands

Syrian tanks surround central town

Drone kills al-Qaeda No.2, as US go for broke

 

This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org.