Guernica by Picasso

According to NATO’s own figures, Sirte has been bombed with 340 “key hits” from 25th August to 16th September. (we have been tracking the official NATO numbers in War: what is it good for – absolutely nothing.)

According to the NATO operational update for 16th and 17th September:

Key Hits 16 SEPTEMBER: In the vicinity of Sirte: 5 Command and Controle Nodes, 3 Radar Systems, 4 Armed Vehicles, 8 Air Missile Systems.

Key Hits 17 SEPTEMBER:

 In the vicinity of Sirte: 2 Command and Control Nodes, 4 Multiple Rocket Launchers, 1 Armed Vehicle, 4 Surface to Air Missile Systems.

Moussa Ibrahim, in a call from a satellite phone to Reuters office in Tunis on Saturday 17th September, said:

“NATO attacked the city of Sirte last night with more than 30 rockets directed at the city’s main hotel and the Tamin building, which consists of more than 90 residential flats.

“The result is more than 354 dead and 89 still missing and almost 700 injured in one night.”

“In the last 17 days more than 2,000 residents of the city of Sirte were killed in NATO air strikes.”

NATO spokesman response: We are aware of these allegations,” Colonel Roland Lavoie, spokesman for the Western military alliance, said in Brussels. “It is not the first time such allegations have been made. Most often, they are revealed to be unfounded or inconclusive.”

It has not been released how many tons of bombs the NATO bombers have dropped in the vicinity of Sirte during this conflict, but it probably exceeds the 40 tons dropped by the Condor Legion on Guernica.

The League of Nations was entirely ineffective in defending civilian areas from being bombed during the Spanish Civil War and it remains to be seen if the United Nations will prove any better in this conflict.

Evidence of damage to civilian buildings in Sirte:

And more…

Reported bombing of SIRT local radio station 17/09/2011:

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