Gadhafi Down One Foreign Minister

Wednesday was a day of mixed results for embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. On the one hand, despite pesky President Obama’s ominous words from the day before, troops loyal to Gadhafi made some gains against rebel forces. On the other, the Libyan foreign minister ditched his job and his country and hoofed it to London. –KA

Bloomberg Businessweek:

Troops loyal to Muammar Qaddafi forced Libyan rebels to retreat as the U.S. and U.K. said they would consider arming opposition forces and Libya’s foreign minister resigned and flew to London.

Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa quit Qaddafi’s government, according to a statement from the U.K. foreign office. “He traveled here under his own free will. He has told us that he is resigning his post,” the statement said.

The rebels, after advancing toward Qaddafi’s hometown of Sirte, withdrew in the face of artillery and rocket attacks as pro-Qaddafi forces retook control of the oil port of Ras Lanuf. The BBC and New York Times, citing reporters near the Libyan front line, said yesterday rebels were streaming away from Brega and heading northeast, back toward Ajdabiya.

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