Libyan pilot refuses orders to bomb city

A Libyan air force jet has reportedly crashed near Benghazi after its crew bailed out after refusing to bomb the city. According to Libya’s Quryna newspaper quoting a military source, the two pilots landed safely by parachute some 160 kilometres from the city.

Benghazi and most of eastern Libya have not been under government control since the start of an uprising against leader Muammar Gaddafi last week.

Euronews spoke to an eyewitness in Benghazi who asked to keep his identity secret.

“There have been air raids around Benghazi but they only targeted empty locations. They didn’t attack the military base, for example, but an empty mine field close to the base,” he told us on the telephone.

“After Gaddafi’s speech yesterday, we were slightly afraid, because he’s capable of anything,” said the eyewitness.

“If he regains control of Libya he would be prepared to kill, he would even use chemical weapons against his people. We’ve known him a long time, we know how he thinks, he is sick and we know that he suffers from megalomania.”

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