TRIPOLI: Muammar Gaddafi's forces attacked two western towns, killing dozens while rebels were pinned down in the east. With anti-Gaddafi rebels struggling to create a command structure than can capitalize on the airstrikes against Libyan tanks and air defenses, Western nations have still to decide who will take over command once Washington pulls back. The United States will cede control in days, President Barack Obama said, even as divisions in Europe fueled speculation that Washington would be forced to retain leadership of air patrols that will replace the initial bombardment. “We anticipate this transition to take place in a matter of days and not in a matter of weeks,” Obama, facing questions at home about the US military getting bogged down in a third Muslim country, told a news conference on a visit to Chile. In the first apparent air force casualty of the campaign, a US F-15E crashed in Libya Monday night and its two crew members were rescued, the US military said. NATO officials resumed talks in Brussels after failing to reach agreement at heated talks Monday. A NATO role would require political support from all the 28 states. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is a NATO member, said Tuesday that the UN should be the umbrella for a solely humanitarian operation in Libya. In a speech in parliament Erdogan said: “Turkey will never ever be a side pointing weapons at the Libyan people.”
