by Chris Bodenner
Libyan rebels captured the Western town of al-Qawalish yesterday, an important stepping stone in the push towards Sabha, Qaddafi's supply center. But C.J. Chivers cautions against reading too much into the development:
After seizing Qawalish, the rebels did not press farther. Many of their fighters pulled back to the west in the midafternoon as Colonel Qaddafi’s soldiers shelled the village. After several ground-to-ground rockets exploded with roars that shook the town, scores of the rebels ran to their cars and trucks and sped away, leaving behind what appeared to be a holding force. As the main body of rebels backed up, firing weapons in the air triumphantly, their behavior in the fight reflected the mix of enthusiasm, inexperience and poor state of equipment that has defined the anti-Qaddafi forces throughout Libya for much of the war.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera tracks the negotiations surrounding Qaddafi's exit, suggesting that France might help the dictator avoid the ICC warrant if he agreed to step down.
The Dish 