US in talks with rebels

A US envoy has arrived in Libya for talks with the opposition as Libyan rebels hit out at the NATO-led air mission saying that it is failing in its UN mandate to protect civilians.

The envoy, Chris Stevens, "has arrived in Benghazi and he's meeting with members of the Transitional National Council (TNC)," Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman, told reporters.

The talks will focus on humanitarian assistance as well as the council's "democratic aspirations, commitment to universal human rights," Toner said.

The meetings will help Stevens get "to know the leadership of the TNC" as well as find out "what sort of civil society, political structure they want to create," he added.

Toner confirmed that Stevens arrived in Benghazi on Tuesday, but said the move did not mark a move toward recognizing the TNC, which US officials say they need to understand better.

Nevertheless, US officials are stepping up contacts with the Libyan opposition.

NATO 'failing its UN mandate': Rebels

Libyan rebels hit out at the NATO-led air mission saying that it was failing in its UN mandate to protect civilians in the besieged third city of Misrata.

The accusation came as the rebels sustained their first significant loss of territory to Muammar Gaddafi's forces in almost a week after they were sent fleeing from the edge of the oil refinery town of Brega in a major assault.

One boost was the docking in the port of Tobruk of a one-million-barrel supertanker in readiness to load the rebels' first oil export shipment, potentially worth more than 100 million dollars (70.5 million euros).

The Libyan government meanwhile named a replacement for its former foreign minister Moussa Koussa who defected to the West last week.

The top commander of rebel forces, Abdelfatah Yunis, accused NATO-led aircraft of standing idly by while loyalist troops kept up the artillery bombardment of civilians in Misrata that they have maintained for more than 40 days.

NATO "is letting the people of Misrata die every day," Yunis told a news conference in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

"If NATO waits one more week, there will be nothing left in Misrata," he added.

"If NATO wanted to break the blockade of the city, they would have done it several days ago... Every day, civilians -- elderly people and children -- are dying in Misrata. NATO has done nothing, they have just bombed here and there."

Doctors said last week that 200 people had been killed in Misrata since the uprising began on February 17, a figure that is likely to have risen in recent days.

A Turkish aid ship brought out scores of wounded of the city at the weekend who told harrowing tales of the bombardment of residential areas by loyalist artillery.

NATO 'doing all it can to protect civilians'

But NATO's chief of allied operations, Brigadier General Mark van Uhm, said earlier Tuesday that the alliance was doing all it could to protect civilians in the city.

"Misrata is a number one priority because of the situation on the ground over there," the NATO chief of allied operations said.

"We have confirmation that in Misrata tanks are being dispersed, being hidden, (and) humans being used as shields in order to prevent NATO sorties to identify targets," he said.

Van Uhm said that the international air operation, under NATO command since late last week, had had a major impact.

"We have taken out 30 percent of military capacity of pro-Gaddafi forces," said Brigadier General Mark van Uhm, citing an assessment by the Libya operation's commander, Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard.

Gaddafi's forces pushed back rebels from the oil refinery town of Brega on the central Mediterranean coast despite a NATO air strike on loyalists who launched an intensive artillery barrage at their fleeing foes.

Heavy fighting erupted in the morning around Brega, with rebels using rocket launchers to counter the incoming artillery barrage of loyalists.

But by afternoon, the rebels were seen pulling back in hundreds of vehicles in the direction of Ajdabiya, a transport hub about 80 kilometres (50 miles) back towards their stronghold of Benghazi.

The rebels played down the loss of territory, saying it was unlikely to be the last reverse they suffered before Gaddafi's regime was overthrown.

"There is no revolution without setbacks," Mustafa Gheriani, a spokesman for the rebels' Transitional National Council told AFP.

"But the people will win. Gaddafi cannot rule Libya with his machine -- his militias and his mercenaries... We are committed to fighting this tyrant, and either we will drive him out or he will rule a country with no people in it."

Earlier the Libyan government said it was ready to negotiate reforms but only provided Muammar Gaddafi was not forced out.