Two Libyan Air Force Colonels Refuse to Launch Air Strikes on Civilians, Land Jets in Malta
February 22nd, 2011Via: Reuters:
Two Libyan Air Force fighter pilots defected on Monday and flew their jets to Malta where they told authorities they had been ordered to bomb protesters, Maltese government officials said.
They said the two pilots, both colonels, took off from a base near Tripoli. One of them has requested political asylum.
The pilots are being questioned by the Maltese police.
The two said they decided to fly to Malta after being ordered to bomb anti-government protesters in Libya’s second largest city of Benghazi, the sources said.