WEBVTT 00:04.540 --> 00:07.890 and is a very encouraging sign in 00:07.890 --> 00:10.340 Tripoli . NATO continues to target 00:10.350 --> 00:12.420 command and control nodes and other 00:12.420 --> 00:14.840 sites involved in the coordination or 00:14.840 --> 00:17.490 logistical supply of pro Gaddafi forces 00:17.940 --> 00:19.607 which are actively engaged in 00:19.607 --> 00:21.950 threatening or harming the civilian 00:21.950 --> 00:25.760 population . Today , I would like to 00:25.760 --> 00:29.180 focus and clarify three separate 00:29.190 --> 00:31.320 incidents relating to NATO airstrikes 00:31.320 --> 00:33.780 conducted between last friday and the 00:33.780 --> 00:37.080 early hours of monday morning . I'd 00:37.080 --> 00:39.136 like to reiterate the facts of these 00:39.136 --> 00:42.390 three and as I said , separate events . 00:43.640 --> 00:45.980 Firstly , the strike on friday in the 00:45.980 --> 00:49.390 area of brega NATO can confirm that on 00:49.390 --> 00:52.330 friday in the area of brega NATO hit a 00:52.330 --> 00:54.700 column of military vehicles which was 00:54.700 --> 00:56.790 observed in the area where Gaddafi 00:56.790 --> 01:00.310 forces had recently been operating in a 01:00.310 --> 01:02.421 particularly complex and fluid battle 01:02.421 --> 01:04.720 scenario . These vehicles were assessed 01:04.730 --> 01:06.619 as a threat to civilians and were 01:06.619 --> 01:10.610 engaged by NATO aircraft . NATO 01:10.620 --> 01:12.398 subsequently confirmed that the 01:12.398 --> 01:14.453 vehicles were hit that were hit were 01:14.453 --> 01:16.970 part of an opposition patrol . We 01:16.970 --> 01:19.140 regret any injuries caused by this 01:19.140 --> 01:22.250 unfortunate incident . That's the first 01:22.250 --> 01:25.050 incident and was on Friday 17 June . 01:26.620 --> 01:28.880 The second incident on sunday morning 01:28.890 --> 01:31.160 involved a weapon malfunction , which 01:31.160 --> 01:33.470 reportedly caused civilian casualties . 01:34.940 --> 01:37.760 On Sunday morning 19 June , we targeted 01:37.760 --> 01:40.200 a military missile site in Tripoli with 01:40.200 --> 01:42.870 a number of precision guided weapons . 01:43.940 --> 01:46.220 Our review of the strike had indicated 01:46.230 --> 01:48.119 that during the course of the air 01:48.119 --> 01:49.841 strike on the missile site , a 01:49.841 --> 01:51.674 potential weapons system failure 01:51.674 --> 01:54.280 occurred and this caused the weapon not 01:54.280 --> 01:56.550 to hit the intended target and 01:56.550 --> 01:58.494 reportedly resulted in a number of 01:58.494 --> 02:02.090 civilian casualties . We can still not 02:02.090 --> 02:03.979 confirmed that the site where our 02:03.979 --> 02:06.940 weapon landed was in fact the site that 02:06.940 --> 02:09.430 was shown on the media , but the site 02:09.440 --> 02:11.960 is very likely to be that failed weapon 02:12.440 --> 02:14.600 and is likely to have been caused by 02:14.600 --> 02:18.580 that weapons malfunction . NATO 02:18.580 --> 02:20.747 regrets the loss of innocent civilians 02:21.140 --> 02:23.251 and we continue to take great care in 02:23.251 --> 02:25.790 planning and conducting our air strikes . 02:27.640 --> 02:29.920 The third incident is the NATO strike 02:29.920 --> 02:32.470 yesterday on june the 20th on a 02:32.470 --> 02:34.660 Commander Control node in Simone , 02:35.640 --> 02:38.880 which is west of Tripoli . In the early 02:38.880 --> 02:41.047 hours of monday morning , NATO carried 02:41.047 --> 02:43.710 out a precision strike using precision 02:43.710 --> 02:46.400 guided weapons on a highly significant 02:46.400 --> 02:48.456 Commander control node in the Simone 02:48.456 --> 02:52.300 area near Zawiya . The 02:52.300 --> 02:54.580 facility was directly involved in 02:54.580 --> 02:57.040 coordinating systematic attacks on the 02:57.040 --> 02:59.380 libyan people and was identified 02:59.380 --> 03:01.710 through rigorous analysis based on 03:01.710 --> 03:04.220 persistent intelligence surveillance , 03:04.230 --> 03:06.452 reconnaissance and this was carried out 03:06.452 --> 03:09.950 over a prolonged period of time . NATO 03:09.950 --> 03:11.839 is aware of allegations that this 03:11.839 --> 03:14.210 strike caused casualties . That is 03:14.210 --> 03:16.099 something we cannot independently 03:16.099 --> 03:18.720 verify . But I say again , this was a 03:18.720 --> 03:21.620 legitimate military target . A high 03:21.620 --> 03:24.410 value command and Control node used to 03:24.410 --> 03:26.650 coordinate attacks against civilians . 03:27.540 --> 03:29.707 We observed the sight over a prolonged 03:29.707 --> 03:31.762 period of time before conducting the 03:31.762 --> 03:33.929 precision strike , which minimized any 03:33.929 --> 03:36.120 potential risk of causing unnecessary 03:36.120 --> 03:38.610 casualties . Slide please , 03:41.140 --> 03:43.810 okay , this slide shows the area where 03:43.810 --> 03:45.921 we were taking this Commander Control 03:45.921 --> 03:48.600 strike on the left hand side . You can 03:48.600 --> 03:50.544 see in amongst what looks like the 03:50.544 --> 03:52.560 trees , the rubble of a commander 03:52.560 --> 03:55.420 control center to the right and to the 03:55.420 --> 03:57.630 top you can see a very significant 03:57.630 --> 04:01.010 large mosque just south of that mosque . 04:01.400 --> 04:03.456 There is an area where you can see a 04:03.460 --> 04:05.460 aerial tower and that was the 04:05.460 --> 04:08.160 communications facility built and 04:08.160 --> 04:11.970 placed directly next to a mosque just 04:11.970 --> 04:14.248 south of that . You can see the school . 04:14.300 --> 04:16.520 This is a local school for Children 04:16.800 --> 04:20.250 right in amongst this area . Next slide , 04:20.250 --> 04:24.160 please . The target that 04:24.160 --> 04:27.350 we hit was a command and control node . 04:27.830 --> 04:30.760 This picture clearly shows a building 04:31.340 --> 04:33.562 on top of that building , which you saw 04:33.562 --> 04:35.673 in the previous slide are a number of 04:35.673 --> 04:39.380 white dots . Those 17 dots are 04:39.380 --> 04:42.040 satellite dishes , some of which are 04:42.040 --> 04:45.820 approximately three m wide . I ask how 04:45.820 --> 04:48.420 many buildings require 17 satellite 04:48.420 --> 04:50.420 dishes . If they're not a commander 04:50.420 --> 04:53.020 control communications facility . Next 04:53.020 --> 04:56.620 slide please . This 04:56.620 --> 04:59.960 slide shows that same area after NATO 04:59.960 --> 05:03.860 strikes . It is no longer a command 05:03.860 --> 05:04.200 and control .