Tobruk of the West

As the civil war swings back and forth along the coast, to continue my past World War II analogy, Misrata holds out like Tobruk did in Rommel's first offensive. Casualties are put at 243 dead and over a thousand wounded on the rebel side as Khaddafi's loyalists continue to attack the city.

This city's stubborn defense is why I thought the rebels could hold out better in Ajdabiya than they did. Misrata was a local example of how the general rule of the benefits of defending in a city would apply to Ajdabiya. Although to be fair to the rebels, I don't think the loyalists ever ejected the rebels from Ajdabiya. I think the loyalists simply cleared a road through Ajdabiya to mount an assault on Benghazi. Also, Misrata is much bigger so there is more space to absorb a loyalist attack without breaking.

As long as Misrata hold out, it makes it too hard for the rebels to accept a ceasefire. They couldn't abandon fellow rebels no matter how inconvenient the continued resistance of Misrata is for that course of action.

If Khaddafi ever accepts a ceasefire without taking Misrata first, you'll know he is on shaky ground.

Then Misrata changes from being the Tobruk of the west to being the southern West Berlin.