By Tim Shipman and Andrew Malone
Last updated at 12:41 AM on 26th April 2011
Defence Secretary Liam Fox will meet senior U.S. commanders today to draw up a final plan to finish Colonel Gaddafi.
Before flying to Washington last night, Dr Fox warned the dictator and his commanders they face assassination unless they give up now.
He said: 'If the regime continues to wage war on its people, those who are involved in those command-and-control assets need to recognise that we regard them as legitimate targets.
Change of tone: British Defense Secretary Liam Fox is talking to his U.S. counterparts today about targeting Gaddafi directly, and Fox has warned the Libyan leader to give himself up before it is too late
'Those who are... controlling the regime's activities against its own people, would have to recognise the risks they would have if they were there during Nato strikes.'
He added: 'Colonel Gaddafi is the one who is standing in the way of a peaceful resolution in Libya.'
Today's summit will see Dr Fox and General Sir David Richards, the Chief of the Defence Staff, hold talks with Pentagon chiefs including U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff.
They will discuss dramatically widening the scope of targets that Nato aircraft and drones can hit, possibly to include regime leaders.
It comes after a Nato air strike flattened a building in Gaddafi's Tripoli compound in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Libyan officials claimed it was an attempt to kill their leader. British defence sources said they did not know if the dictator was present but made clear they are prepared to kill him to protect civilians.
Commanders believe Gaddafi has suffered significant military setbacks in recent days and want to 'exploit emerging opportunities' to finally force him from power.
Sources admitted that talks on 'greater precise targeting' by unmanned drones would be on the table today. Two American Predator drones, used to assassinate Al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan, are now in the skies over Libya.
On target: People walk inside a damaged building at Gaddafi's compound after what a government press official said was an attempt on the Libyan leader's life
Damaged: One of the buildings inside Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziyah compound in Tripoli following a NATO airstrike - the picture was taken on a government guided tour for journalists
And last night Italy authorised its jets to bomb military targets in Libya. Previously Italian warplanes had only joined patrols of the no-fly zone.
British commanders will urge the Americans to assist in attacks on Gaddafi's fuel dumps and ammunition depots to remove the threat of his tanks to opposition forces.
Targeted air strikes have been successful in undermining the regime's attacks on the town of Misrata.
'I'm cautiously optimistic about what has happened in recent days,' Dr Fox said.
'We have also had some success in targeting the regime's assets, cutting off the supply lines on a number of fronts. They are running out of ammunition. They are running out of fuel.'
The UK also wants more effort to help the naval blockade of Libya, which has prevented refined petroleum products getting into Gaddafi's hands to fuel his war effort.
Targeting hospitals? Fires are seen burning around what is said to be hospital buildings in an area purported to be in Misrata in an image taken from an unverified rebel video
Human cost: Mourners attend the funeral of a group of family members killed by shelling in Misrata
In Misrata yesterday there was more evidence of the regime's fighters using human shields to protect themselves.
A group of women and children walked slowly through the bombed-out city – which is in ruins after seven weeks of intense shelling and street fighting – their faces etched with terror.
The 25 civilians were acting as human shields to Gaddafi's men walking behind them, who were taunting rebels on the other side of the street.
'Gaddafi's men were mocking us and laughing as they disappeared with our women and children,' said Absa Salam, a fighter and one of the leaders of the revolution against the Libyan dictator's 42-year rule.
'There was nothing we could do. We knew, and they knew, that we'd kill our own people if we tried to kill them. These people are barbarians – devils.'
There was also grim proof that Gaddafi had lied about withdrawing his forces from Misrata at the city's sole remaining hospital – the others have been shelled by his tanks and occupied by snipers.
Among the dozens of civilian dead and injured arriving in convoys of ambulances were Abdal Mufta Bel-Noor, eight, and Nadia, his five-year-old sister.
The children were killed after a night of heavy artillery and rocket strikes in civilian areas – 48 hours after Gaddafi announced his withdrawal.
