Stunned Libyan revolutionary forces regrouped today outside the Gadhafi stronghold Bani Walid after fierce fighters loyal to the deposed dictator successfully countered an offensive to take the hold-out city.
The Transitional National Council's army was stymied in part by what its claims is an effort to limit innocent civilians casualties as revolutionary forces move on Bani Walid, as well as Moammar Gadhafi's hometown Sirte.
But the Gadhafi forces are entrenched and well-armed in Bani Walid, about 80 miles southeast of Tripoli. It is one of the cities where Gadhafi may be hiding.
"The Gadhafi loyalists have so many weapons," revolutionary fighter Mabb Fatel, 28, told the Associated Press. “This battle is really crazy.”
In the coastal Mediterranean city of Sirte, even after bombing runs by NATO warplanes, TNC forces face tanks, artillery and clusters of snipers that have prevented revolutionary fighters from entering the city.
In a mostly symbolic victory, revolutionary forces captured the Al-Gurdabia airbase south of Sirte, Bloomberg reported.
Canada, meanwhile, whose commitment to the campaign was to expire this month, has agreed to extend its role by three months.
Showing posts with label Libyan rebels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Libyan rebels. Show all posts
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Rebels Attack Gadhafi Forces in Two of Four Remaining Strongholds
Libyan rebels ended their waiting game and attacked Gadhafi forces in Bani Walid and outside Sirte today on the eve of the loosely held deadline for those cities to surrender peacefully.
NATO warplanes were seen overhead as the attacks were launched in Bani Walid, according to media reports.
Frustration set in after several broken-promises in talks between city elders and the rebels, prompting the anti-Gadhafi forces to finally commence with what they hope will be the last phases of fighting in Libya.
"The straw that broke the camel's back was the rocket fire from the Gadhafi forces the last 24 hours," said a foreign diplomatic official who closely monitors the Libyan revolution.
The rebels are attacking from at least two directions in Bani Walid, where Moammar Gadhafi has been said to be in hiding, the Associated Press reported. Gadhafi earned a spot on Interpol's most-wanted list overnight.
"They are inside the city. They are fighting with snipers," Abdullah Kenshil, the rebels' chief negotiator said of the anti-Gadhafi forces. "They forced this on us and it was in self-defense."
The fighting for Sirte remains well outside the city, according to the BBC. Sirte is Gadhafi's hometown and is a stronghold for his tribe.
There were no reports of fighting in the two other Gadhafi strongholds of Sabha and Jufra.
The Transitional National Council, meanwhile, continued to move its senior officials from Benghazi to Tripoli as the new government takes root in the Libyan capital.
President Obama welcomed today Ali Suleiman Aujali, the first representative to the U.S. from the new Libyan government.
"As the Transitional National Council undertakes an inclusive and democratic political transition where human rights are respected and valued, it will find a strong ally in the United States. We look forward to working with Ambassador Aujali and his team in the coming months," said Whiote House national security pokesman Tommy Vietor.
NATO warplanes were seen overhead as the attacks were launched in Bani Walid, according to media reports.
Frustration set in after several broken-promises in talks between city elders and the rebels, prompting the anti-Gadhafi forces to finally commence with what they hope will be the last phases of fighting in Libya.
"The straw that broke the camel's back was the rocket fire from the Gadhafi forces the last 24 hours," said a foreign diplomatic official who closely monitors the Libyan revolution.
The rebels are attacking from at least two directions in Bani Walid, where Moammar Gadhafi has been said to be in hiding, the Associated Press reported. Gadhafi earned a spot on Interpol's most-wanted list overnight.
"They are inside the city. They are fighting with snipers," Abdullah Kenshil, the rebels' chief negotiator said of the anti-Gadhafi forces. "They forced this on us and it was in self-defense."
The fighting for Sirte remains well outside the city, according to the BBC. Sirte is Gadhafi's hometown and is a stronghold for his tribe.
There were no reports of fighting in the two other Gadhafi strongholds of Sabha and Jufra.
The Transitional National Council, meanwhile, continued to move its senior officials from Benghazi to Tripoli as the new government takes root in the Libyan capital.
President Obama welcomed today Ali Suleiman Aujali, the first representative to the U.S. from the new Libyan government.
"As the Transitional National Council undertakes an inclusive and democratic political transition where human rights are respected and valued, it will find a strong ally in the United States. We look forward to working with Ambassador Aujali and his team in the coming months," said Whiote House national security pokesman Tommy Vietor.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Rebel Mind Games Aim to Avoid Attack on Bani Walid
For a while there it looked like the psychological warfare employed by rebel leaders was working to convince the people of Bani Walid to let anti-Gadhafi fighters enter the city peacefully.
Elders in the stronghold of the Warfallah, Libya's largest tribe, appeared to agree overnight to allow the rebel brigades to enter Bani Walid, but when those senior negotiators returned to town they were reportedly greeted by gunfire by pro-Gadhafi gunmen.
Since Sunday, the rebels have said an attack is imminent on the city where some people say Moammar Gadhafi, his son Saif and other regime officials. No one knows for sure where they are, however.
So far the rebels are playing a waiting game with the city of 50,000 people.
A massive rebel force is concentrating outside the city about 70 miles south of Tripoli, and when talks broke down over the weekend, the Transitional National Council revoked its self-imposed deadline for a decision by Bani Walid this coming Saturday. The rebels have played mind games with Bani Walid ever since.
A pro-Gadhafi column reportedly including Mansour Dao, the former commander of Libya's Revolutionary Guards and a cousin of Gadhafi, escaped to Niger. The U.S. demanded he and others who may be wanted be detained and returned to Libya.
"Apparently, a convoy has entered, and it does include some senior members of the Gadhafi regime, but we do not believe that (Moammar) Gadhafi himself was among them," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
"We have strongly urged the Nigerian officials to detain those members of the regime who may be subject to prosecution, to ensure that they confiscate any weapons that are found, and to ensure that any state property of the Government of Libya – money, jewels, et cetera – also be impounded so that it can be returned to the Libyan people," Nuland added.
More details are emerging of the fall of Tripoli and Operation Mermaid Dawn, a coordinated rebel and NATO land, sea and air attack that successfully toppled the Gadhafi regime, save for hoildouts Bani Walid, Sirte, Sabha and Jufra.
Gadhafi's caterer, Abdel Majid Mlegta, was the rebel spy inside the regime who detailed names and locations for NATO and recruited others for the cause, Reuters reports. The mole was a key to the alliance's coordinated attacks with the rebel ground forces.
Elders in the stronghold of the Warfallah, Libya's largest tribe, appeared to agree overnight to allow the rebel brigades to enter Bani Walid, but when those senior negotiators returned to town they were reportedly greeted by gunfire by pro-Gadhafi gunmen.
Since Sunday, the rebels have said an attack is imminent on the city where some people say Moammar Gadhafi, his son Saif and other regime officials. No one knows for sure where they are, however.
So far the rebels are playing a waiting game with the city of 50,000 people.
A massive rebel force is concentrating outside the city about 70 miles south of Tripoli, and when talks broke down over the weekend, the Transitional National Council revoked its self-imposed deadline for a decision by Bani Walid this coming Saturday. The rebels have played mind games with Bani Walid ever since.
A pro-Gadhafi column reportedly including Mansour Dao, the former commander of Libya's Revolutionary Guards and a cousin of Gadhafi, escaped to Niger. The U.S. demanded he and others who may be wanted be detained and returned to Libya.
"Apparently, a convoy has entered, and it does include some senior members of the Gadhafi regime, but we do not believe that (Moammar) Gadhafi himself was among them," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
"We have strongly urged the Nigerian officials to detain those members of the regime who may be subject to prosecution, to ensure that they confiscate any weapons that are found, and to ensure that any state property of the Government of Libya – money, jewels, et cetera – also be impounded so that it can be returned to the Libyan people," Nuland added.
More details are emerging of the fall of Tripoli and Operation Mermaid Dawn, a coordinated rebel and NATO land, sea and air attack that successfully toppled the Gadhafi regime, save for hoildouts Bani Walid, Sirte, Sabha and Jufra.
Gadhafi's caterer, Abdel Majid Mlegta, was the rebel spy inside the regime who detailed names and locations for NATO and recruited others for the cause, Reuters reports. The mole was a key to the alliance's coordinated attacks with the rebel ground forces.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Rehabbed Gadhafi Cozied Up to Bush Administration
Moammar Gadhafi began a working relationship with the Bush administration after the Libyan dictator abandoned his weapons of mass destruction programs and invited in international weapons inspectors, according to a published report that cited Libyan government documents.
Gadhafi's policy-changing epiphany was a result of the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003 by U.S. forces. The dictator used the moment to try to rehabilitate his image. The gesture by Gadhafi welcomed by the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as at spy agencies in other Western capitals, like London and Ottawa.
Top Bush administration officials met with the newly "reformed" Gadhafi, who apparently was particularly fond of Condi Rice, ex-national security advisor and secretary of State to former President George W. Bush.
Ex-Libyan intelligence chief and Foreign Minister Musa Kusa became the point man in Libya for the CIA, allowing terrorism suspects to be interrogated in Libya and the American spy agency to set up shop in Tripoli in 2004, The Wall Street Journal first reported.
Kusa, one of the earliest senior Gadhafi regime insiders to defect to the rebel side, was questioned by British authorities shortly after he defected about the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack over Lockerbie, Scotland.
The hunt for Gadhafi, meanwhile, goes on.
"Gadhafi is still at large but he is hiding, he is isolated, he is almost surrounded in possibly one of two small places where we think he is," said Guma El-Gamaty, the Transitional National Council's ambassador to Britain. "We think it is just a matter of time before he is either apprehended or, if he resisted arrest, he might be killed."
Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte is surrounded today by rebel forces, but the city still has a week to negotiate a peace deal and avoid attack.
"Military action will be the last option, because after the fall of the capital, we are not in a hurry," said Khaled Zintani, a spokesman for the rebels in the mountain town of Zintan.
NATO has targeted military sites around Sirte and Bani Walid, where the rebels suspect Gadhafi is hiding.
Gadhafi continues to urge his followers to rise up against the rebels.
"We will fight them everywhere," Gadhafi said. "We will burn the ground under their feet ... Get ready to fight the occupation."
Turning to the future of Libya, representatives of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the United States, Turkey, Germany, Qatar, Britain, France and other countries sat down in Paris with the TNC yesterday to decide how Gadhafi's frozen assets can best be spent.
Libya is coping with security issues, including keeping cash of weapons out of the hands of Islamist militants, and shortages of water, gas, and electricity.
Gadhafi's policy-changing epiphany was a result of the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003 by U.S. forces. The dictator used the moment to try to rehabilitate his image. The gesture by Gadhafi welcomed by the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as at spy agencies in other Western capitals, like London and Ottawa.
Top Bush administration officials met with the newly "reformed" Gadhafi, who apparently was particularly fond of Condi Rice, ex-national security advisor and secretary of State to former President George W. Bush.
Ex-Libyan intelligence chief and Foreign Minister Musa Kusa became the point man in Libya for the CIA, allowing terrorism suspects to be interrogated in Libya and the American spy agency to set up shop in Tripoli in 2004, The Wall Street Journal first reported.
Kusa, one of the earliest senior Gadhafi regime insiders to defect to the rebel side, was questioned by British authorities shortly after he defected about the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack over Lockerbie, Scotland.
The hunt for Gadhafi, meanwhile, goes on.
"Gadhafi is still at large but he is hiding, he is isolated, he is almost surrounded in possibly one of two small places where we think he is," said Guma El-Gamaty, the Transitional National Council's ambassador to Britain. "We think it is just a matter of time before he is either apprehended or, if he resisted arrest, he might be killed."
Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte is surrounded today by rebel forces, but the city still has a week to negotiate a peace deal and avoid attack.
"Military action will be the last option, because after the fall of the capital, we are not in a hurry," said Khaled Zintani, a spokesman for the rebels in the mountain town of Zintan.
NATO has targeted military sites around Sirte and Bani Walid, where the rebels suspect Gadhafi is hiding.
Gadhafi continues to urge his followers to rise up against the rebels.
"We will fight them everywhere," Gadhafi said. "We will burn the ground under their feet ... Get ready to fight the occupation."
Turning to the future of Libya, representatives of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the United States, Turkey, Germany, Qatar, Britain, France and other countries sat down in Paris with the TNC yesterday to decide how Gadhafi's frozen assets can best be spent.
Libya is coping with security issues, including keeping cash of weapons out of the hands of Islamist militants, and shortages of water, gas, and electricity.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Rebels Give Gadhafi Forces Saturday Deadline; NATO Planes Still Flying
The rebel government is giving Gadhafi loyalists in the dictator's hometown Sirte and other pockets of resistance around the country until Saturday to lay down their weapons, or else they will be taken by force.
Indications are that rebel fighters are already concentrating on the outskirts of Sirte, about 225 miles east of Tripoli, where many Libyans believe Moammar Gadhafi is hiding.
Rebels "have a good idea" where Gadhafi is, according to Ali Abdul Salaam Tarhouni, a Transitional National Council spokesman.
"We don’t have any doubt that we will catch him," Tarhouni said, stopping short of naming Sirte or elsewhere.
Sabha in southwestern Libya, another of the last remaining loyalist strongholds, is another city where some rebels suspect Gadhafi may be hiding.
Sky News quoted a trusted inside source who said he saw Moammar Gadhafi Friday at the Tripoli compound belonging to his son, Khamis, but he and others fled that location later that day.
The TNC issued its ultimatum today, warning Gadhafi forces they have until the end of the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday to surrender or fight. Eid comes at the conclusion of the Ramadan month of fasting for the Islamic faith.
TNC Chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil said he hoped negotiations with Gadhafi loyalists would succeed and "avoid more bloodshed and to avoid more destruction and damage."
"It might have to be decided militarily," Jabril admitted. "I hope this will not be the case."
The NATO-Arab coalition signaled NATO airpower will be nearby, flying reconnaissance and combat missions.
NATO spokesman Col. Roland Lavoie confirmed NATO "will remain critically important until the Libyan civilian population is no longer under threat from the former regime."
"As recently as yesterday, our aircraft struck several surface-to-air threats and multiple military vehicles in the area of Sirte, which is considered the last bastion of the Gadhafi regime," Lavoie said today.
The TNC is also calling for neighboring Algeria to hand over members of Gadhafi’s family who fled there this week, including his wife, daughter, two sons and grandchildren. The rebel leaders want to the Gadhafi family to face potential charges in Libya.
The rebels claim 50,000 people have been killed in the Libyan revolution, CNN reported.
Indications are that rebel fighters are already concentrating on the outskirts of Sirte, about 225 miles east of Tripoli, where many Libyans believe Moammar Gadhafi is hiding.
Rebels "have a good idea" where Gadhafi is, according to Ali Abdul Salaam Tarhouni, a Transitional National Council spokesman.
"We don’t have any doubt that we will catch him," Tarhouni said, stopping short of naming Sirte or elsewhere.
Sabha in southwestern Libya, another of the last remaining loyalist strongholds, is another city where some rebels suspect Gadhafi may be hiding.
Sky News quoted a trusted inside source who said he saw Moammar Gadhafi Friday at the Tripoli compound belonging to his son, Khamis, but he and others fled that location later that day.
The TNC issued its ultimatum today, warning Gadhafi forces they have until the end of the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday to surrender or fight. Eid comes at the conclusion of the Ramadan month of fasting for the Islamic faith.
TNC Chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil said he hoped negotiations with Gadhafi loyalists would succeed and "avoid more bloodshed and to avoid more destruction and damage."
"It might have to be decided militarily," Jabril admitted. "I hope this will not be the case."
The NATO-Arab coalition signaled NATO airpower will be nearby, flying reconnaissance and combat missions.
NATO spokesman Col. Roland Lavoie confirmed NATO "will remain critically important until the Libyan civilian population is no longer under threat from the former regime."
"As recently as yesterday, our aircraft struck several surface-to-air threats and multiple military vehicles in the area of Sirte, which is considered the last bastion of the Gadhafi regime," Lavoie said today.
The TNC is also calling for neighboring Algeria to hand over members of Gadhafi’s family who fled there this week, including his wife, daughter, two sons and grandchildren. The rebel leaders want to the Gadhafi family to face potential charges in Libya.
The rebels claim 50,000 people have been killed in the Libyan revolution, CNN reported.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Gadhafi on the Run Left His Photos of Condi Behind
Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi continues to elude capture, but the rebel government hoping to pick up his scent now that there is $1.4 million price on his head.
The bounty on Gadhafi sure does appear to be a carrot to Gadhafi insiders.
The likelihood of Average Joe Libyan seeing the fleeing despot on the streets is slim, so the Transitional National Council's may be thinking that a bag full of money may just what some inner circle Gadhafi confidante needs to add to his legal defense fund.
The rebels, with the help of NATO and Arab allies Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Jordan, may be on the trail of Gadhafi, according to a report in the French press.
Trackers reportedly discovered a safe house in Tripoli where Gadhafi holed up for at least one night, the magazine Paris Match reported on its website today.
The search for Gadhafi is centered in Tripoli, but the fighting is moving toward Sirte, the defrocked dictator's hometown and tribal capital. The city is said to be brimming with Gadhafi hardliners, so the battle is expected to be fierce.
The Obama administration, meanwhile, is preoccupied with the hunt for Gadhafi's mustard gas weapons and precursor chemical materials. NATO's eye in thee sky is keeping watch over any evidence that Gadhafi forces are attempting to use te chemicals weapons.
The nationwide search for Gadhafi is very different than the hunts for Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden, in which the U.S. was pretty much on its own to track down those scoundrels. In contrast, the vast majority of Libyans appear to want to capture Gadhafi.
Gadhafi and Hussein, however, did apparently share a penchant for quirky lifestyle choices.
When American forces went through Hussein's personal items they found that he fashioned himself to be a closet dime-store novelist. Rebels who captured Gadhafi's compound this week discovered a photo album of former Secretary of State Condoleeze Rice, for whom the dictator has hinted that he had much admiration for. Maybe too much.
The bounty on Gadhafi sure does appear to be a carrot to Gadhafi insiders.
The likelihood of Average Joe Libyan seeing the fleeing despot on the streets is slim, so the Transitional National Council's may be thinking that a bag full of money may just what some inner circle Gadhafi confidante needs to add to his legal defense fund.
The rebels, with the help of NATO and Arab allies Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Jordan, may be on the trail of Gadhafi, according to a report in the French press.
Trackers reportedly discovered a safe house in Tripoli where Gadhafi holed up for at least one night, the magazine Paris Match reported on its website today.
The search for Gadhafi is centered in Tripoli, but the fighting is moving toward Sirte, the defrocked dictator's hometown and tribal capital. The city is said to be brimming with Gadhafi hardliners, so the battle is expected to be fierce.
The Obama administration, meanwhile, is preoccupied with the hunt for Gadhafi's mustard gas weapons and precursor chemical materials. NATO's eye in thee sky is keeping watch over any evidence that Gadhafi forces are attempting to use te chemicals weapons.
The nationwide search for Gadhafi is very different than the hunts for Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden, in which the U.S. was pretty much on its own to track down those scoundrels. In contrast, the vast majority of Libyans appear to want to capture Gadhafi.
Gadhafi and Hussein, however, did apparently share a penchant for quirky lifestyle choices.
When American forces went through Hussein's personal items they found that he fashioned himself to be a closet dime-store novelist. Rebels who captured Gadhafi's compound this week discovered a photo album of former Secretary of State Condoleeze Rice, for whom the dictator has hinted that he had much admiration for. Maybe too much.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Fierce Urban Warfare Erupts in Tripoli
Updated 3:45 p.m. edt
Libyan rebels breached Moammar Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound today, rifling through his personal property and moving room-to-room, but did not immediately find the despot-in-hiding.
One rebel was seen wearing one of Gadhafi's beany caps as Arab-owned tv was among the first to enter the formerly fortified compound.
A military source said an "elite" group of rebel fighters trained by Western and Qatari special forces the past few months were expected to lead the way into Gadhafi's underground bunker and catacomb-like tunnel system.
"They were trained for this type of operation," the source said.
---[
There are brutal gun battles all over Tripoli today as rebels try to sweep up pockets of fighters loyal to Moammar Gadhafi who refuse to give up.
Smoke has been seen billowing from Moammar Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound and a ferocious firefight is underway at Tripoli's main airport, according to multiple media reports. NATO warplanes also have been heard in the skies over the city.
It remains unknown where Gadhafi is holed up.
There are now checkpoints around the city where rebels are aggressively searching cars of people leaving the city. It is part of an attempt to crackdown on former Gadhafi forces who have stripped off their uniforms in favor of civilian clothing, CNN reported.
Libyan rebels breached Moammar Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound today, rifling through his personal property and moving room-to-room, but did not immediately find the despot-in-hiding.
One rebel was seen wearing one of Gadhafi's beany caps as Arab-owned tv was among the first to enter the formerly fortified compound.
A military source said an "elite" group of rebel fighters trained by Western and Qatari special forces the past few months were expected to lead the way into Gadhafi's underground bunker and catacomb-like tunnel system.
"They were trained for this type of operation," the source said.
---[
There are brutal gun battles all over Tripoli today as rebels try to sweep up pockets of fighters loyal to Moammar Gadhafi who refuse to give up.
Smoke has been seen billowing from Moammar Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound and a ferocious firefight is underway at Tripoli's main airport, according to multiple media reports. NATO warplanes also have been heard in the skies over the city.
It remains unknown where Gadhafi is holed up.
There are now checkpoints around the city where rebels are aggressively searching cars of people leaving the city. It is part of an attempt to crackdown on former Gadhafi forces who have stripped off their uniforms in favor of civilian clothing, CNN reported.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Saif is Safe? Gadhafi's Son is Apparently Not in Rebel Custody
Is it the fog of war, or just a wicked whopper by the loose-tongued Libyan rebels?
Just hours after Mohammed Gadhafi, the eldest son of Moammar Gadhafi, reportedly escaped his rebel-imposed house arrest, his brother Saif al-Islam Gadhafi defiantly showed up at the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli to dispute rebel claims that he too had been captured and was being held at an undisclosed location.
"I am here to refute all the allegations," said Saif Gadhafi, according to a translation provided by Sultan Al Qassemi via @SultanAlQassemi. "My father is fine and he is in Tripoli."
Saif Gadhafi even shrugged off the charges he faces from the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
"Screw the ICC," Saif Gadhafi said.
The images of a clearly free Saif Gadhafi were carried in the past hour by CNN, whose gallant reporter Matthew Chance spoke to the cocky heir-apparent son of the dictator-in-hiding.
"Saif Gadhafi told me that he had been travelling around Tripoli in an armored convoy the whole time," Chance Tweeted via @mchancecnn. "Major PR coup for Gadhafi – if the rebels lied about this – what can we believe?"
The rebels also claim to have captured, Saadi Gaddafi, the Libyan leader's third son, but who knows until he is actually produced for the Western media.
Throughout the Arab Spring it routinely has been state television and Arab-owned media Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya that routinely have provided premature or just outright misinformation, but this time even the Western press bought into the rebel claims.
Meanwhile, Chance and other journalists at the Rixos are essentially under a house arrest themselves by armed guards loyal to the Gadhafi regime.
"All electricity down, running low on food and water. Sitting at #Rixos in the dark as bullets fly outside," Chance Tweeted. "It's no fun being stuck in one of Gadhafi's few remaining strongholds. Rixos gunmen now refusing to let us leave."
Just hours after Mohammed Gadhafi, the eldest son of Moammar Gadhafi, reportedly escaped his rebel-imposed house arrest, his brother Saif al-Islam Gadhafi defiantly showed up at the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli to dispute rebel claims that he too had been captured and was being held at an undisclosed location.
"I am here to refute all the allegations," said Saif Gadhafi, according to a translation provided by Sultan Al Qassemi via @SultanAlQassemi. "My father is fine and he is in Tripoli."
Saif Gadhafi even shrugged off the charges he faces from the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
"Screw the ICC," Saif Gadhafi said.
The images of a clearly free Saif Gadhafi were carried in the past hour by CNN, whose gallant reporter Matthew Chance spoke to the cocky heir-apparent son of the dictator-in-hiding.
"Saif Gadhafi told me that he had been travelling around Tripoli in an armored convoy the whole time," Chance Tweeted via @mchancecnn. "Major PR coup for Gadhafi – if the rebels lied about this – what can we believe?"
The rebels also claim to have captured, Saadi Gaddafi, the Libyan leader's third son, but who knows until he is actually produced for the Western media.
Throughout the Arab Spring it routinely has been state television and Arab-owned media Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya that routinely have provided premature or just outright misinformation, but this time even the Western press bought into the rebel claims.
Meanwhile, Chance and other journalists at the Rixos are essentially under a house arrest themselves by armed guards loyal to the Gadhafi regime.
"All electricity down, running low on food and water. Sitting at #Rixos in the dark as bullets fly outside," Chance Tweeted. "It's no fun being stuck in one of Gadhafi's few remaining strongholds. Rixos gunmen now refusing to let us leave."
Obama on Libya: 'There remains a degree of uncertainty...This is not over'
Statement by President Obama on Martha's Vineyard:
"Good afternoon, everybody. I just completed a call with my National Security Council on the situation in Libya. And earlier today, I spoke to Prime Minister Cameron about the extraordinary events taking place there. The situation is still very fluid. There remains a degree of uncertainty, and there are still regime elements who pose a threat.
"But this much is clear: The Gadhafi regime is coming to an end, and the future of Libya is in the hands of its people.
"In just six months, the 42-year reign of Moammar Gadhafi has unraveled. Earlier this year, we were inspired by the peaceful protests that broke out across Libya. This basic and joyful longing for human freedom echoed the voices that we had heard all across the region, from Tunis to Cairo.
"In the face of these protests, the Gadhafi regime responded with brutal crackdowns. Civilians were murdered in the streets. A campaign of violence was launched against the Libyan people. Gadhafi threatened to hunt peaceful protesters down like rats. As his forces advanced across the country, there existed the potential for wholesale massacres of innocent civilians.
"In the face of this aggression, the international community took action. The United States helped shape a U.N. Security Council resolution that mandated the protection of Libyan civilians. An unprecedented coalition was formed that included the United States, our NATO partners and Arab nations. And in March, the international community launched a military operation to save lives and stop Gadhafi's forces in their tracks.
"In the early days of this intervention, the United States provided the bulk of the fire power, and then our friends and allies stepped forward. The Transitional National Council established itself as a credible representative of the Libyan people. And the United States, together with our European allies and friends across the region, recognized the TNC as the legitimate governing authority in Libya.
"Gadhafi was cut off from arms and cash, and his forces were steadily degraded. From Benghazi to Misurata to the western mountains, the Libyan opposition courageously confronted the regime, and the tide turned in their favor.
"Over the last several days, the situation in Libya has reached a tipping point, as the opposition increased its coordination from east to west, took town after town, and the people of -- of Tripoli rose up to claim their freedom. For over four decades, the Libyan people had lived under the rule of a tyrant who denied them their most basic human rights. Now, the celebrations that we've seen in the streets of Libya shows that the pursuit of human dignity is far stronger than any dictator.
"I want to emphasize that this is not over yet. As the regime collapses, there's still fierce fighting in some areas, and we have reports of regime elements threatening to continue fighting. Although it's clear that Gadhafi's rule is over, he still has the opportunity to reduce further bloodshed by explicitly relinquishing power to the people of Libya and calling for those forces that continue to fight to lay down their arms for the sake of Libya.
"As we move forward from this pivotal phase, the opposition should continue to take important steps to bring about a transition that is peaceful, inclusive and just. That the leadership of the TNC has made clear the rights of all Libyans must be respected. True justice will not come from reprisals and violence; it will come from reconciliation and a Libya that allows its citizens to determine their own destiny.
"In that effort, the United States will be a friend and a partner. We will join with allies and partners to continue the work of safeguarding the people of Libya. As remaining regime elements menace parts of the country, I've directed my team to be in close contact with NATO as well as the United Nations to determine other steps that we can take to deal with the humanitarian impact. We're working to ensure that critical supplies reach those in need, particularly those who've been wounded.
"Secretary Clinton spoke today with her counterparts from leading nations of the coalition on all these matters, and I've directed Ambassador Susan Rice to request that the U.N. secretary-general use next month's General Assembly to support this important transition.
"For many months, the TNC has been working with the international community to prepare for a post-Gadhafi Libya. As those efforts proceed, our diplomats will work with the TNC as they ensure that the institutions of the Libyan state are protected, and we will support them with the assets of the Gadhafi regime that were frozen earlier this year. Above all, we will call for an inclusive transition that leads to a democratic Libya.
"As we move forward, we should also recognize the extraordinary work that has already been done. To the American people, these events have particular resonance. Gadhafi's regime has murdered scores of American citizens in acts of terror in the past.
Today, we remember the lives of those who were taken in those acts of terror and stand in solidarity with their families.
"We also pay tribute to Admiral Sam Locklear and all of the men and women in uniform who have saved so many lives over the last several months, including our brave pilots. They've executed their mission with skill and extraordinary bravery, and all of this was done without putting a single U.S. troop on the ground.
"To our friends and allies, the Libyan intervention demonstrates what the international community can achieve when we stand together as one. Although the efforts in Libya are not yet over, NATO has once more proven that it is the most capable alliance in the world and that its strength comes from both its firepower and the power of our democratic ideals.
"And the Arab members of our coalition have stepped up and shown what can be achieved when we act together as equal partners. Their actions sent a powerful message about the unity of our effort and our support for the future of Libya.
"Finally, the Libyan people: Your courage and character have been unbreakable in the face of the tyrant. An ocean divides us, but we are joined in the basic human longing for freedom, for justice and for dignity. Your revolution is your own, and your sacrifices have been extraordinary. Now, the Libya that you deserve is within your reach. Going forward, we will stay in close coordination with the TNC to support that outcome. And though there will be huge challenges ahead, the extraordinary events in Libya remind us that fear can give way to hope, and that the power of people striving for freedom can bring about a brighter day.
"Thank you very much."
"Good afternoon, everybody. I just completed a call with my National Security Council on the situation in Libya. And earlier today, I spoke to Prime Minister Cameron about the extraordinary events taking place there. The situation is still very fluid. There remains a degree of uncertainty, and there are still regime elements who pose a threat.
"But this much is clear: The Gadhafi regime is coming to an end, and the future of Libya is in the hands of its people.
"In just six months, the 42-year reign of Moammar Gadhafi has unraveled. Earlier this year, we were inspired by the peaceful protests that broke out across Libya. This basic and joyful longing for human freedom echoed the voices that we had heard all across the region, from Tunis to Cairo.
"In the face of these protests, the Gadhafi regime responded with brutal crackdowns. Civilians were murdered in the streets. A campaign of violence was launched against the Libyan people. Gadhafi threatened to hunt peaceful protesters down like rats. As his forces advanced across the country, there existed the potential for wholesale massacres of innocent civilians.
"In the face of this aggression, the international community took action. The United States helped shape a U.N. Security Council resolution that mandated the protection of Libyan civilians. An unprecedented coalition was formed that included the United States, our NATO partners and Arab nations. And in March, the international community launched a military operation to save lives and stop Gadhafi's forces in their tracks.
"In the early days of this intervention, the United States provided the bulk of the fire power, and then our friends and allies stepped forward. The Transitional National Council established itself as a credible representative of the Libyan people. And the United States, together with our European allies and friends across the region, recognized the TNC as the legitimate governing authority in Libya.
"Gadhafi was cut off from arms and cash, and his forces were steadily degraded. From Benghazi to Misurata to the western mountains, the Libyan opposition courageously confronted the regime, and the tide turned in their favor.
"Over the last several days, the situation in Libya has reached a tipping point, as the opposition increased its coordination from east to west, took town after town, and the people of -- of Tripoli rose up to claim their freedom. For over four decades, the Libyan people had lived under the rule of a tyrant who denied them their most basic human rights. Now, the celebrations that we've seen in the streets of Libya shows that the pursuit of human dignity is far stronger than any dictator.
"I want to emphasize that this is not over yet. As the regime collapses, there's still fierce fighting in some areas, and we have reports of regime elements threatening to continue fighting. Although it's clear that Gadhafi's rule is over, he still has the opportunity to reduce further bloodshed by explicitly relinquishing power to the people of Libya and calling for those forces that continue to fight to lay down their arms for the sake of Libya.
"As we move forward from this pivotal phase, the opposition should continue to take important steps to bring about a transition that is peaceful, inclusive and just. That the leadership of the TNC has made clear the rights of all Libyans must be respected. True justice will not come from reprisals and violence; it will come from reconciliation and a Libya that allows its citizens to determine their own destiny.
"In that effort, the United States will be a friend and a partner. We will join with allies and partners to continue the work of safeguarding the people of Libya. As remaining regime elements menace parts of the country, I've directed my team to be in close contact with NATO as well as the United Nations to determine other steps that we can take to deal with the humanitarian impact. We're working to ensure that critical supplies reach those in need, particularly those who've been wounded.
"Secretary Clinton spoke today with her counterparts from leading nations of the coalition on all these matters, and I've directed Ambassador Susan Rice to request that the U.N. secretary-general use next month's General Assembly to support this important transition.
"For many months, the TNC has been working with the international community to prepare for a post-Gadhafi Libya. As those efforts proceed, our diplomats will work with the TNC as they ensure that the institutions of the Libyan state are protected, and we will support them with the assets of the Gadhafi regime that were frozen earlier this year. Above all, we will call for an inclusive transition that leads to a democratic Libya.
"As we move forward, we should also recognize the extraordinary work that has already been done. To the American people, these events have particular resonance. Gadhafi's regime has murdered scores of American citizens in acts of terror in the past.
Today, we remember the lives of those who were taken in those acts of terror and stand in solidarity with their families.
"We also pay tribute to Admiral Sam Locklear and all of the men and women in uniform who have saved so many lives over the last several months, including our brave pilots. They've executed their mission with skill and extraordinary bravery, and all of this was done without putting a single U.S. troop on the ground.
"To our friends and allies, the Libyan intervention demonstrates what the international community can achieve when we stand together as one. Although the efforts in Libya are not yet over, NATO has once more proven that it is the most capable alliance in the world and that its strength comes from both its firepower and the power of our democratic ideals.
"And the Arab members of our coalition have stepped up and shown what can be achieved when we act together as equal partners. Their actions sent a powerful message about the unity of our effort and our support for the future of Libya.
"Finally, the Libyan people: Your courage and character have been unbreakable in the face of the tyrant. An ocean divides us, but we are joined in the basic human longing for freedom, for justice and for dignity. Your revolution is your own, and your sacrifices have been extraordinary. Now, the Libya that you deserve is within your reach. Going forward, we will stay in close coordination with the TNC to support that outcome. And though there will be huge challenges ahead, the extraordinary events in Libya remind us that fear can give way to hope, and that the power of people striving for freedom can bring about a brighter day.
"Thank you very much."
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Rebels Take Central Tripoli Amid Scant Defenses From Gadhafi Forces
Updated 10:30 p.m. edt with statement from President Obama
The Libyan rebels liberated a square in downtown Tripoli today with little resistance from Moammar Gadhafi's forces who finally may be abandoning the bloody back and forth revolution of the Arab Spring after six months of fighting.
At least two of Gadhafi's son's, including the loose-tongued Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, have been taken into custody by representatives of the rebel Transitional National Council. They may be turned over to international authorities at The Hague for prosecution.
After half a year of fierce fighting it is almost shocking how Gadhafi forces have disappeared, or are simply refusing to take up arms, just a day after the Tyrant of Tripoli promised rebel invaders street-to-street fighting to the death.
The citizens of Tripoli rising up to join the rebellion overnight should not be underestimated as a key to the speedy fall of the city.
NATO called for a peaceful and immediate transition of power in Libya.
President Obama issued a statement on Martha's Vineyard after he consulted by teleconference with his war council, made up of his top military, civilian and intelligence advisors.
"Tonight, the momentum against the Qadhafi regime has reached a tipping point. Tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant. The Qadhafi regime is showing signs of collapsing. The people of Libya are showing that the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron fist of a dictator," Obama said.
"Meanwhile, the United States has recognized the Transitional National Council as the legitimate governing authority in Libya. At this pivotal and historic time, the TNC should continue to demonstrate the leadership that is necessary to steer the country through a transition by respecting the rights of the people of Libya, avoiding civilian casualties, protecting the institutions of the Libyan state, and pursuing a transition to democracy that is just and inclusive for all of the people of Libya," Obama added.
The regime claimed to have a 65,000-member force waiting for the rebels, but so far it has not been seen. NATO's eye-in-the sky: mainly U.S. spy satellites and drones, are believed to be keeping a watch for signs of that force.
Gunfire could be heard from small pockets around the city and there was no indication that the rebels had not captured Gadhafi's Bab el-Azizia compound by 9 p.m. Washington time.
It is night in Libya, so NATO and the rebels are waiting to see if daylight brings out the Gadhafi forces. The biggest fear now is of snipers under the cover of darkness.
The rebels moved slowly at first today, capturing key military installations and then finding scant resistance as they pressed on to central Tripoli and occupied what was formerly known as Green Square, renaming it Martyr's Square. It had been a favorite rallying spot for the Gadhafi regime.
There are very strong indications that elite forces from Western nations have lead, plotted and coordinated the rebel attacks. For months sources have said at the very least ex-American, British and French special forces have been among the trainers on the ground.
French-armed forces out of the Nafusa mountains led the invasion of Tripoli, backed by a daring dawn sea assault from fighters out of Misurata dubbed "Operation Mermaid Dawn." Overnight, NATO paved the way with strategic air strikes on military installations and command and communications facilities.
The rebels raised a French flag to apparently say thank you for the arms from Paris.
The Nafusa army includes at least two forces known as the Tripoli Brigades made up of men who fled the city to train and fight Gadhafi forces on a western front that virtually popped up overnight at the end of the spring.
The Nafusa fighters slowly, but steadily rolled towards Tripoli, while Gadhafi forces were focusing on the main rebel army out of the Transitional National Council capital Benghazi, and another force in Misurata,
Along the way the rebels captured tanks and other armor and coordinated with NATO warplanes, holding down friendly fire casualties to a relatively few, given the size and scope of the battlefield.
NATO's strategic strikes overnight, the Nafusa brigade's march on Tripoli and a daring dawn sea landing by Misurata fighters was a potent combination.
Freedom-seeking Libyans began their pro-democracy Arab Spring uprising on Feb. 17, hoping the Gadhafi regime would implode and the army would back their cause, as the armed forces did in the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.
When Gadhafi ordered his forces to crack down on the peaceful Arab Spring protesters, they decided to fight back. The rebels took up arms, made some quick gains, but on March 19 an armored tank column under orders from Gadhafi was poised outside Benghazi, promising to exterminate the rebels in their stronghold once and for all.
And then that same day, French fighter jets and more than 110 U.S. and British cruise missiles lit it up against Gadhafi, virtually giving the Libyan rebels the most powerful air and sea force on the planet.
The mission, sanctioned by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, was initially under the command of Army Gen. Carter Ham, commander of the U.S. Africa Command
The U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps did the lion's share of the work, until March 27 when NATO took on the whole military operation in Libya under the command of Lt. Gen. Charlie Bouchard of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Turkey, the lone Muslim member of NATO, ultimately joined the mission.
The U.S. provided ships, drones, AWACS and other support after NATO took over, but American air strikes were still called in when necessary. Britain and France showed its commitment to the campaign when they upped the ante in late May and committed Apache and Gazelle attack helicopters to the campaign.
The Western and Arab coalition did not lose a single man or woman in combat, strongly suggesting the U.S. Africa Command, NATO and Arab coalition members pulled off the mission with random precision. France and Qatar also scored some points by breaking UN rules and arming the rebels.
The Libyan rebels liberated a square in downtown Tripoli today with little resistance from Moammar Gadhafi's forces who finally may be abandoning the bloody back and forth revolution of the Arab Spring after six months of fighting.
At least two of Gadhafi's son's, including the loose-tongued Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, have been taken into custody by representatives of the rebel Transitional National Council. They may be turned over to international authorities at The Hague for prosecution.
After half a year of fierce fighting it is almost shocking how Gadhafi forces have disappeared, or are simply refusing to take up arms, just a day after the Tyrant of Tripoli promised rebel invaders street-to-street fighting to the death.
The citizens of Tripoli rising up to join the rebellion overnight should not be underestimated as a key to the speedy fall of the city.
NATO called for a peaceful and immediate transition of power in Libya.
President Obama issued a statement on Martha's Vineyard after he consulted by teleconference with his war council, made up of his top military, civilian and intelligence advisors.
"Tonight, the momentum against the Qadhafi regime has reached a tipping point. Tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant. The Qadhafi regime is showing signs of collapsing. The people of Libya are showing that the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron fist of a dictator," Obama said.
"Meanwhile, the United States has recognized the Transitional National Council as the legitimate governing authority in Libya. At this pivotal and historic time, the TNC should continue to demonstrate the leadership that is necessary to steer the country through a transition by respecting the rights of the people of Libya, avoiding civilian casualties, protecting the institutions of the Libyan state, and pursuing a transition to democracy that is just and inclusive for all of the people of Libya," Obama added.
The regime claimed to have a 65,000-member force waiting for the rebels, but so far it has not been seen. NATO's eye-in-the sky: mainly U.S. spy satellites and drones, are believed to be keeping a watch for signs of that force.
Gunfire could be heard from small pockets around the city and there was no indication that the rebels had not captured Gadhafi's Bab el-Azizia compound by 9 p.m. Washington time.
It is night in Libya, so NATO and the rebels are waiting to see if daylight brings out the Gadhafi forces. The biggest fear now is of snipers under the cover of darkness.
The rebels moved slowly at first today, capturing key military installations and then finding scant resistance as they pressed on to central Tripoli and occupied what was formerly known as Green Square, renaming it Martyr's Square. It had been a favorite rallying spot for the Gadhafi regime.
There are very strong indications that elite forces from Western nations have lead, plotted and coordinated the rebel attacks. For months sources have said at the very least ex-American, British and French special forces have been among the trainers on the ground.
French-armed forces out of the Nafusa mountains led the invasion of Tripoli, backed by a daring dawn sea assault from fighters out of Misurata dubbed "Operation Mermaid Dawn." Overnight, NATO paved the way with strategic air strikes on military installations and command and communications facilities.
The rebels raised a French flag to apparently say thank you for the arms from Paris.
The Nafusa army includes at least two forces known as the Tripoli Brigades made up of men who fled the city to train and fight Gadhafi forces on a western front that virtually popped up overnight at the end of the spring.
The Nafusa fighters slowly, but steadily rolled towards Tripoli, while Gadhafi forces were focusing on the main rebel army out of the Transitional National Council capital Benghazi, and another force in Misurata,
Along the way the rebels captured tanks and other armor and coordinated with NATO warplanes, holding down friendly fire casualties to a relatively few, given the size and scope of the battlefield.
NATO's strategic strikes overnight, the Nafusa brigade's march on Tripoli and a daring dawn sea landing by Misurata fighters was a potent combination.
Freedom-seeking Libyans began their pro-democracy Arab Spring uprising on Feb. 17, hoping the Gadhafi regime would implode and the army would back their cause, as the armed forces did in the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.
When Gadhafi ordered his forces to crack down on the peaceful Arab Spring protesters, they decided to fight back. The rebels took up arms, made some quick gains, but on March 19 an armored tank column under orders from Gadhafi was poised outside Benghazi, promising to exterminate the rebels in their stronghold once and for all.
And then that same day, French fighter jets and more than 110 U.S. and British cruise missiles lit it up against Gadhafi, virtually giving the Libyan rebels the most powerful air and sea force on the planet.
The mission, sanctioned by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, was initially under the command of Army Gen. Carter Ham, commander of the U.S. Africa Command
The U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps did the lion's share of the work, until March 27 when NATO took on the whole military operation in Libya under the command of Lt. Gen. Charlie Bouchard of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Turkey, the lone Muslim member of NATO, ultimately joined the mission.
The U.S. provided ships, drones, AWACS and other support after NATO took over, but American air strikes were still called in when necessary. Britain and France showed its commitment to the campaign when they upped the ante in late May and committed Apache and Gazelle attack helicopters to the campaign.
The Western and Arab coalition did not lose a single man or woman in combat, strongly suggesting the U.S. Africa Command, NATO and Arab coalition members pulled off the mission with random precision. France and Qatar also scored some points by breaking UN rules and arming the rebels.
With NATO's Help, Rebels Take Key Base on Day 2 of Siege of Tripoli
Libyan rebels captured a strategic military base today outside Tripoli after NATO warplanes cleared the way with massive air strikes in what the insurgents said was a coordinated attack on Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
The base was a headquarters for the one-vaunted Khamis Brigade, located 18 miles to the west of downtown Tripoli. according to multiple media reports. The well-armed Khamis Brigade is named for Gadhafi's son, a general who may have been killed in earlier fighting, though the government disputes that claim by rebels.
A rebel celebration, witnessed by Western journalists, erupted after the installation was captured.
"This is the wealth of the Libyan people that he was using against us," Ahmed al-Ajdal, 27, a fighter from Tripoli, told the Associated Press as he loaded up a truck with ammunition. "Now we will use it against him and any other dictator who goes against the Libyan people."
The rebel breakthrough came this week when it captured the key crossroad city of Zawiyah, about 30 miles from downtown Tripoli.
The private military intelligence service STRATFOR made an interesting observation in an intelligence report it distributed this morning, suggesting the advancing rebels are being led by Western elite forces.
"It is unlikely that the rebel forces advancing from Zawiyah are fighting on their own. It will be important to watch for any signs of special operations forces from participating NATO countries quietly leading the offensive and preparing operations to locate and seize Gadhafi," the STRATFOR analysis said.
In a separate unconfirmed mission, the rebels claimed they pulled off a daring sea assault, landing fighters from Misurata near Tripoli to bolster the opposition forces preparing to enter Tripoli.
There were more reports of protests and small arms fire by Tripoli residents rising up against the 42-year rein of the Gadhafi regime. In addition to some high-profile Gadhafi advisers abandoning the regime this week, some of his forces are now indicating they are ready to quit the fight, as well.
Loyalist snipers, however, were believed to be targeting protesters in parts of Tripoli, signaling that many Gadhafi loyalists will fight on in what NATO fears could be bloody street-to-street fighting if the regime does not capitulate.
On his working vacation, President Obama was being kept abreast of the developments by his deputy national security adviser John Brennan.
"This morning, the President was briefed on the situation in Libya by John Brennan, including inputs from our team in Benghazi. The national security team will continue to provide updates to the President on this situation, as necessary," said White House deputy spokesman Josh Earnest.
"The United States continues to communicate closely with our allies, partners, and the TNC. We believe that Gadhafi's days are numbered, and that the Libyan people deserve a just, democratic and peaceful future," added Earnest, who like Brennan, is with Obama on Martha's Vineyard, off the Massachusetts coast.
The base was a headquarters for the one-vaunted Khamis Brigade, located 18 miles to the west of downtown Tripoli. according to multiple media reports. The well-armed Khamis Brigade is named for Gadhafi's son, a general who may have been killed in earlier fighting, though the government disputes that claim by rebels.
A rebel celebration, witnessed by Western journalists, erupted after the installation was captured.
"This is the wealth of the Libyan people that he was using against us," Ahmed al-Ajdal, 27, a fighter from Tripoli, told the Associated Press as he loaded up a truck with ammunition. "Now we will use it against him and any other dictator who goes against the Libyan people."
The rebel breakthrough came this week when it captured the key crossroad city of Zawiyah, about 30 miles from downtown Tripoli.
The private military intelligence service STRATFOR made an interesting observation in an intelligence report it distributed this morning, suggesting the advancing rebels are being led by Western elite forces.
"It is unlikely that the rebel forces advancing from Zawiyah are fighting on their own. It will be important to watch for any signs of special operations forces from participating NATO countries quietly leading the offensive and preparing operations to locate and seize Gadhafi," the STRATFOR analysis said.
In a separate unconfirmed mission, the rebels claimed they pulled off a daring sea assault, landing fighters from Misurata near Tripoli to bolster the opposition forces preparing to enter Tripoli.
There were more reports of protests and small arms fire by Tripoli residents rising up against the 42-year rein of the Gadhafi regime. In addition to some high-profile Gadhafi advisers abandoning the regime this week, some of his forces are now indicating they are ready to quit the fight, as well.
Loyalist snipers, however, were believed to be targeting protesters in parts of Tripoli, signaling that many Gadhafi loyalists will fight on in what NATO fears could be bloody street-to-street fighting if the regime does not capitulate.
On his working vacation, President Obama was being kept abreast of the developments by his deputy national security adviser John Brennan.
"This morning, the President was briefed on the situation in Libya by John Brennan, including inputs from our team in Benghazi. The national security team will continue to provide updates to the President on this situation, as necessary," said White House deputy spokesman Josh Earnest.
"The United States continues to communicate closely with our allies, partners, and the TNC. We believe that Gadhafi's days are numbered, and that the Libyan people deserve a just, democratic and peaceful future," added Earnest, who like Brennan, is with Obama on Martha's Vineyard, off the Massachusetts coast.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
The Battle for Tripoli Begins as Rebels Lay Siege on Gadhafi Stronghold
It's on!
Rebel forces are battling their way into Tripoli today to the cheers and support of Libyans welcoming the freedom fighters determined to capture the capital city and topple Moammar Gadhafi and his regime once and for all.
After six months of fighting that often has favored Gadhafi, rebel brigades closed in on the outskirts of Tripoli, sending notice to residents that the regime is the enemy, not the civilians. Gunfire is reportedly being heard all around the city, most of which is without power this evening.
There were reports that young people in the city are rising up to join the revolution born out of the Arab Spring pro-democracy freedom movement, according to rebel dispatches. Shots have been heard outside Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound.
President Obama is being kept abreast of the developments in the definitive battle to wrest control of Libya from Gadhafi. It is a crucial moment for the President, who inherited the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but owned the Libyan revolution when he joined France and Britain in launching a daunting air assault against Gadhafi. Not a single American has been killed in the Libyan war.
Rebel victories this week in Zawiya to the west of Tripoli, Zlintan to the east and Gharyan to the south along with NATO warships to the north in the Mediterranean Sea have allowed the powerful alliance to surround Tripoli.
The regime claimed all-is-well in Tripoli in an absurd announcement on government tv that harkened back to the "everything is fine" whoppers told by Saddam Hussein's spokesman, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, better known as Baghdad Bob, as U.S. tanks and humvees rolled into the Iraqi capital May 1, 2003.
"All of Tripoli is safe and stable," Gadhafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told state tv.
Libyan rebel political leader, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, told a very different story, however.
"All evidence shows that the end is very near, with God's grace," the chairman of the Transitional National Council told reporters.
Rebel forces are battling their way into Tripoli today to the cheers and support of Libyans welcoming the freedom fighters determined to capture the capital city and topple Moammar Gadhafi and his regime once and for all.
After six months of fighting that often has favored Gadhafi, rebel brigades closed in on the outskirts of Tripoli, sending notice to residents that the regime is the enemy, not the civilians. Gunfire is reportedly being heard all around the city, most of which is without power this evening.
There were reports that young people in the city are rising up to join the revolution born out of the Arab Spring pro-democracy freedom movement, according to rebel dispatches. Shots have been heard outside Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound.
President Obama is being kept abreast of the developments in the definitive battle to wrest control of Libya from Gadhafi. It is a crucial moment for the President, who inherited the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but owned the Libyan revolution when he joined France and Britain in launching a daunting air assault against Gadhafi. Not a single American has been killed in the Libyan war.
Rebel victories this week in Zawiya to the west of Tripoli, Zlintan to the east and Gharyan to the south along with NATO warships to the north in the Mediterranean Sea have allowed the powerful alliance to surround Tripoli.
The regime claimed all-is-well in Tripoli in an absurd announcement on government tv that harkened back to the "everything is fine" whoppers told by Saddam Hussein's spokesman, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, better known as Baghdad Bob, as U.S. tanks and humvees rolled into the Iraqi capital May 1, 2003.
"All of Tripoli is safe and stable," Gadhafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told state tv.
Libyan rebel political leader, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, told a very different story, however.
"All evidence shows that the end is very near, with God's grace," the chairman of the Transitional National Council told reporters.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Surrounded, Gadhafi Looking for Refuge Outside of Libya
Moammar Gadhafi is looking for an Arab country willing to give him safe haven after rebel armies cut off his supply lines and captured his last oil refinery as NATO warplanes kept his tanks from countering the opposition's ferocious week-long offensive, according to published and broadcast reports.
Civilians have begun fleeing Tripoli, fearing street-to-street fighting or one last act of deadly defiance by Gadhafi against his people.
NATO bombed Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziyah compound overnight. At least seven loud blasts were heard and felt by Western journalists in Tripoli, the Associated Press reported.
NBC reports Gadhafi could leave Libya, possibly for Tunisia, in a matter of days. NBC cited intelligence reports out of Washington. The loyalist government claimed it was engaged in talks with the rebels, asking for a cease-fire.
Gadhafi sent inquiries to Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, indicating he and his family are looking for a safe haven that would bring an end to his defiant stand against the revolutionaries of the Arab Spring, a representative of the rebel Transitional National Council in Cairo told the Pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.
"Gadhafi is looking for a safe haven for his family in the case that Tripoli falls into the hands of the revolutionaries,"said Abdel Monem al-Houni, who was Gadhafi's top delegate to the Arab League before defecting to the rebel side.
The rebels say they have taken most of Zawiya, within 30 miles west of downtown Tripoli, capturing the last remaining oil refinery that had been proving fuel to the regime. Two other rebel armies have captured Zlintan to the east and Gharyan to the south with the help of Western air power, and the NATO Navy has cut off shipping to Tripoli.
Gadhafi and what remains of his forces are surrounded by what was once an uncoordinated rag-tag rebel force and a NATO alliance that has refused to put troops on the ground.
The key to the campaign was the emergence of a French-armed rebel division that came out of the Nafusa mountains in the West. With Gadhafi's forces tied up with the main rebel army in the east near Brega and separate opposition brigades out of Misurata, the Nafusa insurgents were able to march on Zawiya. NATO warplanes made it nearly impossible for Gadhafi's armor to move to re-enforce a loyalist garrison in that city.
France secretly parachuted small arms weapons, including tank-killers, in the Nafusa region earlier this summer, and more recently Qatar flew truckloads of ammunition into the captured air field outside of Misurata. NATO warships recently also helped the rebels capture a tanker loaded with fuel bound for Tripoli. The ship sailed into the de facto opposition capital Benghazi with rebels aboard.
"The Gadhafi regime has few days before it breathes its last," al-Houni said.
Civilians have begun fleeing Tripoli, fearing street-to-street fighting or one last act of deadly defiance by Gadhafi against his people.
NATO bombed Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziyah compound overnight. At least seven loud blasts were heard and felt by Western journalists in Tripoli, the Associated Press reported.
NBC reports Gadhafi could leave Libya, possibly for Tunisia, in a matter of days. NBC cited intelligence reports out of Washington. The loyalist government claimed it was engaged in talks with the rebels, asking for a cease-fire.
Gadhafi sent inquiries to Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, indicating he and his family are looking for a safe haven that would bring an end to his defiant stand against the revolutionaries of the Arab Spring, a representative of the rebel Transitional National Council in Cairo told the Pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.
"Gadhafi is looking for a safe haven for his family in the case that Tripoli falls into the hands of the revolutionaries,"said Abdel Monem al-Houni, who was Gadhafi's top delegate to the Arab League before defecting to the rebel side.
The rebels say they have taken most of Zawiya, within 30 miles west of downtown Tripoli, capturing the last remaining oil refinery that had been proving fuel to the regime. Two other rebel armies have captured Zlintan to the east and Gharyan to the south with the help of Western air power, and the NATO Navy has cut off shipping to Tripoli.
Gadhafi and what remains of his forces are surrounded by what was once an uncoordinated rag-tag rebel force and a NATO alliance that has refused to put troops on the ground.
The key to the campaign was the emergence of a French-armed rebel division that came out of the Nafusa mountains in the West. With Gadhafi's forces tied up with the main rebel army in the east near Brega and separate opposition brigades out of Misurata, the Nafusa insurgents were able to march on Zawiya. NATO warplanes made it nearly impossible for Gadhafi's armor to move to re-enforce a loyalist garrison in that city.
France secretly parachuted small arms weapons, including tank-killers, in the Nafusa region earlier this summer, and more recently Qatar flew truckloads of ammunition into the captured air field outside of Misurata. NATO warships recently also helped the rebels capture a tanker loaded with fuel bound for Tripoli. The ship sailed into the de facto opposition capital Benghazi with rebels aboard.
"The Gadhafi regime has few days before it breathes its last," al-Houni said.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Libyan Rebels Fight On As Embattled Leaders Form New Government
The Libyan opposition vowed today to form a new government and clean up its image in the aftermath of a top general's assassination, but the political upheaval did not keep rebel fighters in the west from getting inside of 50 miles from Tripoli.
Backed by captured tanks and other armor, the town of Bir al-Ghanam was overrun by rebel fighters over the weekend by opposition forces based in the Nafusa mountains. The key town is about 49 miles from Moammar Gadhafi's capital of Tripoli.
NATO warplanes helped pave the way for the rebels in Bir al-Ghanam, as well as the two other fronts: The eastern oil port Brega and the Gadhafi loyalist stronghold of Zlintan in central Libya, the rebels said.
Over the weekend, Qatar flew in five truckloads of weapons and ammunition In a daring airlift into the captured airport outside that central coastal Libyan city. The equipment and ammo is for rebel fighters from Misurata battling Gadahi forces in Zlintan.
Gadhafi's son and senior military commander Khamis has yet to be seen since rebels claimed he was killed in the battle of Zlintan by a NATO air strike late last week.
On the political front, rebel Chairman Mahmoud Jibril, who heads the Transitional National Council in Benghazi, agreed today to dissolve his cabinet as a result of the murder two weeks ago of commanding Gen. Abdel-Fattah Younis.
"It was clear the Cabinet needed to be reshuffled after military, security and media incompetence," said national council member Fathi Turbel.
Backed by captured tanks and other armor, the town of Bir al-Ghanam was overrun by rebel fighters over the weekend by opposition forces based in the Nafusa mountains. The key town is about 49 miles from Moammar Gadhafi's capital of Tripoli.
NATO warplanes helped pave the way for the rebels in Bir al-Ghanam, as well as the two other fronts: The eastern oil port Brega and the Gadhafi loyalist stronghold of Zlintan in central Libya, the rebels said.
Over the weekend, Qatar flew in five truckloads of weapons and ammunition In a daring airlift into the captured airport outside that central coastal Libyan city. The equipment and ammo is for rebel fighters from Misurata battling Gadahi forces in Zlintan.
Gadhafi's son and senior military commander Khamis has yet to be seen since rebels claimed he was killed in the battle of Zlintan by a NATO air strike late last week.
On the political front, rebel Chairman Mahmoud Jibril, who heads the Transitional National Council in Benghazi, agreed today to dissolve his cabinet as a result of the murder two weeks ago of commanding Gen. Abdel-Fattah Younis.
"It was clear the Cabinet needed to be reshuffled after military, security and media incompetence," said national council member Fathi Turbel.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Libyan Rebels Now Fighting With Tanks and Other Armor
Remember when NATO frowned upon the Libyan rebels having tanks? Well, things have changed significantly on that front. Our friends at RAW posted this video earlier this week showing a Libyan rebel tank column ready to move towards the front at the oil-terminal city of Brega.
The machine-gun mounted pick-up trucks that had been the only "armor" the rebels previously had to work with now follow behind the captured tanks that formerly belonged to Moammar Gadhafi's forces. A rebel source contacted overnight tells me there is much better coordination with NATO now, reducing the chance of alliance warplanes accidentally bombing their well-armed allies on the ground.
Friday, August 5, 2011
NATO Strikes Tripoli; Rebels Say Gadhafi's Son Killed in Zlintan
Updated at 3 p.m.
The Gadhafi regime denied rebel claims Khamis Gadhafi was killed in a NATO air strike over night, but showed no definitive proof.
NATO is also looking into the disputed claim, but also was unable to confirm the Russian-trained Libyan military commander is dead.
When Gadhafi's son, Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, was killed earlier in the war, the regime admitted he was lost in a NATO air strike.
Khamis Gadhafi may be the most crucial military leader remaining in the regime. His 32nd brigade is considered a fierce well-trained and heavily armed fighting force.
"It's false news. This is a dirty trick to cover up their crime in Zlitan and the killing of the al-Marabit family. They invented the news about Mr Khamis Gaddafi in Zlitan to cover up their killing," regime spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told Reuters.
end update
---[
Alliance warplanes turned up the heat on Moammar Gadhafi, bombing sites around Tripoli and elsewhere amid rebel claims the dictator's youngest son was killed in a strike overnight in Zlintan.
Gadhafi's son, Khamis, a top military commander, and about 30 of his troops were killed in a NATO bombing run, a rebel spokesman claimed, citing spies among the loyalist forces.
"Overnight there was a aircraft attack by NATO on the Gadhafi operations room in Zlitan and there are around 32 Gaddafi troops killed. One of them is Khamis," rebel spokesman Mohammed Zawawi told Agence France Press.
The regime and NATO have yet to comment on the report. Gadhafi's son, Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, was killed earlier in the war.
In other news, Libyan rebels reportedly turned off a major pipeline in the Nafusa mountain region fueling the last refinery under control of the limping regime.
"The rebels turned off a valve and poured cement over it," said Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaaim. (Rebel information sources tell me the Nafusa brigades shut down the pipeline more than a month ago).
NATO and the Libyan rebels have stepped up efforts to induce the civilian population of Tripoli to rise up against Gadhafi in a strategy seen as the speediest way to topple the regime after five months of fighting.
In rare warfare in the Mediterranean Sea, the rebels seized the regime's oil and gas tanker Cartagena with the help of NATO warships. The ship is now docked in Benghazi.
Also in Benghazi, a group of powerful intellectuals called the Coalition for the Revolution of the 17th of February and an alliance of more than two dozen Libyan tribes called for resignations of men they believe are responsible for the apparent assassination last week of commanding Gen. Abdel Fattah Younes and two of his senior military advisers.
They demanded Transitional National Council Vice Chairman Ali al-Essawi, Judge Jumaah al-Jazwi al-Obeidy Defense Minister Jalal el-Digheily, and the commander of the allied militia, Fawzi Bu Kitf all step down and ultimately face charges. The action is seen as a message to the West and rival clans that lawlessness will will not be tolerated.
While the rebels are trying to improve their public image, Gadhafi's son Saif al-Islam Gadhafi could use a public relations person. In an interview with The New York Times, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi said the regime is trying to form an alliance with Islamists and will eventually weed out secular Libyans.
"We don't trust them, but we have to deal with them." Saif al-Islam Gadhafi said of the
Muslim fundamentalists.
"Libya will look like Iran, like Saudi Arabia. So what?" Saif al-Islam barked.
The Gadhafi regime denied rebel claims Khamis Gadhafi was killed in a NATO air strike over night, but showed no definitive proof.
NATO is also looking into the disputed claim, but also was unable to confirm the Russian-trained Libyan military commander is dead.
When Gadhafi's son, Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, was killed earlier in the war, the regime admitted he was lost in a NATO air strike.
Khamis Gadhafi may be the most crucial military leader remaining in the regime. His 32nd brigade is considered a fierce well-trained and heavily armed fighting force.
"It's false news. This is a dirty trick to cover up their crime in Zlitan and the killing of the al-Marabit family. They invented the news about Mr Khamis Gaddafi in Zlitan to cover up their killing," regime spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told Reuters.
end update
---[
Alliance warplanes turned up the heat on Moammar Gadhafi, bombing sites around Tripoli and elsewhere amid rebel claims the dictator's youngest son was killed in a strike overnight in Zlintan.
Gadhafi's son, Khamis, a top military commander, and about 30 of his troops were killed in a NATO bombing run, a rebel spokesman claimed, citing spies among the loyalist forces.
"Overnight there was a aircraft attack by NATO on the Gadhafi operations room in Zlitan and there are around 32 Gaddafi troops killed. One of them is Khamis," rebel spokesman Mohammed Zawawi told Agence France Press.
The regime and NATO have yet to comment on the report. Gadhafi's son, Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, was killed earlier in the war.
In other news, Libyan rebels reportedly turned off a major pipeline in the Nafusa mountain region fueling the last refinery under control of the limping regime.
"The rebels turned off a valve and poured cement over it," said Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaaim. (Rebel information sources tell me the Nafusa brigades shut down the pipeline more than a month ago).
NATO and the Libyan rebels have stepped up efforts to induce the civilian population of Tripoli to rise up against Gadhafi in a strategy seen as the speediest way to topple the regime after five months of fighting.
In rare warfare in the Mediterranean Sea, the rebels seized the regime's oil and gas tanker Cartagena with the help of NATO warships. The ship is now docked in Benghazi.
Also in Benghazi, a group of powerful intellectuals called the Coalition for the Revolution of the 17th of February and an alliance of more than two dozen Libyan tribes called for resignations of men they believe are responsible for the apparent assassination last week of commanding Gen. Abdel Fattah Younes and two of his senior military advisers.
They demanded Transitional National Council Vice Chairman Ali al-Essawi, Judge Jumaah al-Jazwi al-Obeidy Defense Minister Jalal el-Digheily, and the commander of the allied militia, Fawzi Bu Kitf all step down and ultimately face charges. The action is seen as a message to the West and rival clans that lawlessness will will not be tolerated.
While the rebels are trying to improve their public image, Gadhafi's son Saif al-Islam Gadhafi could use a public relations person. In an interview with The New York Times, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi said the regime is trying to form an alliance with Islamists and will eventually weed out secular Libyans.
"We don't trust them, but we have to deal with them." Saif al-Islam Gadhafi said of the
Muslim fundamentalists.
"Libya will look like Iran, like Saudi Arabia. So what?" Saif al-Islam barked.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Rebels Promise Answers in Death of General; Islamist Militia Suspected
Updated at 7:15 p.m. edt
The Libyan rebel government is now claiming the rival group its forces overpowered in a long battle overnight at a Benghazi license-plate factory was a secret pro-Gadhafi sleeper cell that had been operating under its nose for months.
A TNC official contends the Al-Nidaa Brigade was responsible for a pair of prison breaks Friday in the rebels' capital Benghazi as chaos erupted over the execution of commanding Gen. Abdel Fatah Younes.
Some 200 to 300 inmates, among them pro-Gadhafi fighters and loyalists, escaped, according to the rebel's deputy interior minister, Mustafa al-Sagezli.
"These people took advantage of the chaos that resulted from the killing of Younis and entered and attacked the military prison and the (civilian) Kuwaitiya prison," al-Sagezli told the Associated Press.
Three TNC regulars were killed and eight injured, while the militia group had four dead and at least 12 injured in what amounted to about eight hours of small-arms warfare.
There were other signs the TNC was having trouble with more rivals tribes and militia. Some Western journalists reporting the deep cracks in the opposition ranks the weekend turmoil over the assassination of the rebel commander resulted in some heavy-handed treatment by TNC leaders, The New York Times reports.
Ahmed Bani, a spokesman for the TNC defense minister, even suggested journalists could be aligned with Moammar Gadhafi, the Times reported.
"We don’t know if anybody here is a fifth column," he told a room full of reporters at a Benghazi news conference. "It is very difficult to determine who is with you and who is against you in a time of conflict, because you don’t necessarily have to hold a weapon. With a word or a rumor they can cause a lot of deaths."
end update
---[
Updated at 9:15 a.m. edt
Forces loyal to the Libyan rebel government and a rival militia clashed for five hours this morning in the opposition capital Benghazi after allied factions were ordered to come under Transitional National Council control.
As part of a crackdown on militia resulting from the murder of commanding Gen. Abdel Fattah Younes late last week, TNC forces took control of the Al-Nidaa brigade camp after a bloody small arms battle left four fighters dead and at least 30 others injured, the Financial Times reported.
The fighting erupted after the Al-Nidaa Brigade refused to lay down it arms.
end update
---[
The Libyan rebel government in Benghazi overnight blamed a militia leader for the murder of commanding Gen. Abdel Fattah Younes and two of his senior military advisers, claiming the suspect confessed.
The militia leader, who apparently commands the Islamist-leaning Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade, is in custody. The men, who riddled the three bodies with bullets and then partially burned the remains, have not been apprehended.
"The head of the militia is imprisoned now," said Ali Tarhuni, minister of economic affairs for the rebel National Transitional Council told reporters in Benghazi. "It was not him. His lieutenants did it."
Many questions remain, including who at the TNC approved a judges' arrest warrant for Younes, a former defense minister for Moammar Gadhafi, who was at the Libyan dictator's side when he first came to power in 1969.
Fawzi Bu Kitf, head of the Union of Revolutionary Forces, a federation of armed militia operating in the east, named the suspect as field commander Mustafa al-Rubh.
"He is a member of the Union as an individual," Bu Kitf told reporters, hoping to silence critics who have pointed the finger at him in the killing "Whatever was done was done through his own idea."
The militia leader was tasked with retrieving Younes from the frontline near the oil town of Brega to discuss “a military matter,” Tarehuni said at a news conference.
Younes also had a sometimes public feud with rival Gen. Khalifa Hifter, who defected and lived in the U.S. for nearly two decades before he returned to Libya earlier to join the rebellion. Khalifa has been accused by detractors of having ties to the CIA.
Younes had been under fire for the slow progress the army was making under his leadership, and some rebels questioned whether he had truly ended his loyalty to Gadhafi.
The only rebel force on the move is in the west, where tribes of the Nafusa mountain region have had success defeating Gadhafi forces. The Nafusa army has no particular loyalty tgo the TNC in far-away Benghazi, other than their opposition to Gadhafi.
The mysterious execution offered a look into Libyan tribal and factional differences -- one of the biggest concerns why many Western nations refuse to arm the rebels even though they have recognized their government.
Younes' Obeidi tribe were livid at the killing, accusing the TNC of playing a role in what they believe was a sanctioned assassination.
The Obeidi tribe -- one of the largest in eastern Libya -- set up barricades and closed roads around parts of Benghazi for a while after it learned of the death of Younes.
The TNC claims it will disband militia groups and bring them into the fold of the stalled eastern army. That may be easier said than done, given tribal pride and egos.
Western governments backing the rebels are sweating out the episode, calling for unity in order to reach a swift end to the now five-month-old war. The rebel government has promised a thorough investigation and would release its findings to the public.
"Everything is under control. This is just a rough stage we are going through and me and my brothers in the TNC are sure we will get over it," Tarhuni said.
NATO warplanes, meanwhile, bombed three satellite dishes yesterday in Tripoli, but Libyan state TV remained on the air.
The Libyan rebel government is now claiming the rival group its forces overpowered in a long battle overnight at a Benghazi license-plate factory was a secret pro-Gadhafi sleeper cell that had been operating under its nose for months.
A TNC official contends the Al-Nidaa Brigade was responsible for a pair of prison breaks Friday in the rebels' capital Benghazi as chaos erupted over the execution of commanding Gen. Abdel Fatah Younes.
Some 200 to 300 inmates, among them pro-Gadhafi fighters and loyalists, escaped, according to the rebel's deputy interior minister, Mustafa al-Sagezli.
"These people took advantage of the chaos that resulted from the killing of Younis and entered and attacked the military prison and the (civilian) Kuwaitiya prison," al-Sagezli told the Associated Press.
Three TNC regulars were killed and eight injured, while the militia group had four dead and at least 12 injured in what amounted to about eight hours of small-arms warfare.
There were other signs the TNC was having trouble with more rivals tribes and militia. Some Western journalists reporting the deep cracks in the opposition ranks the weekend turmoil over the assassination of the rebel commander resulted in some heavy-handed treatment by TNC leaders, The New York Times reports.
Ahmed Bani, a spokesman for the TNC defense minister, even suggested journalists could be aligned with Moammar Gadhafi, the Times reported.
"We don’t know if anybody here is a fifth column," he told a room full of reporters at a Benghazi news conference. "It is very difficult to determine who is with you and who is against you in a time of conflict, because you don’t necessarily have to hold a weapon. With a word or a rumor they can cause a lot of deaths."
end update
---[
Updated at 9:15 a.m. edt
Forces loyal to the Libyan rebel government and a rival militia clashed for five hours this morning in the opposition capital Benghazi after allied factions were ordered to come under Transitional National Council control.
As part of a crackdown on militia resulting from the murder of commanding Gen. Abdel Fattah Younes late last week, TNC forces took control of the Al-Nidaa brigade camp after a bloody small arms battle left four fighters dead and at least 30 others injured, the Financial Times reported.
The fighting erupted after the Al-Nidaa Brigade refused to lay down it arms.
end update
---[
The Libyan rebel government in Benghazi overnight blamed a militia leader for the murder of commanding Gen. Abdel Fattah Younes and two of his senior military advisers, claiming the suspect confessed.
The militia leader, who apparently commands the Islamist-leaning Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade, is in custody. The men, who riddled the three bodies with bullets and then partially burned the remains, have not been apprehended.
"The head of the militia is imprisoned now," said Ali Tarhuni, minister of economic affairs for the rebel National Transitional Council told reporters in Benghazi. "It was not him. His lieutenants did it."
Many questions remain, including who at the TNC approved a judges' arrest warrant for Younes, a former defense minister for Moammar Gadhafi, who was at the Libyan dictator's side when he first came to power in 1969.
Fawzi Bu Kitf, head of the Union of Revolutionary Forces, a federation of armed militia operating in the east, named the suspect as field commander Mustafa al-Rubh.
"He is a member of the Union as an individual," Bu Kitf told reporters, hoping to silence critics who have pointed the finger at him in the killing "Whatever was done was done through his own idea."
The militia leader was tasked with retrieving Younes from the frontline near the oil town of Brega to discuss “a military matter,” Tarehuni said at a news conference.
Younes also had a sometimes public feud with rival Gen. Khalifa Hifter, who defected and lived in the U.S. for nearly two decades before he returned to Libya earlier to join the rebellion. Khalifa has been accused by detractors of having ties to the CIA.
Younes had been under fire for the slow progress the army was making under his leadership, and some rebels questioned whether he had truly ended his loyalty to Gadhafi.
The only rebel force on the move is in the west, where tribes of the Nafusa mountain region have had success defeating Gadhafi forces. The Nafusa army has no particular loyalty tgo the TNC in far-away Benghazi, other than their opposition to Gadhafi.
The mysterious execution offered a look into Libyan tribal and factional differences -- one of the biggest concerns why many Western nations refuse to arm the rebels even though they have recognized their government.
Younes' Obeidi tribe were livid at the killing, accusing the TNC of playing a role in what they believe was a sanctioned assassination.
The Obeidi tribe -- one of the largest in eastern Libya -- set up barricades and closed roads around parts of Benghazi for a while after it learned of the death of Younes.
The TNC claims it will disband militia groups and bring them into the fold of the stalled eastern army. That may be easier said than done, given tribal pride and egos.
Western governments backing the rebels are sweating out the episode, calling for unity in order to reach a swift end to the now five-month-old war. The rebel government has promised a thorough investigation and would release its findings to the public.
"Everything is under control. This is just a rough stage we are going through and me and my brothers in the TNC are sure we will get over it," Tarhuni said.
NATO warplanes, meanwhile, bombed three satellite dishes yesterday in Tripoli, but Libyan state TV remained on the air.
Friday, July 29, 2011
A Shakespearean Tragedy, Intrigue Surrounds Rebel Commander's Death
The killing of the Libyan rebel commander, who was facing questions over the insurgent eastern army's failure to push west toward Tripoli, is stirring tribal tensions and is embarrassing the rebellion's political leaders.
But the murder of Abdel Fatah Younes also ends a dangerous and divisive rivalry among generals -- Younes accused of being a mole for Moammar Gadhafi, and his successor, Gen. Khalifa Hifter suspected of having ties to the CIA.
"This underscores some of the challenges that the (rebel) Transitional National Council faces. This is certainly one more of them. They've had to overcome many challenges in their struggle. And I think what's important is that they work, both diligently and transparently, to ensure the unity of the Libyan opposition," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said today.
"It's just important to keep that unified structure and to remember that they represent the Libyan people," Toner added. "The ultimate goal here is to lead a democratic transition and remove Gadhafi from power."
Hifter will now likely consolidate his control over the rebel armed forces with the slaying yesterday of Younes, who, along with two other officers was allegedly killed by a gang while he was on his way to answer questions about his army's shortcomings from members of the rebel Transitional National Council.
Like Younes, Hifter was a top military officer in the Libyan leader in the Gadhafi regime until he sought refuge in the U.S. after a Libyan force he commanded in Chad in the late 1980s was decimated.
Hifter has lived outside of Washington, D.C. since the early 1990s, maintaining ties to anti-Gadhafi groups back in Libya. Hifter, who has been accused of having ties to the CIA, returned to Libya earlier this year to help lead the rebel army against Gadhafi.
Younes, meanwhile, switched sides in the Libyan revolution after Moammar Gadhafi sent him home to Benghazi to lead a attack there complete with Srebrenica-like mass executions, but he was distrusted from the outset by some in the rebel ranks. Some people suspected he was a double agent, still working for Gadhafi.
His inability to move the army on the battlefield contributed to a further falling out with some of his subordinates in the military and members of the rebel council.
The rebel government says it has already made one arrest in the killing of Younis, but it is not yet releasing the suspect's name or further details.
However, the TNC will have to be forthcoming, if it wants to hold together the tribal coalition fighting to unseat Gadhafi. The Obeidi, the armed and angry eastern Libyan tribe that Younes belonged to, wants answers to questions about the suspicious killing of the general.
The U.S. would like an explanation, too.
"He is a senior figure, and they've lost both his military expertise and his leadership, and again, it's very unclear who was at fault here. We've seen reports that this was an internal matter. We've reached no conclusions yet," Toner said.
But the murder of Abdel Fatah Younes also ends a dangerous and divisive rivalry among generals -- Younes accused of being a mole for Moammar Gadhafi, and his successor, Gen. Khalifa Hifter suspected of having ties to the CIA.
"This underscores some of the challenges that the (rebel) Transitional National Council faces. This is certainly one more of them. They've had to overcome many challenges in their struggle. And I think what's important is that they work, both diligently and transparently, to ensure the unity of the Libyan opposition," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said today.
"It's just important to keep that unified structure and to remember that they represent the Libyan people," Toner added. "The ultimate goal here is to lead a democratic transition and remove Gadhafi from power."
Hifter will now likely consolidate his control over the rebel armed forces with the slaying yesterday of Younes, who, along with two other officers was allegedly killed by a gang while he was on his way to answer questions about his army's shortcomings from members of the rebel Transitional National Council.
Like Younes, Hifter was a top military officer in the Libyan leader in the Gadhafi regime until he sought refuge in the U.S. after a Libyan force he commanded in Chad in the late 1980s was decimated.
Hifter has lived outside of Washington, D.C. since the early 1990s, maintaining ties to anti-Gadhafi groups back in Libya. Hifter, who has been accused of having ties to the CIA, returned to Libya earlier this year to help lead the rebel army against Gadhafi.
Younes, meanwhile, switched sides in the Libyan revolution after Moammar Gadhafi sent him home to Benghazi to lead a attack there complete with Srebrenica-like mass executions, but he was distrusted from the outset by some in the rebel ranks. Some people suspected he was a double agent, still working for Gadhafi.
His inability to move the army on the battlefield contributed to a further falling out with some of his subordinates in the military and members of the rebel council.
The rebel government says it has already made one arrest in the killing of Younis, but it is not yet releasing the suspect's name or further details.
However, the TNC will have to be forthcoming, if it wants to hold together the tribal coalition fighting to unseat Gadhafi. The Obeidi, the armed and angry eastern Libyan tribe that Younes belonged to, wants answers to questions about the suspicious killing of the general.
The U.S. would like an explanation, too.
"He is a senior figure, and they've lost both his military expertise and his leadership, and again, it's very unclear who was at fault here. We've seen reports that this was an internal matter. We've reached no conclusions yet," Toner said.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Gadhafi's Golden Offer: Leave Office, But Stay in Libya
France proposed today a plan that would allow Moammar Gadhafi to remain in Libya if he leaves office, but Libyan rebel emissaries in Paris for meetings say it may be too late for that option.
"I don't think there is a place for him. He is a criminal now," Transitional National Council representative Souleiman Fortia said after the meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe floated the idea of allowing Gadhafi to remain in Libya if he steps down during an interview on French LCI television.
"One of the scenarios effectively envisaged is that he stays in Libya on one condition which I repeat -- that he very clearly steps aside from Libyan political life," Juppe said. "A ceasefire depends on Gaddafi committing clearly and formally to surrender his military and civilian roles."
Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi, meanwhile, is in Moscow, but claimed after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that there is no talk of Gadhafi giving up power.
"Gadhafi's departure is not being discussed," Obeidi told the Russian Interfax news agency.
The diplomatic push came after a day of brutal fighting in the oil terminal city of Brega, where the eastern rebel army is once again launching a march west toward Tripoli. The city is said to be heavily mined and there are still remnants of Gadhafi forces in the city limits.
Outside of Brega, Gadhafi forces have disguised motorized artillery with rebel flags and markings to throw off NATO aircraft. NATO has bombed in the Brega area in recent days, in part paving the way for the rebel army.
Brega is in a central coastal region that has gone back and forth at least three times in five months of fighting. The rebels have said they want to take and hold Brega for good this time.
"I don't think there is a place for him. He is a criminal now," Transitional National Council representative Souleiman Fortia said after the meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe floated the idea of allowing Gadhafi to remain in Libya if he steps down during an interview on French LCI television.
"One of the scenarios effectively envisaged is that he stays in Libya on one condition which I repeat -- that he very clearly steps aside from Libyan political life," Juppe said. "A ceasefire depends on Gaddafi committing clearly and formally to surrender his military and civilian roles."
Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi, meanwhile, is in Moscow, but claimed after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that there is no talk of Gadhafi giving up power.
"Gadhafi's departure is not being discussed," Obeidi told the Russian Interfax news agency.
The diplomatic push came after a day of brutal fighting in the oil terminal city of Brega, where the eastern rebel army is once again launching a march west toward Tripoli. The city is said to be heavily mined and there are still remnants of Gadhafi forces in the city limits.
Outside of Brega, Gadhafi forces have disguised motorized artillery with rebel flags and markings to throw off NATO aircraft. NATO has bombed in the Brega area in recent days, in part paving the way for the rebel army.
Brega is in a central coastal region that has gone back and forth at least three times in five months of fighting. The rebels have said they want to take and hold Brega for good this time.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Battle for Brega Lingers amid Push for Diplomacy in Libya
Libyan rebels supported by NATO warplanes in the east are wrapping up the latest Brega campaign, but a few loyalists to Moammar Gadhafi are still fighting on in what may be shaping up as a definitive final battle for the oil port city.
"NATO and the rebels have tried to attack Brega for the last five days," Gadhafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim boasted in Tripoli. "The only way for them to control Brega is to attack it with nuclear bombs."
Gadhafi's main force has retreated to Ras Lanuf, but left behind a Brega strewn with land mines, according to rebel reports. The rebels outside of Brega also came under artillery fire from Gadhafi's guns.
"It is going to take the revolutionaries at least 10 days to claim full control of Brega," rebel spokesman Abdel Salam told Reuters in Misurata.
In the west, the rebels Nafusa Mountains division is hung up and regrouping outside Gadhafi-held Gharyan, about 60 miles from Tripoli.
The latest offensive by the main rebel force in Brega came after a high-ranking U.S. delegation met with representatives of the regime over the weekend, telling them Gadhafi must go.
Russia criticized the U.S. and 30 other nations who recognized the rebel Transitional National Council as the legitimate government of Libya.
"Those who declare recognition stand fully on the side of one political force in a civil war," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow.
Britain, at Friday's meeting in Istanbul of the Libya Contact Group, also announced it would send four more Tornado jets to join the air campaign.
In oil-related news, Halliburton, which made billions from U.S. taxpayers through as series of somewhat sweetheart deals in the Iraq and Afghan wars, claims it lost $46 billion because of the revolution in Libya, but still reported net profits.
"NATO and the rebels have tried to attack Brega for the last five days," Gadhafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim boasted in Tripoli. "The only way for them to control Brega is to attack it with nuclear bombs."
Gadhafi's main force has retreated to Ras Lanuf, but left behind a Brega strewn with land mines, according to rebel reports. The rebels outside of Brega also came under artillery fire from Gadhafi's guns.
"It is going to take the revolutionaries at least 10 days to claim full control of Brega," rebel spokesman Abdel Salam told Reuters in Misurata.
In the west, the rebels Nafusa Mountains division is hung up and regrouping outside Gadhafi-held Gharyan, about 60 miles from Tripoli.
The latest offensive by the main rebel force in Brega came after a high-ranking U.S. delegation met with representatives of the regime over the weekend, telling them Gadhafi must go.
Russia criticized the U.S. and 30 other nations who recognized the rebel Transitional National Council as the legitimate government of Libya.
"Those who declare recognition stand fully on the side of one political force in a civil war," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow.
Britain, at Friday's meeting in Istanbul of the Libya Contact Group, also announced it would send four more Tornado jets to join the air campaign.
In oil-related news, Halliburton, which made billions from U.S. taxpayers through as series of somewhat sweetheart deals in the Iraq and Afghan wars, claims it lost $46 billion because of the revolution in Libya, but still reported net profits.
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