Gadhafi Son Said to Escape; Rebels Extend Grip on Tripoli
Senin, 22 Agustus 2011 by Android Blackberry
Gadhafi Son Said to Escape; Rebels Extend Grip on Tripoli
Libyan rebels tried to consolidate their hold on Tripoli on Monday amid fierce firefights with bands of troops still loyal to Col. Moammar Gadhafi plus the reported escape of 1 of Gadhafi's sons.
The rebels had most of the capital below their manage, but the longtime Libyan strongman remained at massive Monday night. Gun battles within the location about his former compound continued past nightfall.
"The real moment of victory is when Gadhafi is captured," Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman with the National Transitional Council, said at a news conference in Benghazi.
Rebel leaders stated they had captured 3 of Gadhafi's sons on Sunday -- but one of those sons, Mohammed Gadhafi, escaped his captors on Monday, Libya's ambassador to the United States stated. Mohammed Gadhafi had been held in his house in Tripoli, along with the circumstances surrounding his escape had been unclear, Ambassador Ali Suleiman Aujali told CBS Info "The Circumstance Room."
"He had been hijacked by possibly Gadhafi's forces," Aujali said.
Gadhafi's forces also fired at the very least three missiles at the rebel-held city of Misrata, east of Tripoli, on Monday evening, the NATO alliance reported. NATO mentioned it had no reports of harm or injuries, but named the launches a "direct threat to innocent people."
"Although the surface-to-surface missiles in Gadhafi's arsenal are highly inaccurate, and aren't developed to hit a specific target, they're a weapon of terror," NATO mentioned. "Their use against an urban or industrial area is utterly irresponsible."
No less than 1 missile was a Soviet-era Scud, launched from near Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, mentioned a U.S. military official who spoke on condition of anonymity Monday evening. NATO forces destroyed yet another with the missiles on the ground more than the weekend, and yet another of the short- to medium-range missiles was fired at rebel forces last week but exploded harmlessly in the desert, a senior NATO official stated.
U.S. and NATO officials mentioned they were concerned forces loyal to Gadhafi may well stage a last-ditch attack against civilians. "If there is a last-ditch effort, we need to guard civilians," mentioned a senior NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity since of sensitive intelligence matters.
Senior levels of NATO had been watching closely for any sign of a massing of Libyan government forces, or moving of weapons including rockets or artillery, the official said.
ICC prosecutor talks with rebel council
Former U.S. diplomat Nicholas Burns told CBS Info that it was "imperative" that Gadhafi be discovered swiftly and the fighting brought to an finish.
"The danger here is that this insurgency could continue, the fighting could continue, as long as Gadhafi believes he's still in power," Burns mentioned.
Whilst opposition officials stated it was achievable Gadhafi may well have fled to southern Libya or neighboring Chad or Algeria, they also stated he might nonetheless be in Tripoli. Col. David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, mentioned the U.S. government believes Gadhafi remains in Libya.
"We do not have facts he left the nation," Lapan mentioned.
Gadhafi has held power in Libya since a September 1969 coup. The rebellion against him started in February and has been aided by NATO airstrikes that started in March, below a U.N. mandate to safeguard civilians.
The revolt gained momentum quickly inside the past two weeks, with rebel forces launching their push on Tripoli more than the weekend. In a statement to reporters from his vacation on the Massachusetts resort island of Martha's Vineyard, U.S. President Barack Obama said that though circumstance remained fluid, it was clear that "Gadhafi's rule is over."
Obama says Gadhafi's rule is over
"The pursuit of human dignity is stronger than any dictator," he stated.
At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon mentioned U.N. officials have "been attempting to get in touch with" Gadhafi. He described events in Tripoli as "testimony to the courage and determination of the Libyan people to seek a cost-free and democratic future."
But battles had been fierce where troops loyal to Gadhafi put up resistance. At the Rixos Hotel, near Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound, international journalists housed there could hear intense sporadic gunfire and explosions Monday afternoon.
Significantly of Bab al-Aziziya has already been destroyed by NATO airstrikes, and a fight for the compound may well be additional symbolic in nature.
The rebels pulled back from an area near Tripoli's Green Square, which rebels are renaming "Martyrs' Square," on Monday afternoon to coordinate some sort of offensive inside the city. In parts with the city, rebels were concerned about snipers on best of buildings.
Elsewhere, rebel units have been deployed to a northern coastal highway -- a primary thoroughfare to Tunisia -- "to get rid of one of the last Gadhafi forces positioned in the northern coastal stretch," mentioned Jamal Kor, a rebel field commander. Kor said rebels hope the whole coastal stretch between Ras Ajdir, Tunisia and Tripoli "will be in rebel hands" by Monday afternoon.
"We have tried to persuade Gadhafi forces to surrender, but to no avail, " Kor stated.
It was also unclear what may possibly occur to Gadhafi's sons in rebel custody, also as towards the leader himself if he is captured.
The International Criminal Court has warrants for the arrests of Gadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and Abdullah al-Senussi, the head of military intelligence and also the ruler's brother-in-law. Saif al-Islam was one of the three sons captured Sunday, together with the now-escaped Mohammed and Saadi, a businessman and one-time skilled soccer player.
The court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, spoke Monday with members of the NTC about efforts to safeguard the civilian population in Libya. Further conversations will focus on the possibility of surrendering the 3 men, the court mentioned in a news release.
The rebels on Monday also arrested Hala Misrati, an anchor from Libya's state-run television. Misrati had brandished a gun on air over the weekend and said that staffers in the television station were ready to turn into martyrs.
"With this weapon, I either kill or die today," she said Sunday.
Rebels said they discovered her in her auto near a coffee shop Monday, and pandemonium ensued when word got out that Misrati had been arrested. Witnesses said Misrati was unharmed but would not be speaking to reporters. A cordon of soldiers promptly formed to isolate her from media representatives, other rebels and gawkers.
Analysis: Could Libya split along tribal lines?
Rebel Television later reported that it had taken manage of state Television, which had gone black.
Gadhafi's forces in Tajoura, on the eastern outskirts of Tripoli where a hospital is located, were negotiating their surrender earlier Monday, in accordance with Jumma Ibrahim, a rebel military spokesman.
Confident that victory was close, the rebel government started creating plans to govern.
"Libya is under the control of the TNC," stated Ali Suleiman Aujali, the rebel government's ambassador to the United States. Aujali added that Gadhafi brigades have raised the white flag inside the key town of al-Brega, but CBS Info could not independently confirm his claim.
On Sunday, Gadhafi took towards the airwaves various times urging citizens, including females, to fight the rebels -- whom he known as "very small groups of individuals who are collaborators using the imperialists."
"Get out and lead, lead, lead the men and women to paradise," he stated.
Libyan government spokesman Musa Ibrahim told reporters late Sunday night that about 1,300 persons had been killed and about 5,000 wounded in fighting within the previous 12 hours.
"(The city) is becoming turned into a hellfire," he stated from Tripoli. "Every drop of Libyan blood shed by these rebels will be the responsibility with the Western globe, specifically NATO's countries."
If the Gadhafi regime falls, it would follow revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt this year in what's recognized as the Arab Spring. A spate of other countries within the region -- which includes Bahrain, Yemen and Syria -- have also noticed protests by citizens demanding a lot more freedom plus a alter in regime. In lots of situations, these demonstrations have been met with brute force.Gadhafi Son Said to Escape; Rebels Extend Grip on Tripoli
Libyan rebels tried to consolidate their hold on Tripoli on Monday amid fierce firefights with bands of troops still loyal to Col. Moammar Gadhafi plus the reported escape of 1 of Gadhafi's sons.
The rebels had most of the capital below their manage, but the longtime Libyan strongman remained at massive Monday night. Gun battles within the location about his former compound continued past nightfall.
"The real moment of victory is when Gadhafi is captured," Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman with the National Transitional Council, said at a news conference in Benghazi.
Rebel leaders stated they had captured 3 of Gadhafi's sons on Sunday -- but one of those sons, Mohammed Gadhafi, escaped his captors on Monday, Libya's ambassador to the United States stated. Mohammed Gadhafi had been held in his house in Tripoli, along with the circumstances surrounding his escape had been unclear, Ambassador Ali Suleiman Aujali told CBS Info "The Circumstance Room."
"He had been hijacked by possibly Gadhafi's forces," Aujali said.
Gadhafi's forces also fired at the very least three missiles at the rebel-held city of Misrata, east of Tripoli, on Monday evening, the NATO alliance reported. NATO mentioned it had no reports of harm or injuries, but named the launches a "direct threat to innocent people."
"Although the surface-to-surface missiles in Gadhafi's arsenal are highly inaccurate, and aren't developed to hit a specific target, they're a weapon of terror," NATO mentioned. "Their use against an urban or industrial area is utterly irresponsible."
No less than 1 missile was a Soviet-era Scud, launched from near Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, mentioned a U.S. military official who spoke on condition of anonymity Monday evening. NATO forces destroyed yet another with the missiles on the ground more than the weekend, and yet another of the short- to medium-range missiles was fired at rebel forces last week but exploded harmlessly in the desert, a senior NATO official stated.
U.S. and NATO officials mentioned they were concerned forces loyal to Gadhafi may well stage a last-ditch attack against civilians. "If there is a last-ditch effort, we need to guard civilians," mentioned a senior NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity since of sensitive intelligence matters.
Senior levels of NATO had been watching closely for any sign of a massing of Libyan government forces, or moving of weapons including rockets or artillery, the official said.
ICC prosecutor talks with rebel council
Former U.S. diplomat Nicholas Burns told CBS Info that it was "imperative" that Gadhafi be discovered swiftly and the fighting brought to an finish.
"The danger here is that this insurgency could continue, the fighting could continue, as long as Gadhafi believes he's still in power," Burns mentioned.
Whilst opposition officials stated it was achievable Gadhafi may well have fled to southern Libya or neighboring Chad or Algeria, they also stated he might nonetheless be in Tripoli. Col. David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, mentioned the U.S. government believes Gadhafi remains in Libya.
"We do not have facts he left the nation," Lapan mentioned.
Gadhafi has held power in Libya since a September 1969 coup. The rebellion against him started in February and has been aided by NATO airstrikes that started in March, below a U.N. mandate to safeguard civilians.
The revolt gained momentum quickly inside the past two weeks, with rebel forces launching their push on Tripoli more than the weekend. In a statement to reporters from his vacation on the Massachusetts resort island of Martha's Vineyard, U.S. President Barack Obama said that though circumstance remained fluid, it was clear that "Gadhafi's rule is over."
Obama says Gadhafi's rule is over
"The pursuit of human dignity is stronger than any dictator," he stated.
At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon mentioned U.N. officials have "been attempting to get in touch with" Gadhafi. He described events in Tripoli as "testimony to the courage and determination of the Libyan people to seek a cost-free and democratic future."
But battles had been fierce where troops loyal to Gadhafi put up resistance. At the Rixos Hotel, near Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound, international journalists housed there could hear intense sporadic gunfire and explosions Monday afternoon.
Significantly of Bab al-Aziziya has already been destroyed by NATO airstrikes, and a fight for the compound may well be additional symbolic in nature.
The rebels pulled back from an area near Tripoli's Green Square, which rebels are renaming "Martyrs' Square," on Monday afternoon to coordinate some sort of offensive inside the city. In parts with the city, rebels were concerned about snipers on best of buildings.
Elsewhere, rebel units have been deployed to a northern coastal highway -- a primary thoroughfare to Tunisia -- "to get rid of one of the last Gadhafi forces positioned in the northern coastal stretch," mentioned Jamal Kor, a rebel field commander. Kor said rebels hope the whole coastal stretch between Ras Ajdir, Tunisia and Tripoli "will be in rebel hands" by Monday afternoon.
"We have tried to persuade Gadhafi forces to surrender, but to no avail, " Kor stated.
It was also unclear what may possibly occur to Gadhafi's sons in rebel custody, also as towards the leader himself if he is captured.
The International Criminal Court has warrants for the arrests of Gadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and Abdullah al-Senussi, the head of military intelligence and also the ruler's brother-in-law. Saif al-Islam was one of the three sons captured Sunday, together with the now-escaped Mohammed and Saadi, a businessman and one-time skilled soccer player.
The court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, spoke Monday with members of the NTC about efforts to safeguard the civilian population in Libya. Further conversations will focus on the possibility of surrendering the 3 men, the court mentioned in a news release.
The rebels on Monday also arrested Hala Misrati, an anchor from Libya's state-run television. Misrati had brandished a gun on air over the weekend and said that staffers in the television station were ready to turn into martyrs.
"With this weapon, I either kill or die today," she said Sunday.
Rebels said they discovered her in her auto near a coffee shop Monday, and pandemonium ensued when word got out that Misrati had been arrested. Witnesses said Misrati was unharmed but would not be speaking to reporters. A cordon of soldiers promptly formed to isolate her from media representatives, other rebels and gawkers.
Analysis: Could Libya split along tribal lines?
Rebel Television later reported that it had taken manage of state Television, which had gone black.
Gadhafi's forces in Tajoura, on the eastern outskirts of Tripoli where a hospital is located, were negotiating their surrender earlier Monday, in accordance with Jumma Ibrahim, a rebel military spokesman.
Confident that victory was close, the rebel government started creating plans to govern.
"Libya is under the control of the TNC," stated Ali Suleiman Aujali, the rebel government's ambassador to the United States. Aujali added that Gadhafi brigades have raised the white flag inside the key town of al-Brega, but CBS Info could not independently confirm his claim.
On Sunday, Gadhafi took towards the airwaves various times urging citizens, including females, to fight the rebels -- whom he known as "very small groups of individuals who are collaborators using the imperialists."
"Get out and lead, lead, lead the men and women to paradise," he stated.
Libyan government spokesman Musa Ibrahim told reporters late Sunday night that about 1,300 persons had been killed and about 5,000 wounded in fighting within the previous 12 hours.
"(The city) is becoming turned into a hellfire," he stated from Tripoli. "Every drop of Libyan blood shed by these rebels will be the responsibility with the Western globe, specifically NATO's countries."
If the Gadhafi regime falls, it would follow revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt this year in what's recognized as the Arab Spring. A spate of other countries within the region -- which includes Bahrain, Yemen and Syria -- have also noticed protests by citizens demanding a lot more freedom plus a alter in regime. In lots of situations, these demonstrations have been met with brute force.Gadhafi Son Said to Escape; Rebels Extend Grip on Tripoli
