Battle for Tripoli
Live coverage of the Libyan unrest threatening Muammar Gaddafi's rule
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I never said I like him that much, but I do admire what he achieved through his Dictatorship. In a way he was a bit like Lenin..came to power via a revolt and changed th country and its people to love him. At the end of the day if Gaddafi never got into power Libya would be like Somalia or worse with its tribal systems and greed. -
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The worshipers of Gaddafi, South Africa gov Blocks £1bn Libya Assets Release to help Libyans. news.sky.com #Shamefulby dovenews via twitter 8/25/2011 3:12:55 PM -
African Union & S African culdnt hv their influence @ the start, so they are trying show it now. Libya shouldn't be a member of African Uby dovenews via twitter 8/25/2011 3:24:45 PM
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why are you reporting this if that "group of rebels" cant even give you a reason why they think Gaddafi inside. why wouldnt you wait for confirmation or more information? i can think of a lot of reasons why the rebels might lie to you about this, the largest of which is to further sway public opinion towards their side by making victory look imminent
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Rebels have now renamed Bin Jawad as Bin Gawad - "son of a snitch" after an ambush there earlier this year. #libyaby robcrilly via twitter 8/25/2011 3:29:13 PM -
A rebel fighter fires his machine gun towards a sniper from a hotel where foreign journalists are staying at in Tripoli August 25, 2011. Libyan fighters battled diehard followers of Muammar Gaddafi across Tripoli on Thursday, racing to find and finish off the fallen strongman and stifle any counter-attack by his family and other loyalists. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
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We must bear in mind that Gaddafi funded the governments of many African states. Thus, many of them are not happy about Gaddafi's current fate. Nonetheless, the African states must show their support for the people of Libya and not focus on Gaddafi himself.
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Gaddafi "fight the #FF Zenga Zenga"by dovenews via twitter 8/25/2011 3:48:09 PM
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I'm certain the people who eventually replace Gaddafi will be SO. MUCH. BETTER. They will recognize Israel and love the United States, and be grateful to the rest of the free world for making their little piece of the planet safe for democratic rule and human rights and the unfettered practice of all major religions by all Libya's citizens! Oh, yes.
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US and Europe should not release funds until the Mustard gas, nuclear materials, and Abdel Basset al-Megrahi are handed over. The transitional government has no need for any of them. Further, there needs to be the slection of an interim leader, Libya needs a Thomas Jefferson, John Adams like figure that can articlulate the type of demoncracy that should evolve. When will the mid-east get a worthy leader to speak for the people Poland had Lech Welensa, Soviets had Gorbochev and Yeltsin - all leaders with flaws but they were big enough to move in the general direction of the people. Imam's will never replacement ordinary citizens in the delivery of true freedom.
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While I certainly will not miss Gadaffi and am glad the world has one less tyrant in charge, the cynic in me is less impressed with the highly probable truth that the only reason for Western intervention was the promise of favourable oil deals. That and NATO's verbal evasion of the fact that they are functioning as the NTC's air force, however much they claim to only be enforcing a NFZ.
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at checkpoints in #Tripoli residents can't wipe the smile off their faces! #libyaby betsy_hiel via twitter 8/25/2011 4:02:37 PM -
The moment of fame for Abdul Alsalam Jalloud, enjoy it while it last. Live on Al Alrabya from Italyby dovenews via twitter 8/25/2011 4:05:01 PM
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TIMELINE-UPRISING AGAINST LIBYA'S MUAMMAR GADDAFI
Aug 25 (Reuters) - Here is a timeline on the civil war in Libya since protests against the 42-year rule of Muammar Gaddafi began in February:
Feb 15/16, 2011 - A riot in Benghazi is triggered by the arrest of human rights activist Fethi Tarbel, who has worked to free political prisoners, Quryna newspaper reports.
Feb. 17 - Activists designate Feb. 17 as a day of rage. It is the anniversary of clashes in Benghazi in 2006 when security forces killed protesters attacking the consulate of the former colonial power Italy.
Feb. 24 - Anti-government militias take control of central coastal city of Misrata after evicting forces loyal to Gaddafi.
Feb. 26 - The U.N. Security Council imposes sanctions on Gaddafi and his family, and refers Libya's crackdown on rebels to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Feb. 28 - EU governments approve a package of sanctions against Gaddafi and his closest advisers including an arms embargo and bans on travel to the bloc.
March 5 - The rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) meets in Benghazi and declares itself the sole representative for Libya.
March 10 - France recognises the NTC as legitimate representative of Libya's people. Libya suspends diplomatic relations with France the next day.
March 16 - Forces loyal to Gaddafi approach rebel-held Benghazi. Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam tells France-based TV channel Euronews: "Everything will be over in 48 hours."
March 17 - The U.N. Security Council votes to authorise a no-fly zone over Libya and "all necessary measures" -- code for military action -- to protect civilians against Gaddafi's army.
March 19 - The first air strikes halt the advance of Gaddafi's forces on Benghazi and target Libya's air defences.
March 28 - Qatar becomes the first Arab country to recognise Libya's rebels as the people's legitimate representatives.
March 29 - A London conference of 40 governments and organisations agrees to set up a contact group comprising 20 countries to coordinate efforts in a post-Gaddafi Libya.
March 30 - Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa defects and flies to Britain.
April 10 - Gaddafi accepts a roadmap for ending the conflict, South African President Jacob Zuma says after leading a delegation of four African leaders at talks in Tripoli. Rebels reject the plan the next day.
April 30 - A NATO missile attack on a house in Tripoli kills Gaddafi's youngest son and three grandchildren.
May 30 - In his first appearance in a month, Gaddafi renews a ceasefire call in talks with visiting South African President Zuma but gives no sign he will heed demands to step down.
June 1 - Libya's top oil official Shokri Ghanem appears in Rome, saying he defected because of the relentless bloodshed.
June 8 - Western and Arab nations meet rebels in Abu Dhabi, discussing what U.S. officials call the "end-game" for Gaddafi.
June 15 - Gaddafi's government approves $31.4 billion budget for the rest of 2011, to show it is functioning as normal.
June 27 - The ICC issues arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi on charges of crimes against humanity.
July 15 - The rebel NTC wins U.S. recognition as the legitimate government of Libya at a meeting in Turkey of the contact group on Libya.
July 26 - U.N. envoy Abdul Elah al-Khatib says after talks with Libya's prime minister that the government and the rebels remain far apart in efforts to end the crisis.
July 27 - Rebels win diplomatic recognition from Britain, which also expels the remaining Gaddafi diplomats from London.
July 28 - Abdel Fattah Younes, Gaddafi's former interior minister who defected to the rebels on Feb. 22 and became their military chief, is killed in mysterious circumstances.
Aug. 14 - Libyan rebels take the centre of Zawiyah, 50 km (30 miles) west of Tripoli, cutting the coastal highway to Tunisia that keeps the capital supplied with food and fuel.
Aug. 20 - Explosions and gunfire rattle Tripoli after days of battlefield defeats leave Gaddafi's government and troops besieged in the capital.
Aug. 21 - Rebels enter Tripoli with little resistance.
-- Gaddafi makes two audio addresses over state television calling on Libyans to fight off the rebel "rats" and saying he is in the capital and will be "with you until the end".
-- Rebels reach Green Square, the symbolic showcase the government had until recently used for mass demonstrations in support of Gaddafi. Rebels rename it Martyrs Square.
-- Libyan rebels say they have detained three of Gaddafi's sons, including Saif al-Islam, wanted for war crimes.
Aug. 22 - Libyan government tanks and snipers put up scattered, last-ditch resistance in Tripoli after rebels sweep into the heart of the capital, cheered on by crowds.
Aug. 23 - Saif al Islam, waving in triumph and taunting his father's enemies, surfaces in Tripoli overnight to prove he remains a free man, not a captive as rebels had claimed.
-- The rebels overrun Gaddafi's fortified Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli trashing the symbols of his rule.
-- Russian chess federation chief Kirsan Ilyumzhinov says Gaddafi told him by phone he is still in Tripoli, alive and well.
Aug. 24 - Gaddafi issues a rambling but defiant audio message overnight vowing to fight on to death or victory.
-- The rebel council says it is offering an amnesty to any of Gaddafi's entourage who kill or capture him. Council chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil says also a local businessman offered two million dinars ($1.3 million) to anyone who caught him.
-- The NTC says it is planning high-level talks in Qatar with envoys of the United States, Britain, France, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on the way ahead.
Aug. 25 - Jalil urges people in parts of the country still under Gaddafi's control to "join the revolution" and says he welcomes talks with groups in those areas to avoid more killing.
-- Rebels report fighting in the southern city of Sabha. They also say they are approaching Sirte, Gaddafi's home town, and hope to negotiate the surrender of its defenders. However, hardcore loyalists there vowed to fight to the death.
-- Gaddafi, in a short audio speech broadcast on loyalist TV channels, calls on supporters to march on Tripoli and "purify" the capital of rebels, who he denounced as "rats, crusaders and unbelievers".
(Reporting by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit;) -
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What we are seeing here is nothing out of the ordinary after the failure of a regime. Pockets of fighting, rumors, conflicting reports, lack of a coherent plan of action, missing members of the former regime, inability of news orgs to do effective reporting, positioning of nations, all this is to be expected after any conflict. And I'm guessing this could continue for quite some time.
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This is an ongoing battle, which means a lot of confusion. Individual soldiers know little of the situation, they just fight the battles. Their commanders who have better (although often still very flawed) understanding of the situation will be reluctant to tell journalists exactly what is going on so that the enemy can't use this information. So if the rebels make a false claim that they almost have Gaddafi don't immediately say they're lying. Sometimes the claim is made by someone who just doesn't know.
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The post about Mustard Gas, makes me wonder what supplies of Chemical and Biological Weapons, Gaddafi may have retained. There appears to be a vast network of Tunnels and presumably hidden Installations under Tripoli which are yet to be discovered. I have no doubt that he would be capable of releasing Chemical or Biological Weapons (assuming he has them) on the population of Tripoli once the "Rebels" move their command and political structure to Tripoli. The claim that Tripoli was a trap, should not be dismissed as empty threat.
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