Libyans Untroubled by Qaddafi’s Violent Death
ARAB NEWS: MISRATA: Libyans lining up in dozens to view Muammar Qaddafi’s body on Saturday shared none of the West’s qualms about the fact he was killed while in the hands of the fighters who captured him.

They said if he had stayed alive, he could still have rallied his supporters to continue an insurgency against Libya’s new rulers, and that the International Criminal Court would have given him just a few years in prison.

Qaddafi was captured in his home town of Sirte on Thursday in the final act of a violent rebellion against his 42-year rule. Amateur video footage showed a dazed and bloodied Qaddafi being manhandled by an angry crowd.

Minutes later he was dead, prompting suspicions — denied by Libya’s new government — that he was killed by his captors.

Asked if it would not have been better for him to stand trial, Abdulatif, a pilot, said: “What would he tell the mother whose children were killed or the girls who were raped?“

“If he lived and was killed a thousand times that would still only be a trifle,” he said outside the metal cold storage container in Misrata, 200 km (130) miles east of the Libyan capital, where Qaddafi’s body was on public view.

“If you give him to the international court he will be living in luxury in Switzerland and then maybe he will be given a sentence of 10 years in prison. So it is better that he was killed.” » | RANIA EL GAMAL | REUTERS | Saturday, October 22, 2011

MAIL ONLINE: Eldest son Saif critically injured but 'fleeing across the desert' towards Niger » | Daily Mail Reporter | Saturday, October 22, 2011

Wenige aus Gaddafis engerem Kreis leben noch
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Die meisten der Gadaffi-Getreuen sind entweder festgesetzt oder getötet worden - oder haben sich seinen Gegnern angeschlossen. Besonders über den Status von Sohn Saif al Islam gibt es widersprüchliche Meldungen.

Nur wenige aus dem engeren Kreis um Gaddafi haben ihn überlebt. Die meisten seiner Getreuen sind entweder festgesetzt oder getötet worden - oder haben sich seinen Gegnern angeschlossen. Von Gaddafis acht Kindern sind mutmaßlich vier am Leben. Tochter Aisha sowie die Söhne Hannibal und Muhammad haben sich Ende August nach Algerien in Sicherheit gebracht, wo sie sich frei bewegen können. Gesichert ist der Tod von Saif al Arab (30. April in Tripolis), Chamis (29. August in Tarhuna) und Mutassim (20. Oktober in Sirte). Die nigerische Regierung gab bekannt, dass der Gaddafisohn und frühere Fußballspieler Saadi in das Land eingereist sei. Am 29. September schrieb ihn Interpol zur Fahndung aus. » | Von RAINER HERMANN | Freitag 21. Oktober 2011

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Rebels Accused of Executing Former Libyan Leader and Son Mutassim
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libya's rebel army has been accused of executing both Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in cold blood as the United Nations suggested their deaths amounted to war crimes.


Human rights groups and Gaddafi's wife Safia called for an independent investigation into the deaths, which robbed victims' families of the chance to see Gaddafi put on trial for his murderous acts.

Both Gaddafi and his son were filmed or photographed alive and relatively uninjured after their capture on Thursday, before both died of multiple gunshot wounds.

On Friday, at the refrigeration units in Misrata where the two bodies are being kept before their burial, young men queued for the chance to see the corpses and take pictures of them on their mobile phones. » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Friday, October 21, 2011

Libya: Injured Gaddafi Pleaded with his Captors
New amateur footage from Libya appears to show an injured Muammar Gaddafi pleading with his captors shortly after he was seized in Sirte.

Muammar Gaddafi's 'Trophy' Body On Show in Misrata Meat Store
THE GUARDIAN: Libyans queue to see dictator's body as wounds appear to confirm he was killed in cold blood

Bloodied, wearing just a pair of khaki trousers, and dumped on a cheap mattress, Muammar Gaddafi's body has become a gruesome tourist attraction and a macabre symbol of the new Libya's problems.

Hundreds of ordinary Libyans queued up outside a refrigerated meat store in Misrata, where the dead dictator was being stored as a trophy. A guard allowed small groups into the room to celebrate next to Gaddafi's body. They posed for photos, flashing victory signs, and burst into jubilant cries of "God is great." » | Andrei Netto in Misrata, Ian Black in Tripoli and Luke Harding | Friday, October 21, 2011

MAIL ONLINE: Gaddafi's widow demands inquiry into death as new video emerges of moment dictator was dragged from hiding place: Traditional burial within 24 hours delayed so body can be examined / Daughter called father's mobile phone as he was being taken away » | David Williams and Andrew Malone | Friday, October 21, 2011

MAIL ONLINE: A last cigarette and a swig of water, Gaddafi's son Mutassim pictured before he too died of new wounds acquired in captivity: After his capture, Colonel Gaddafi’s son Mutassim was photographed swigging water and smoking a cigarette. » | Daily Mail Reporter | Friday, October 21, 2011

Libya: NTC Confirm Colonel Gaddafi Is Dead
The ousted ruler of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi has been killed by former rebel forces in Sirte, the National Transitional Council confirms at a press conference in Benghazi.

Bloodied But Not Dead: Last Moments of Former Libyan Leader Colonel Gaddafi Following Fall of Sirte
Amateur video has emerged of Colonel Gaddafi apparently wounded while fleeing Sirte but still alive.

Muammar Gaddafi Death: New Footage and Eyewitness Account of Former Libyan Dictator's Capture
Footage has emerged of the moments immediately after Gaddafi's capture as NTC fighter claims to be the one who seized him in the drain

Col Gaddafi Killed: Barack Obama Leads World Reaction as Gulf Stays Quiet
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama led the world in hailing the death of Muammar Gaddafi as the end of 40 years of despotism and tyranny, amid caution that Libya’s transition to a fair and democratic society could be long and difficult.


“A long and painful chapter for the people of Libya is now closed,” said the US president, speaking in the White House Rose Garden. “Today we can definitively say the Gaddafi regime has come to an end and one of the world’s longest serving dictators is no more.”

“The dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted and with this enormous promise the people of Libya have a great responsibility to build an inclusive, tolerant and democratic Libya that stands as the ultimate rebuke to Gaddafi’s dictatorship.” But, he added, “we are under no illusions – there will be difficult days ahead”.

The president, who was criticised at home for involving the US military in a third overseas mission, stressed how its objectives had been achieved without a single American soldier being deployed on the ground and stressed that the eight-month Nato mission would soon come to an end. He praised the co-operation between Nato and Arab nations as a model for the 21st century.

Col Gaddafi’s demise served as a warning to other despots in north Africa and the Middle East who have now seen leaders toppled and protests challenge the status quo across the region.

“Today’s events proved once again that the rule of iron fist inevitably comes to an end,” he said. » | Alex Spillius, Washington and Richard Spencer | Thursday, October 20, 2011

Forgive me if I am missing something here, but from Obama’s speech, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Americans have got rid of Qadhafi alone. There was no mention in his speech of Britain and France’s significant contributions. Indeed, it was my understanding that Cameron and Sarkozy decided to go together on this. America, if it played any rôle at all, took a back seat. So Obama’s speech confuses me somewhat! – © Mark

Muammar Gaddafi, the 'King of Kings' Dies in His Hometown
THE GUARDIAN: Libya's former leader killed by rebels in Sirte in wake of French air strike, although precise details of his death remain unclear


Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was born near Sirte, and when he became the ruler of all Libya, he transformed it from an insignificant fishing village into the country's sprawling second city. On Thursday, after a brutal – and ultimately hopeless – last stand, it was the place where he died.

For the past three weeks, with Gaddafi's whereabouts still unknown, government fighters had been puzzled by the bitter and determined resistance from loyalist fighters. Trapped in a tiny coastal strip just a few hundred metres wide, they had refused to give up, even when a victory by the forces of Libya's National Transitional Council seemed inevitable.

Here at last was the answer: they had been fighting to the death with their once-great leader in their midst.

The emergencies director of Human Rights Watch, Peter Bouckaert, was one of those in Sirte during the final battle. "A very heavy bombardment started at midnight with shelling of the remaining strongholds with Grad rockets that went on until 6am," he told the Guardian. "I went down to the city centre at 9am and went in with the fighters from Benghazi who said the whole city was free.

"I went to the hospital and a fighter arrived with a gold pistol he said he had taken from Gaddafi. He said there had been a fight with a convoy of people trying to flee. Mansour Dhou [Sirte's pro-Gaddafi military commander] was also in the clinic, shot in the stomach. He said they had been trying to flee and were caught in gunfire, which is when he lost consciousness. He confirmed Gaddafi was with him."

While details of the precise circumstances of Gaddafi's death remained confused and contradictory last night, it appears he was trying to flee the city in a convoy of cars when they came under attack from Nato jets. Last night the French claimed responsibilty for the airstrike. » | Peter Beaumont | Thursday, October 20, 2011

David Cameron: 'Colonel Gaddafi Is Dead'
The Prime Minister says Muammar Gaddafi's victims should be remembered following the confirmation of the Libyan dictator's death.

Colonel Gaddafi's Bloodied Body Shown as Leader Captured Outside Sirte
Graphic images of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's lifeless body were shown on Libyan state television after the deposed dictator was captured fleeing his hometown of Sirte and killed.

MAIL ONLINE: Gaddafi's last moments alive: Dictator begs for his life after being dragged from a drain. Seconds later he was summarily executed » | Daily Mail Reporter | Thursday, October 20, 2011

Muammar Gaddafi: Obituary
A senior National Transitional Council official has said that deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has died of his wounds after being captured near his hometown of Sirte. Muammar Gaddafi came to power in 1969 in a coup at the age of 27 and went on to rule Libya for 42 years with an iron fist. He has left Libya in tatters and despite the vast oil wealth, a vast majority of Libyans still live on about $2 a day and 40 per cent remain unemployed. Gaddafi wanted to be the leader of the Arab world and modeled himself on Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. He published the Green Book which established rule of the people but in reality he exercised absolute power. The former Libyan leader was accused of bombing Pan Am Flight 103 in Scotland, a charge he always denied. After this Libya remained under internatinal isolation for years. When the uprising gathered momentum earlier this year he blamed everyone, from US to al-Qaeda, and called the protesters rats and cats of Libya. Many will remember Gaddafi as the leader who set Libya back by many years.

Libya: 'Gaddafi Dies from Wounds' Suffered in Sirte Capture

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi died of wounds suffered in his capture near his hometown of Sirte on Thursday, a senior NTC military official said.

National Transitional Council official Abdel Majid Mlegta said that Gaddafi was captured and wounded in both legs at dawn on Thursday as he tried to flee in a convoy which Nato warplanes attacked.

Gaddafi was shot in both legs and "also hit in his head", the official said. "There was a lot of firing against his group and he died."

There was no independent confirmation of his remarks.

In the early hours of the morning, at least five cars carrying loyalist fighters attempted to escape the city. » | Ben Farmer, in Sirte and Barney Henderson | Thursday, October 2011

LE POINT: Libye : Kadhafi annoncé mort – Suivez en direct les dernières informations sur le décès présumé de l'ancien dictateur libyen. » | jeudi 20 octobre 2011

LE FIGARO: La Libye est enfin «libérée» : La chute de Syrte lance le compte à rebours vers l'élection d'une Assemblée constituante, prélude à la démocratisation du pays. » | Par Thierry Portes | jeudi 20 octobre 2011

NZZ ONLINE: Übergangsrat bestätigt Tod Ghadhafis: Frührerer Machthaber soll nach Festnahme seinen Verletzungen erlegen sein » | Reuters/sda/afp/ddp | Donnerstag 20. Oktober 2011

NZZ ONLINE: Ghadhafi – zwischen Utopie und Realitätsverlust: Der libysche Machthaber ging den Weg aller Despoten » | Von Isabelle Imhof | Donnerstag 20. Oktober 2011

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Übergangsrat: Gaddafi bei Festnahme getötet: Nach Angaben des libyschen Übergangsrats ist der ehemalige Machthaber Gaddafi auf der Flucht aus seiner Heimatstadt Sirte getötet worden. Zuvor war die Stadt von Truppen der neuen Führung eingenommen worden. » | FAZ.NET | Donnerstag 20. Oktober 2011

Freude über Gaddafis Tod

Muammar Gaddafi bei Festnahme getötet

Bulldozers Begin Demolition of Gaddafi's Tripoli Compound
THE GUARDIAN: Knocking down Gaddafi's Tripoli stronghold is seen by revolutionaries as erasing 'symbol of repression'

Libyan bulldozers began knocking down the green walls surrounding Muammar Gaddafi's main Tripoli compound, known as Bab al-Aziziya, on Sunday as the new leaders said it was time "to tear down this symbol of tyranny".

The sprawling, fortress-like compound has long been hated by Libyans who feared to even walk nearby during Gaddafi's more than four decades in power and its capture was seen as a turning point in the civil war as revolutionaries overran the capital in late August.

Ahmad Ghargory, commander of a revolutionary brigade, said the area would be turned into a public park.

"It's the revolutionary decision to tear down this symbol of tyranny," Ghargory said. "We were busy with the war, but now we have the space to do this." » | Associated Press | Sunday, October 16, 2011


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Libyan Rebels Ransack Home of Gaddafi Daughter in Sirte
The latest footage from Sirte shows Libyan revolutionary forces breaking into the seemingly abandoned home of Aisha Gaddafi, one of the daughters of the deposed dictator

Tony Blair Facing Parliamentary Probe over Secret Meetings with Gaddafi
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair is facing a parliamentary investigation into his close relationship with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Senior MPs are demanding that Mr Blair reveal all details of his private meetings with the dictator since leaving Downing Street.

The move follows revelations in The Sunday Telegraph that Mr Blair had at least six meetings with Gaddafi since quitting as prime minister.

Five of those meetings took place in a 14 month period prior to the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber sent back to Tripoli to serve out the rest of his prison sentence in the comfort of his own home.

On at least two occasions Mr Blair and his sizeable entourage flew to Tripoli on a private jet paid for by the Gaddafi regime at a cost of about £150,000.

One meeting in January 2009 has been linked to a multi-billion dollar deal between the Libyans and a Russian company being put together by JP Morgan, the US bank which pays Mr Blair about £2 million a year as a senior adviser. » | Robert Mendick, Chief Reporter | Saturday, October 08, 2011

Tony Blair must be the most hated ex-prime minister ever! He screwed his own country, cheated, lied, and now profits – BIG TIME! In addition, he brought the world strife and wars. Yet he was made peace envoy for the Middle East! How are we to understand this absurd contradiction? The Palestinians have got it right about him. They find him despicable. As he is supposed to be trying to bring peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, it is surprising indeed that his position hasn't already become untenable. Were I to be he, I should hang my head in shame and go into hiding. – © Mark

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Gaddafi Urges Libyans to 'March in Their Millions'
On an audio tape, a voice purported to be that of Colonel Gaddafi urges his supporters to "march in their millions" and "raise our green flags to the skies".

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First Footage of Hana Gaddafi Found
The first film footage of the adopted daughter of Col Gaddafi of Libya, who he claimed had been killed in an American bombing raid in 1986, is published today by ‘The Daily Telegraph’.

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Tony Blair 'Visited Libya to Lobby for JP Morgan'

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair used visits to Libya after he left office to lobby for business for the American investment bank JP Morgan, The Daily Telegraph has been told.

A senior executive with the Libyan Investment Authority, the $70 billion fund used to invest the country's oil money abroad, said Mr Blair was one of three prominent western businessmen who regularly dealt with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the former leader.

Saif al-Islam and his close aides oversaw the activities of the fund, and often directed its officials on where they should make its investments, he said.

The executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, said officials were told the "ideas" they were ordered to pursue came from Mr Blair as well as one other British businessman and a former American diplomat.

"Tony Blair's visits were purely lobby visits for banking deals with JP Morgan," he said.
He said that unlike some other deals - notably some investments run by the US bank Goldman Sachs - JP Morgan's had never turned "bad".

But he added: "Saif and his father played these people like musical chairs. At the end the reputation of the LIA was really damaged because of these interventions." » | Richard Spencer, Tripoli, Heidi Blake and Jon Swaine in New York | Sunday, September 18, 2011