Colonel Gadhafi has been killed

[Tolya]

Source: CNN

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Revolutionary fighters have captured deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, Libyan television said Wednesday, citing the Misrata Military Council.

That report, however, could not be independently confirmed.

Horns blared and celebratory gunfire burst into the air in Tripoli.

"It's a great victory for the Libyan people," said Libyan Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam.

Gadhafi ruled Libya with an iron fist for 42 years. A February uprising evolved into civil war that resulted in ousting the strongman from power.

Earlier, anti-Gadhafi fighters said they had wrested control of the last holdout of loyalists in Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte. They said they were still battling pockets of resistance, but they were in control of the district.

Sirte has been the big prize for Libya's National Transitional Council, waiting for the coastal city to fall to officially declare liberation.

Most residents abandoned Sirte in the many weeks of fierce battles that raged there. Revolutionary forces have fought Gadhafi's men street by street, cornering the last vestiges of the old regime to that last district.

Gadhafi, wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, for alleged crimes against humanity has not been seen in public in months. Many believed he was hiding out in Sirte after rebel forces marched into Tripoli in August.

Anyone up for a farce tribunal and quick execution?

[weemadando]

Already dead according to Beeb world service who are running with Al Jazeera reports

[weemadando]

BBC correspondent James Bayes (haha) in Tripoli says that the Colonel and his security team tried to bust out of a compound/the area in vehicles. Qaddafi appatentyl took rounds in both legs and later died of his injuries.

US saying they've heard reports but are unconfirmed.

ABC (Australia) correspondent now reporting badly wounded in both legs and captured but no word on his death.

[SCRawl]

Most reports seem to be saying that he's dead of gunshot wounds sustained while fleeing Sirte in a convoy. I'd keep on top of this, but I have two midterms awaiting me later today, and some preparation still needs to be done.

[K. A. Pital]

NATO doesn't yet confirm. Since TNC has issued false reports of Gaddafi and his son's deaths before, I'd wait until confirmation.

[Thanas]

al-Jazeera is reporting he was captured.

[Darth Tanner]

They have swapped to the dead story now and the BBC has got a photo up, although it could be anyone.

bbc

Read the head of the surviving loyalists military is dead as well so that’s more or less over with then, the old regime has nothing left to cling to?

[SpaceMarine93]

If he's really dead, it is a pity. I for one want him to be tried at an international court, and if found guilty, hanged. Well, at least that bastard is dead now.

[Punarbhava]

MSNBC has been playing video of a guy who looks a little like Gadhafi lying dead on the ground.

[K. A. Pital]

Apparently Q. body has been moved to Misurata as per the reports, and soon people should be allowed to examine and film it. Well, if Q. is really dead, another chapter in the Libyan civil war is closed. Next we'll see if Belhaj's boots and guns are enough to give him ground to challenge the TNC for power. Q's sons will be leading the remaining loyalists in the meantime, I believe.

[TheHammer]

If he's really dead, it is a pity. I for one want him to be tried at an international court, and if found guilty, hanged. Well, at least that bastard is dead now.

You know, I realize its sort of ingrained in our culture that everyone deserves a "fair trial". But I happen to think that in some instances, where the crimes are well known and guilt certain, that you don't really need a trial for justice to be done. This situation fits that criteria.

[K. A. Pital]

If he's really dead, it is a pity. I for one want him to be tried at an international court, and if found guilty, hanged. Well, at least that bastard is dead now.

You know, I realize its sort of ingrained in our culture that everyone deserves a "fair trial". But I happen to think that in some instances, where the crimes are well known and guilt certain, that you don't really need a trial for justice to be done. This situation fits that criteria.

Any revolution or civil war fits that criteria. If a leader is killed in a civil war that means he's automatically doing something wrong. On the other hand, lots of leaders aren't offed in civil wars. Heh.

[Night_stalker]

CNN CONFIRMS GADHAFI DEAD

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/20/li ... &hpt=hp_t1

Deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has been killed, interim Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril told reporters in Tripoli on Thursday. There are conflicting reports surrounding the circumstances of his killing, which reportedly happened in or near Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte on Thursday. Libya's ambassador to the United Kingdom says that Gadhafi's body is in Misrata, Libya.

A different source – a spokesman for a member of the Tripoli military council – says that one of Gadhafi's sons, Mutassim, and Moammar Gadhafi's chief of intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, also have been killed.

A grisly video that aired on the Al Jazeera Arabic network appears to show a lifeless Gadhafi with a wound to his head (see top of post). A photograph distributed by the news agency Agence France-Presse also appeared to show the longtime dictator severely wounded. CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the images.

In another major development, revolutionary fighters said they wrested control of Sirte on Thursday. And NATO said it is going to convene soon for a meeting to discuss ending its operation in Libya, a source told CNN.

This story is fast developing. Moammar Gadhafi, 69, was in power for 42 years before being ousted in an uprising this year.

[Update 12:20 p.m. ET] German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the death of Moammar Gadhafi on Thursday is "important" for Libyans.

"A bloody war which Gadhafi waged against his own people now comes to a close. The way is finally clear for a new and peaceful political beginning," she said.

[Update 12:17 p.m. ET] French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office called Moammar Gadhafi's "disappearance" Thursday a "major step" in the struggle by Libyans to "free themselves from dictatorship and violence."

[Update 11:50 a.m. ET] David Gergen, a CNN senior political analyst and an adviser to four U.S. presidents, reacted to Gadhafi’s death: “Thank goodness. The world is rid of a tyrant,” he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

Gadhafi's death “does promise something new” for Libya, and the Libyans “deserve” this news, Gergen said. However, Gergen cautioned that the death doesn’t bring stability to Libya or the region.

[Update 11:46 a.m. ET] Moammar Gadhafi "was not killed in an airstrike," interim Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said Thursday in Tripoli.

Conflicting reports have been made regarding how and where Gadhafi died. Libyan Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam told CNN that revolutionary fighters attacked a house where Gadhafi was hiding, and that Gadhafi was shot while trying to flee.

NATO has said that its aircraft struck two pro-Gadhafi military vehicles in the vicinity of Sirte. It's unclear whether that had any role in Gadhafi's death.

[Update 11:45 a.m. ET] U.S. Sen. John McCain said of reports of Gadhafi's death: "I think it's a great day."

The United States has been part of a NATO military mission enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya since the early days of 2011's Libyan revolt against Gadhafi. McCain said that when he and other lawmakers visited Tripoli to speak with anti-Gadhafi officials after Gadhafi's overthrow, those officials said that they would seriously consider reimbursing the United States for its efforts. The amount that the Libyans said they would try to give back to the United States is approximately $1 billion, McCain told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

U.S. Defense Department costs for operations in Libya stand at about $1.1 billion as of September 30, according to Pentagon spokesman George Little. That includes daily military operations, munitions, the drawdown of supplies and humanitarian assistance.

McCain said that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama "deserves credit" for how the crisis in Libya has been handled.

[Update 11:35 a.m. ET] U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Gadhafi's death "marks a historic transition for Libya."

"In the coming days, we will witness scenes of celebration, as well as grief for those who lost so much. Yet let us recognize, immediately, that this is only the end of the beginning," Ban said, referring in part to the work that Libya's anti-Gadhafi movement still has to do to transition from Gadhafi's regime. "The road ahead for Libya and its people will be difficult and full of challenges.".

[Update 11:27 a.m. ET] Streets in Libya's capital, Tripoli, are jammed with people who are celebrating, CNN's Dan Rivers reports from the city. Gunfire – presumably celebratory – can be heard. Video from Tripoli shows many people waving the flag that Libya's National Transitional Council adopted after Gadhafi's ouster.

[Update 11:21 a.m. ET] A pro-Moammar Gadhafi channel, Al-Rai, is now reporting the death of the former Libyan leader, citing NATO sources.

[Update 11:02 a.m. ET] The Libyan ambassador to the United Kingdom confirmed Moammar Gadhafi's death Thursday and said his body is in the Libyan city of Misrata.

News of the ambassador's comments comes minutes after the interim Libyan prime minister announced Gadhafi's death.

[Update 10:59 a.m. ET] The son of a long-missing anti-Gadhafi activist says that reports of Gadhafi’s death are overwhelming to him.

“I can’t explain,” Ahmed Almegaryaf said. “[It is] something I’ve been wanting to hear all my life. Hopefully it really was him that was captured.”

Almegaryaf is the son of Izzat Almegaryaf, who the son says was captured by Egyptian security services in 1990 and handed over to the Libyans. He said he has not heard from his father since.

Almegaryaf said he that even if his father is dead, Izzat Almegaryaf will be “smiling down” on Libya if Gadhafi is gone. Read more about Almegaryaf.

[Update 10:54 a.m. ET] NATO's top military official, Supreme Allied Commander Adm. James Stavridis, will call for a special session to address ending the NATO mission in Libya, a senior NATO official says, according to CNN's Barbara Starr.

“It will be very soon, perhaps next day or two. (Stavridis) will give a recommendation and a special session of the NAC will be convened," the official said.

Stavridis is now looking at “key pieces of intelligence” to make that recommendation, according to the official. That will include assessing whether anti-Gadhafi forces control Sirte, and whether Gadhafi loyalists can mount any significant counter-strike.

[Update 10:39 a.m. ET] Gadhafi's son, Mutassim, and his chief of intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, have been killed, according to Anees al-Sharif, spokesman for AbdelHakim Belhajj of the Tripoli military council.

This report comes on the day that the interim Libyan prime minister says that Moammar Gadhafi was killed.

[Update 10:36 a.m. ET] Former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has been killed, interim Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril told reporters in Tripoli Thursday.

[Update 10:32 a.m. ET] Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign policy chief, said if the reports of Gadhafi's death are confirmed, his demise "brings closure to a tragic period in the lives of so many Libyans."

She also said that the fall of Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte "marks the end of the Gadhafi era."

"Libya is now under the full control of National Transitional Council forces," she said.

[Update 10:22 a.m. ET] Guma el-Gamaty, a Libyan political activist and former London coordinator for Libya's National Transitional Council, told CNN from London that leaders of anti-Gadhafi forces told him that Gadhafi was conscious and was talking shortly after he was injured.

Gadhafi said, “who are you, what’s going on?” but died later, according to el-Gamaty, who cited anti-Gadhafi forces. He said Gadhafi was injured as he resisted attempts to capture him.

[Update 10:14 a.m. ET] CNN's Ben Wedeman, who has covered the uprising in Libya for months, said one of the biggest risks for Libya moving forward is a strong impulse among revolutionary fighters and political leaders to commit revenge killings in an attempt to get rid of leftover elements of Gadhafi’s regime. Rioting and looting, thanks to overall instability, could follow, Wedeman said.

Former Gadhafi aide Abubaker Saad, now a professor of Middle Eastern history at Western Connecticut State University, told CNN that he is more optimistic about how Gadhafi's alleged death would affect Libya. He said on CNN that Libya's National Transitional Council is "really thirsty" to enact democratic reforms in the country.Saad said positive change will happen, but he added that it would be "foolish" to expect "smooth sailing" in a country which has been ruled for more than four decades by a dictator.

[Update 10:07 a.m. ET] Cell phone video aired by Arabic language TV network Al Jazeera appears to show Gadhafi's bloody body.

[Update 10 a.m. ET] CNN's Phil Black, reporting from the British prime minister's residence in London, says that the British government is making no comment about reports of Gadhafi's death, and that it's unlikely they would do so before Washington.

Black noted that there have been "enthusiastic" reports of other Libyan leaders' deaths and capture since the fall of Tripoli that have turned out to be false.


[Update 9:56 a.m. ET] A State Department official familiar with the latest information coming out of Libya said it “looks like he’s been killed," but the department is still awaiting official confirmation. The official would only speak if his name not be used.

[Update 9:48 a.m. ET] Abubaker Saad, a former Gadfahi aide who is now a professor of Middle Eastern history and culture at Western Connecticut State University, said he believed the loyalty that certain Libyan tribes showed to Gadhafi will not transfer to his sons. “None of (Gadhfai’s sons) can muster the loyalty of the tribal groups ... that their father had.”

[Update 9:29 a.m. ET] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton can't confirm reports of Moammar Gadhafi's capture or death. But she said on Thursday either development would "add legitimacy and relief to the formation of a new government" in Libya.

A former member of the Libyan National Transitional Council, Guma El-Gamaty, told CNN from London that Gadhafi is dead. "This is the end of the tyrant," he said.

[Update 9:21 a.m. ET] Rebels said Moammar Gadhafi was killed when fighters attacked the house where he was Thursday, National Transitional Council Information Minister Mahmoud Shamman told CNN. "He tried to flee and they killed him. When they met him, he was alive and he was killed in action," Shamman said. Shamman said the NTC's chairman or prime minister will officially confirm the death.

Abubaker Saad, who worked for Gadhafi for nine years, spoke to CNN via Skype. He viewed a photo that news agency AFP says is Gadhafi bloodied and captured. Saad said he is "90 percent" sure that the man in the photo is Gadhafi. Saad said he is "thrilled" at the news and that it was crucial to have Gadhafi captured or killed – either one – because as long as he was alive or free, he could possibly rally supporters and maintain some level of power. Saad is a professor in the history department at Western Connecticut State University. He teaches Middle East history and cultures.


[Update 9:04 a.m. ET] Most Western governments declined to comment on the reports Thursday, with the U.S. State Department saying it could not confirm the media reports were correct. One exception was Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country took part in the NATO-led air operation in Libya, who said Gadhafi was in custody. "My assistant has just told me that Gadhafi really has been captured," Rutte said during a visit to Moscow. "I am glad that he has been captured." Listen to why Washington is hesitating to confirm reports. If reports are true, it is positive news for U.S. national security, CNN's Barbara Starr reports.


[Update 8:56 a.m. ET] Mahmoud Shamman, National Transitional Council Information Minister, tells CNN that a press conference will be happening soon about the alleged death of Gadhafi. Shamman said Gadhafi is dead and that is "a great victory" for the Libyan people. CNN's Dan Rivers spoke to him in Tripoli where crowds are cheering, shooting guns in a celebratory way and honking their horns.

Rebels said Gadhafi was killed when fighters attacked the house where he was Thursday, Shamman told CNN. "He tried to flee and they killed him. When they met him, he was alive and he was killed in action," Shamman said. Shamman said the NTC's chairman or prime minister will officially confirm the death.

CNN's Ben Wedeman, who covers the region and has covered Libya extensively, said that much caution should be used with these reports, because false information has come out previously. It is being reported that Gadhafi was found in a storm drain. "It's a bit of surprise because we knew that he had escaped from Tripoli" with a lot of cash and weapons, Wedeman said. It would seem odd that Gadhafi would end up in a manhole-type of area, Wedeman said live on CNN.

[Update 8:47 a.m. ET] A cell phone photo, seen above, distributed by the Agence France-Presse shows the apparent arrest of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. In the photo, a man identified as Gadhafi appears wounded and bloodied.

[Update 8:39 a.m. ET] AbdelHakim Bilhajj, head of the National Transitional Council military arm in Tripoli, announced live on Al-Jazeera Arabic Thursday that Gadhafi is dead.

Al-Ahrar, a National Transitional Council TV station, reports that Gadhafi is dead. The station didn't cite a source and the news couldn't be independently confirmed.

The White House has not confirmed the report of Gadhafi's death or capture, a senior administration official said Thursday.

NATO said its aircraft struck two pro-Gadhafi military vehicles in the Sirte vicinity Thursday."These armed vehicles were conducting military operations and presented a clear threat to civilians," Col. Roland Lavoie said.

Earlier Thursday morning CNN reported that revolutionary fighters said they had captured Gadhafi. That was reported on Libyan television on Thursday. The report cited the Misrata Military Council. That report could not be independently confirmed by CNN. Around that time, the National Transitional Council military spokesman told CNN that reports of Gadhafi's capture are only rumors. Abdurahman Bousin added at that time that it was doubtful that Gadhafi was even in or around his hometown of Sirte.

Meanwhile fighters loyal to the NTC took control of Sirte Thursday, the council said. CNN's Dan Rivers is in Tripoli where massive crowds are cheering and honking their car horns. Many are shooting into the air in celebration.

[Update 8:07 a.m. ET] The State Department can't confirm reports about the capture or killing of Gadhafi, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

[Update 7:32 a.m. ET] A "big fish" has been captured in Libya, but a spokesman for the new rulers couldn't say for sure whether it was Gadhafi.

Might want to update the title of the thread.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

At last the bastard is dead, had he survived his followers would still try to fight for him. News footage shows a rebel fighter holding a gold-plated pistol supposedly taken from him.

[K. A. Pital]

had he survived his followers would still try to fight for him

I think they would still fight even after his death. But it will be low-scale partisan warfare, nay a full-scale war like now.

[Crateria]

News footage shows a rebel fighter holding a gold-plated pistol supposedly taken from him.

What is it with people with gold-plated weaponry? I mean, sure it seems cool but otherwise it serves little purpose. Also, wouldn't the gold weigh them down if they had to use it? Wouldn't people try to steal it?

[Mr Bean]

News footage shows a rebel fighter holding a gold-plated pistol supposedly taken from him.

What is it with people with gold-plated weaponry? I mean, sure it seems cool but otherwise it serves little purpose. Also, wouldn't the gold weigh them down if they had to use it? Wouldn't people try to steal it?

It's Gold Plated which means your talking about MAYBE an extra half pound of weight on something like a full up general purpose machine gun. And it will reduce corrosion but the cost of course simply means you could buy two more guns and pack those away until your first gun fell apart.

[folti78]

News footage shows a rebel fighter holding a gold-plated pistol supposedly taken from him.

What is it with people with gold-plated weaponry? I mean, sure it seems cool but otherwise it serves little purpose. Also, wouldn't the gold weigh them down if they had to use it? Wouldn't people try to steal it?

Sign of rank, power and authority. More along the line of ceremonial weapons and other symbols of power(like regalia), than useful items. And as long as you have power and the authority people won't dare to steal it from you ...

[Vanas]

It's a shame he won't have the indignity of being put on trail, but at least it's closure for the Libyans.

I do wonder about the AU and Syria though. The AU was one of his pan-African projects that's actually borne fruit. Hopefully they can stick together. Syria, well... With Mubarak on trial and Gadaffi dead, I wonder how Assad's feeling and whether it'll lead to further repression. Not that doing such a thing would be easy, but still.

BBC Report on Gadaffi's death
Some further bits and pieces available there. I did spot this gem in the comments section that I couldn't help but post:

They removed a leader who kept the region under control. Now the area will be infested with terror groups and religious fanatics, just like Iraq after Sadam. When will the democracies of the world learn that democracy doesn't work for every nation and they cannot force it on the world without creating chaos.

I wasn't aware that democracy was being forced on anyone. If anything, the Libyan Rebels(?) NTC troops? whatever you'd like to call them, have been an anarchy with a goal for most of this. The fact that they've gained politicians seems to be rather minor. What happens next should be interesting for all concerned.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Video of Gadaffi being dogpiled in the back of a truck, trying to fight people off.

Graphic, NSFW, don't let children see.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

So, he was more or less summarily executed by the TNC commander on the scene with a spot firing squad?

[DPDarkPrimus]

I'm somewhat surprised to hear he was actually in Sirte, but it does explain why resistance there was so ingrained.

[CaptainChewbacca]

So, he was more or less summarily executed by the TNC commander on the scene with a spot firing squad?

No, he was shot in the head by one guy with a pistol.

[Rabid]

Video of Gadaffi being dogpiled in the back of a truck, trying to fight people off.

Graphic, NSFW, don't let children see.

<snip video>

"Ain't Karma a bitch, Muammar ?"

Well, seeing this video, my human empathy tell me what happened to him is a sad, sad thing I wouldn't wish on anyone. But honestly, the bastard had it coming, especially given what his men have done to his people.

Good riddance. This makes one scumbag less on the list.


Can we hope for Libya to stabilize itself now, or do we have to expect a repeat of what happened in Côte d'Ivoire ("Rich African country get rid of dictator, get politically instable, and do not recover from it even decades after the facts") ?

[Tolya]

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