Showing posts with label gaddafi dead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gaddafi dead. Show all posts
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Gaddafi dead
Libya's National Transitional Council has confirmed that fighters have shot Colonel Gaddafi dead in Sirte, finally ending the tyrant's 42 year reign over Libya.
The country's former leader died as a result of wounds suffered during his capture. Several images have surfaced online of his dead body.
[Warning: Some people may find the images at the bottom of this page distressing]
The news agency Reuters originally reported that Gaddafi was captured but was still breathing.
"He's captured. He's wounded in both legs ... He's been taken away by ambulance," the senior NTC military official Abdel Majid told Reuters by telephone. However this was later updated, saying that he had died of his wounds.
It is thought Gaddafi was trying to flee in a convoy that was attacked by NATO when he was captured by the NTC.
Majid told Reuters that the head of Gaddafi's armed forces Abu Bakr Younus Jabr was also killed during the capture of the Libyan ex-leader who was apparantly wearing a khaki uniform and wearing a turban.
Majid added that NATO warplanes struck the convoy and hit four cars as it headed west and that Ahmed Ibrahim, a cousin and adviser of Gaddafi, was also captured.
A conflicting report from an NTC fighter claims that Gaddafi was found hiding in a hole in Sirte, shouting "don't shoot, don't shoot".
In the capital Tripoli, sounds of gun shots were heard and people cheered in the street: "God is Great, God is Great, Gaddafi has been captured."
Prime Minister David Cameron has issued a brief statement welcoming the news and saying he is proud of the role Britain played in allowing Libya to move towards a democratic culture.
The below AFP Getty image, reportedly taken from a camera phone, appears to show Muammar Gaddafi covered in blood.
This second images is said to be the hiding place of Gaddafi. The blue graffiti on the wall reads: 'The hiding place of the vile rat Gaddafi'.
Images have emerged of what is believed to be Colonel Gaddafi's body being dragged through the streets by NTC fighters.
[Warning: Some people may find the images at the bottom of this page distressing]
The news agency Reuters originally reported that Gaddafi was captured but was still breathing.
"He's captured. He's wounded in both legs ... He's been taken away by ambulance," the senior NTC military official Abdel Majid told Reuters by telephone. However this was later updated, saying that he had died of his wounds.
It is thought Gaddafi was trying to flee in a convoy that was attacked by NATO when he was captured by the NTC.
Majid told Reuters that the head of Gaddafi's armed forces Abu Bakr Younus Jabr was also killed during the capture of the Libyan ex-leader who was apparantly wearing a khaki uniform and wearing a turban.
Majid added that NATO warplanes struck the convoy and hit four cars as it headed west and that Ahmed Ibrahim, a cousin and adviser of Gaddafi, was also captured.
A conflicting report from an NTC fighter claims that Gaddafi was found hiding in a hole in Sirte, shouting "don't shoot, don't shoot".
In the capital Tripoli, sounds of gun shots were heard and people cheered in the street: "God is Great, God is Great, Gaddafi has been captured."
Prime Minister David Cameron has issued a brief statement welcoming the news and saying he is proud of the role Britain played in allowing Libya to move towards a democratic culture.
The below AFP Getty image, reportedly taken from a camera phone, appears to show Muammar Gaddafi covered in blood.
Eldest son Saif critically injured and 'captured close to Tripoli'
Saif al-Islam was said to be fleeing across the vast Libyan desert towards Niger yesterday after escaping the carnage of Sirte.
Officials said Gaddafi’s favourite son – a British-educated playboy – was travelling in a convoy of three armoured vehicles being hunted by Nato reconnaissance planes.
If confirmed, it would be a blow to the National Transitional Council and a huge boost to the dead tyrant’s remaining supporters who would see his survival as a potential rallying point for any insurgency.
But conflicting reports emerged yesterday claiming that Saif had been captured in Zlitan, 99 miles from Tripoli, while receiving treatment for wounds.
No pictures have emerged of Saif since his father was captured and killed on Thursday. If he has been captured, it is likely that mobile phone footage would have surfaced by now.
Any escape will worry the British political elite who could face acute embarrassment if Saif was ultimately captured and ended up in court.
Saif became close to leading figures in the British government after Tony Blair signed the notorious ‘Deal in the Desert’ in March 2004.
Prince Andrew has also been linked to the bomber’s controversial release.
The Duke of York was accused of holding secret ‘detailed discussions’ over the release of the Lockerbie bomber with Saif in 2009, during an official Foreign Office-sponsored trip to Algeria.
News of his apparent escape was revealed by Abdul Majid Mlegta, a senior military commander of the interim NTC.
His statement came after a day of rumour and conflicting reports in Tripoli that had seen Saif, 39, variously killed, fighting for his life in hospital and being held in custody.
In the hours after the deaths of Gaddafi and another son Mutassim, 34 – who had been in charge of Sirte’s defences – it was said Saif had been critically wounded when his convoy was hit by an RAF bombing raid.
Saif is thought to be trying to join up with another brother Saadi, 38, who fled to Niger in September together with other Gaddafi allies and a fortune in gold and U.S. dollars.
In an indication that Niger may become a rallying point for the family, Mlegta revealed that in recent days Gaddafi’s security chief Abdullah al-Senussi, was believed to have ‘slipped into hiding’ in the country.
Senussi is Gaddafi’s brother-in-law and wanted for crimes against humanity on an international arrest warrant from the war crimes tribunal.
Ten days ago both Saadi and Saif were said to have tried to strike a deal with the NTC that would have allowed Gaddafi to leave Sirte – an offer emphatically rejected.
Officials said last night that Saif was believed to have been with his father in Sirte and to have somehow escaped amid the confusion after the convoy fleeing west was twice attacked by Nato drones and warplanes.
Yesterday Nato officials released details of it role in possibly the last strikes of the eight-month civil war.
It said planes had hit 11 vehicles in an armoured convoy speeding the late Libyan leader out of Sirte on Thursday, although Nato did not know Gaddafi was in the convoy.
The account suggested Gaddafi’s fleeing convoy was considerably larger, and more vehicles were hit, than previously reported.
Nato aircraft struck 11 pro-Gaddafi vehicles that were part of a larger group of approximately 75 vehicles near Sirte, the statement said.
‘The vehicles were carrying a substantial amount of weapons and ammunition posing a significant threat to the local civilian population. The convoy was engaged by a Nato aircraft to reduce the threat.’
Last night, Admiral Jim Stavridis, Nato’s top commander, said he was recommending the end of the alliance’s Libya mission calling it ‘a good day for Nato. A great day for the people of Libya’.
And Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said a preliminary decision had been made to end the air operation on October 31.
In August, as Tripoli fell to rebel forces and after a day of bloody street battles in the Libyan capital, Saif boasted of victory.
Despite having been reported captured and under arrest, he appeared outside a Tripoli hotel to make a defiant speech, declaring: ‘We have broken the backbone of the rebels. It was a trap. We gave them a hard time, so we are winning.’
Gaddafi’s other children have all fled the country or been killed or captured during the civil war. It is not known where either of his two wives are.
Hana, mid-20s. Status - unknown: Gaddafi said his adopted daughter was killed in a 1986 U.S. air strike, but in August it emerged she may have lived and become a doctor
Officials said Gaddafi’s favourite son – a British-educated playboy – was travelling in a convoy of three armoured vehicles being hunted by Nato reconnaissance planes.
If confirmed, it would be a blow to the National Transitional Council and a huge boost to the dead tyrant’s remaining supporters who would see his survival as a potential rallying point for any insurgency.
But conflicting reports emerged yesterday claiming that Saif had been captured in Zlitan, 99 miles from Tripoli, while receiving treatment for wounds.
The fall of the Gaddafi clan: Colonel Gaddafi, left, and, it is thought, his son Mutassim, centre, were both killed on the attack on Sirte yesterday. Saif al-Islam, his heir, right, is thought to have been wounded
Any escape will worry the British political elite who could face acute embarrassment if Saif was ultimately captured and ended up in court.
Saif became close to leading figures in the British government after Tony Blair signed the notorious ‘Deal in the Desert’ in March 2004.
Prince Andrew has also been linked to the bomber’s controversial release.
The Duke of York was accused of holding secret ‘detailed discussions’ over the release of the Lockerbie bomber with Saif in 2009, during an official Foreign Office-sponsored trip to Algeria.
Laid back: Gaddafi poses on a sofa in a photo taken some years ago with two of his sons, believed to be Mohammed, left, and Saif, right, and his daughter, Ayesha
His statement came after a day of rumour and conflicting reports in Tripoli that had seen Saif, 39, variously killed, fighting for his life in hospital and being held in custody.
In the hours after the deaths of Gaddafi and another son Mutassim, 34 – who had been in charge of Sirte’s defences – it was said Saif had been critically wounded when his convoy was hit by an RAF bombing raid.
Saif is thought to be trying to join up with another brother Saadi, 38, who fled to Niger in September together with other Gaddafi allies and a fortune in gold and U.S. dollars.
Mohammed, 41. Status - fled: The only child from Gaddafi's first wife, Mohammed was head of the Libyan Olympic committee and chairman of the General Post and Telecom Company which operated the country's mobile phone and satellite communications networks. He fled to Algeria after the fall of Tripoli.
Saif al-Islam, 39. Status - wounded: Gaddafi's eldest son from his second wife, Saif Al-Islam was the dictator's favourite and one-time heir apparent. Educated in London and Vienna, he was a notorious playboy. Rebels claimed to have captured him during the fall of Tripoli but he escaped the capital. Yesterday, the NTC initially said Saif fled Sirte in a convoy heading for the desert, but then announced he was shot in the leg by revolutionary fighters and taken to hospital. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity
Senussi is Gaddafi’s brother-in-law and wanted for crimes against humanity on an international arrest warrant from the war crimes tribunal.
Ten days ago both Saadi and Saif were said to have tried to strike a deal with the NTC that would have allowed Gaddafi to leave Sirte – an offer emphatically rejected.
Officials said last night that Saif was believed to have been with his father in Sirte and to have somehow escaped amid the confusion after the convoy fleeing west was twice attacked by Nato drones and warplanes.
Saadi, 38. Status - fled: A former footballer who played in Italy's Serie A league, he ran Libya's football federation and invested millions of pounds in the country's fledgling film industry. He fled to Niger in September.
Hannibal, 36. Status - fled: Violent and abusive, Hannibal was accused of beating his pregnant girlfriend in Paris in 2005 and was arrested for assaulting two servants in a Geneva hotel, but ran back to Libya after being released on bail. He ran Libya's General National Maritime Transport Company, which controlled the country's oil exports. He fled to Algeria with brother Mohammed in August.
Mutassim, 34. Status - killed: A lieutenant colonel in the Libyan army, Mutassim fled to Egypt after masterminding a failed coup against his father. He was forgiven and returned to Gaddafi's side as his national security adviser. Killed in the assault on Sirte, according to NTC officials, although conflicting reports claim he was captured alive.
THE MISSING FIRST WIFE
Fatiha, age unknown. Status - unknown:
Gaddafi's first marriage to school teacher Fatiha al-Nuri lasted less than a year.
She reputedly never met Gaddafi until the day of their wedding.
The couple had one son, Mohammed, but separated after six months and little is known of Gaddafi's first wife after their divorce in 1970.
Gaddafi's first marriage to school teacher Fatiha al-Nuri lasted less than a year.
She reputedly never met Gaddafi until the day of their wedding.
The couple had one son, Mohammed, but separated after six months and little is known of Gaddafi's first wife after their divorce in 1970.
It said planes had hit 11 vehicles in an armoured convoy speeding the late Libyan leader out of Sirte on Thursday, although Nato did not know Gaddafi was in the convoy.
The account suggested Gaddafi’s fleeing convoy was considerably larger, and more vehicles were hit, than previously reported.
Nato aircraft struck 11 pro-Gaddafi vehicles that were part of a larger group of approximately 75 vehicles near Sirte, the statement said.
‘The vehicles were carrying a substantial amount of weapons and ammunition posing a significant threat to the local civilian population. The convoy was engaged by a Nato aircraft to reduce the threat.’
Ayesha, 34. Status - fled: Nicknamed the Claudia Schiffer of North Africa, Gaddafi's glamorous blonde daughter led rallies of her father's supporters in Tripoli. The Western-educated lawyer was part of Saddam Hussein's defence team. She fled to Algeria with her mother Safiyah and brothers Mohammed and Hannibal in August, and gave birth days later.
Saif al-Arab, 29. Status - dead: Playboy Saif Al-Arab was arrested twice in Germany for an attack on a nightclub bouncer and for excessive noise from his Ferrari F430, while studying in Munich. Charges were dropped as prosecutors ruled trial was not in the national interest. He was killed in a Nato airstrike on the Gaddafi compound in April.
Enlarge
The statement said that at the time of the strike, Nato did not know that Gaddafi was in the convoy, reiterating that it was not Nato’s policy to target individuals. Last night, Admiral Jim Stavridis, Nato’s top commander, said he was recommending the end of the alliance’s Libya mission calling it ‘a good day for Nato. A great day for the people of Libya’.
And Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said a preliminary decision had been made to end the air operation on October 31.
In August, as Tripoli fell to rebel forces and after a day of bloody street battles in the Libyan capital, Saif boasted of victory.
Despite having been reported captured and under arrest, he appeared outside a Tripoli hotel to make a defiant speech, declaring: ‘We have broken the backbone of the rebels. It was a trap. We gave them a hard time, so we are winning.’
Gaddafi’s other children have all fled the country or been killed or captured during the civil war. It is not known where either of his two wives are.
Khamis, 28. Status - dead: Gaddafi's youngest son led his own feared army unit, the Khamis Brigade, which was infamous for torture and intimidation. He was killed in fighting during the fall of Tripoli
Safiyah, 60s. Status - fled: Nurse Safiyah Farkash al-Baraasi met Gaddafi when he had his appendix removed in 1969 and the couple were married for 40 years. She is the mother of seven of his eight biological children, and the couple also adopted two children, a son and a daughter. Shopaholic Safiyah was reputed to have used Gaddafi's private jet for shopping trips to Europe, and owned airline Buraq Air. Her personal wealth has been estimated at £19billion, including 20 tons of gold. She fled to Algeria with Gaddafi's daughter Ayesha in August.
Hana, mid-20s. Status - unknown: Gaddafi said his adopted daughter was killed in a 1986 U.S. air strike, but in August it emerged she may have lived and become a doctor
Who shot Gaddafi? New video shows blood pouring from dictator immediately before death but mystery surrounds coup de
The final bloody moments of Muammar Gaddafi's life were still shrouded in confusion today as conflicting reports emerged about who fired the shot that actually killed him.
Libya's deposed leader was pulled out alive from a drain under a motorway in Sirte, the city of his birthplace, where he had been hiding with a small group of bodyguards.
A clutch of videos have emerged on the internet in which he is seen begging his captors for mercy. His condition varies dramatically, with later footage showing him rambling and drenched in blood.
Wounded and terrified, Gaddafi appeared deluded to the end, asking his captors: 'What did I do to you?' His last words were 'Do you know right from wrong?'
Scroll down for video of Gaddafi's last minutes...
Moments after the last grainy video was shot, it is believed he was killed. Initial reports suggested he had been executed by revolutionary forces in front of a baying mob.
But there have been claims by rebels who witnessed the killing that Gaddafi was actually shot by one of his own bodyguards to spare him further humiliation.
It has also been suggested he was shot during a fight inside an ambulance conveying him to hospital or that he was actually caught in crossfire.
One rebel claimed that he had been killed as he put up a desperate last fight for freedom. He carried his golden revolver on him at all times, and may have pulled it from his clothes.
'He might have been resisting. He might have struggled, tried to escape,' a Libyan revolutionary said.
Pictures of Gaddafi's body show a bullet hole in the temple, which supports claims he was shot at close range.
'They captured him alive and while he was being taken away, they beat him and then they killed him,' a freedom fighter said.
Gaddafi's battered body was paraded through the streets of Sirte to the sound of celebratory gunfire and jubilant shouts.
Another video captured the corpse of the 69-year-old being dragged through the streets of Sirte, to be paraded later before celebrating crowds in the nearby port town of Misrata.
The circumstances leading up to Gaddafi's death are more clear.
RAF Tornados helped launch the final airstrike by flying surveillance missions which cleared the way for French fighter jets to bomb a Gaddafi convoy.
The astonishing end for the tyrant came after he and loyalist fighters tried to flee Sirte as it was overrun by forces of the National Transitional Council.
Gaddafi was in a convoy of up to 100 vehicles which tried to break out of Sirte – the last centre of resistance after eight months of civil war – early yesterday.
The escape was spotted by Nato which launched two devastating strikes. At least 50 loyalist fighters were killed.
Injured in both legs, Gaddafi made his way with bodyguards through trees. The group hid in two concrete sewers but were spotted by rebels.
A Libyan named Salem Bakeer said that he and his comrades gave chase to Gaddafi and his small retinue of bodyguards after they fled their convoy following the airstrike.
'At first we fired at them with anti-aircraft guns, but it was no use,' said Bakeer.
'Then we went in on foot. One of Gaddafi's men came out waving his rifle in the air and shouting surrender, but as soon as he saw my face he started shooting at me.
Libya's deposed leader was pulled out alive from a drain under a motorway in Sirte, the city of his birthplace, where he had been hiding with a small group of bodyguards.
A clutch of videos have emerged on the internet in which he is seen begging his captors for mercy. His condition varies dramatically, with later footage showing him rambling and drenched in blood.
Wounded and terrified, Gaddafi appeared deluded to the end, asking his captors: 'What did I do to you?' His last words were 'Do you know right from wrong?'
Scroll down for video of Gaddafi's last minutes...
Was this the moment the dictator died? A handgun points at the head of Gaddafi who is facing the ground with his hands behind his back
Fear on his face after being captured in his home town of Sirte, this is Gaddafi in the moments leading up to his death
Final moments: A dazed Gaddafi gesticulates as rebels parade him through Sirte shortly before he was shot
Grimacing in pain: A still from a video taken from the mobile phone of a rebel fighter shows Gaddafi, his face covered in blood, being dragged around by freedom fighters
Losing blood: Gaddafi lifts a hand to his face to see the blood pouring from his wounds. The mobile phone footage shows the dictator slumped against a jeep but still alive
But there have been claims by rebels who witnessed the killing that Gaddafi was actually shot by one of his own bodyguards to spare him further humiliation.
It has also been suggested he was shot during a fight inside an ambulance conveying him to hospital or that he was actually caught in crossfire.
Grisly end: New pictures released today show Gaddafi's scarred corpse on the floor of a freezer where it is being kept before burial
A day Libyans fought for: Gaddafi's eyes are closed and mouth firmly shut as preparations are made for his burial
'He might have been resisting. He might have struggled, tried to escape,' a Libyan revolutionary said.
Pictures of Gaddafi's body show a bullet hole in the temple, which supports claims he was shot at close range.
'They captured him alive and while he was being taken away, they beat him and then they killed him,' a freedom fighter said.
Gaddafi's battered body was paraded through the streets of Sirte to the sound of celebratory gunfire and jubilant shouts.
Another video captured the corpse of the 69-year-old being dragged through the streets of Sirte, to be paraded later before celebrating crowds in the nearby port town of Misrata.
Pleading: Muammar Gaddafi begged with his captors for his life after he was found cowering in a storm drain
Paraded: Gaddafi struggled with his captors in video footage taken by rebel fighters after he was found
Chaotic: Gaddafi was pushed around by rebel fighters, one of whom filmed the incident on a mobile phone
Fear: Becoming increasingly desperate, Gaddafi asked a rebel fighter 'What did I ever do to you'
Terrified: Moments after he begged for his life, Gaddafi was shot dead by rebel fighters
RAF Tornados helped launch the final airstrike by flying surveillance missions which cleared the way for French fighter jets to bomb a Gaddafi convoy.
The astonishing end for the tyrant came after he and loyalist fighters tried to flee Sirte as it was overrun by forces of the National Transitional Council.
Gaddafi was in a convoy of up to 100 vehicles which tried to break out of Sirte – the last centre of resistance after eight months of civil war – early yesterday.
The escape was spotted by Nato which launched two devastating strikes. At least 50 loyalist fighters were killed.
Injured in both legs, Gaddafi made his way with bodyguards through trees. The group hid in two concrete sewers but were spotted by rebels.
A Libyan named Salem Bakeer said that he and his comrades gave chase to Gaddafi and his small retinue of bodyguards after they fled their convoy following the airstrike.
'At first we fired at them with anti-aircraft guns, but it was no use,' said Bakeer.
'Then we went in on foot. One of Gaddafi's men came out waving his rifle in the air and shouting surrender, but as soon as he saw my face he started shooting at me.
Struggle: Video footage shows Gaddafi being hauled off a rebel fighter truck minutes after his capture
Manhandled: The former Libyan leader is propped up against the side of a truck during the melee
Arguing: Gaddafi pictured in chaotic video footage minutes before he was killed
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)