TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan rebels battled forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi on the streets of Tripoli Thursday, with the clatter of machine gunfire echoing through the chaotic capital, while the opposition tried to assert control over the oil-rich country even as the longtime leader remained at large.
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An intense gunbattle erupted outside the Corinthia hotel where many foreign journalists are staying, as about a dozen rebels with machine guns and an anti-aircraft gun fired on what appeared to be loyalist gunmen shooting from nearby high-rise buildings.
The rebels are struggling to take complete control of Tripoli, four days after they swept into the capital and sparked the collapse of Gadhafi's regime. The autocrat has refused to surrender and has vowed from hiding to fight on "until victory or martyrdom."
The rebel leadership has offered a $2 million bounty on Gadhafi's head, and British Defense Secretary Liam Fox said Thursday that NATO was helping in the search for the longtime dictator.
Fox told BBC Radio 4 that NATO was "providing intelligence and reconnaissance assets to help in the hunt," and had been heavily active in carrying out overnight airstrikes against Gadhafi loyalists, but refused to say if British special forces were involved.
In Brussels, a NATO official said some airstrikes were launched because Gadhafi's forces had been detected trying to restore some of their damaged weapons systems, including surface-to-air missiles, which the official called a "huge threat" to alliance aircraft and humanitarian aid flights.
The official could not be identified under NATO rules. A months-long NATO air campaign, which included about 7,500 attacks on Gadhafi's forces, was key to helping the rebels sweep through the country.
Rebels say one of their key targets now is Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Tripoli, but acknowledged that capturing that city would not be easy because Gadhafi's fellow tribesmen were expected to put up a fierce fight. Opposition leaders have said they were trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender of the city.
Fawzi Abu Ketf, deputy defense minister of the rebel National Transitional Council, said fighting was raging Thursday outside Bin Jawad, 400 miles (650 kilometers) south of Tripoli, but he had no details. Gadhafi loyalists ambushed rebels advancing toward the city on Wednesday, killing at least 20 of them.
Wednesday's attack was carried out by pro-Gadhafi forces who had retreated from the oil city of Ras Lanouf after rebels captured that city earlier this week, said Ahmed Zeleity, a rebel commander.
The ambush showed that pro-regime forces retain the ability to strike back even as the rebels tighten their control over the nation's capital.
Rebels also have seized several parts of Sebha, another Gadhafi stronghold still holding out, including the main commercial Gamal Abdel-Nasser street, according to rebel official Adel al-Zintani, who is in daily telephone contact with rebel commanders in the desert city.
He said mercenaries from sub-Saharan African nations who had been paid by Gadhafi have fled the city, but loyal soldiers were continuing to hold firm.
Ketf said another challenge was the need to supply troops at the front. "The supply lines will be too long and we are short of funds and supplies," he said.
The humanitarian situation there is increasingly difficult, he said, with lengthy power and water outages.
In Milan, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said Italy was preparing to release $505 million in frozen assets in Italian banks, calling it the first payment. Italy, Libya's former colonial ruler and biggest trading partner, has not disclosed the total Libyan assets held there.
Berlusconi made the announcement after meeting with the leader of Libya's rebel Cabinet, the second stop on a European diplomatic tour by Mahmoud Jibril aimed at securing the release of billions of dollars in frozen Libyan assets.
The Libyan opposition says they urgently need at least $5 billion of those assets to pay state salaries, maintain vital services and repair critical oil facilities.
The U.N. Security Council, meanwhile, is preparing to vote this week on a resolution that would release $1.5 billion in Libyan assets in U.S. banks that the world body froze to thwart Gadhafi. Analysts estimate as much as $110 billion is frozen in banks worldwide.
Reflecting the continuing unrest in parts of Libya, a Maltese ship sent to evacuate foreigners from Tripoli turned back Thursday after fighting in the Libyan capital made the operation too risky.
The vessel was to evacuate at least 24 foreigners trapped in the Libyan capital, but the Maltese government said the mission was aborted Thursday after it became impossible for people to reach the harbor due to fighting in the capital.
The Geneva-based group the International Organization for Migration, however, said a ship chartered to rescue hundreds of foreigners in Tripoli had managed to dock there, after waiting offshore for days due to fighting.
The group is "very optimistic that we will be able to carry out the evacuation today," spokeswoman Jemini Pandya said.
In more positive news, four Italian journalists taken at gunpoint in Libya were freed Thursday in a raid on the house where they were being held, an official said.
Details of the raid, first reported on Corriere della Sera's website, and who conducted it were not immediately available. The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the four were freed, but had no further details.
The four were taken at gunpoint Wednesday by forces loyal to the regime of fugitive Libyan dictator, Moammar Gadhafi. Their Libyan driver was killed.
"They shot the driver dead in front of us. We are fine, but our thoughts are with the driver who died. We have become close friends with him," Claudio Monici of Avvenire, the daily of the Italian bishops conference, told reporters in Tripoli after their release.
The others released include two correspondents from the Milan daily Corriere della Sera and one from Turin's La Stampa.
___
Associated Press writer Rami al-Shaheibi in Benghazi contributed to this report.
Today 11:05 AM 'Gaddafi Is Leading The Battle' 
The Associated Press spoke to a spokesman for Muammar Gaddifi, who claimed Gaddafi is in Libya and leading the fight
From the Associated Press:
From the Associated Press:
Moussa Ibrahim says Gaddafi is safe, healthy and his morale is high.Ibrahim said Thursday in a telephone call that Gaddafi "is indeed leading the battle for our freedom and independence every day."
Ibrahim refused to say where in Libya Gaddafi was. Ibrahim added he was in an undisclosed location in Libya and constantly on the move.
Today 11:00 AM Gaddafi Surrounded?
Still no new reports on rebel claims that militants surrounded Gaddafi in a Tripoli apartment building.
Today 10:59 AM Ship Evacuates Foreigners From Tripoli
A rescue ship is ready to evacuate about 200 foreigners from Tripoli, Reuters writes. The rescue mission, organized by the International Organization for Migration, was supposed to leave Tripoli two days ago, but security conditions prevented the ship from docking earlier.
Reuters writes:
Reuters writes:
"It has not been easy to do this operation. We never expected it to be. Nevertheless, there is a huge sense of relief that all our efforts are in the end helping these migrants," Pasquale Lupoli, IOM Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.According to Reuters, the IOM evacuated 30,000 foreigners from Libya in the past six months.
Today 10:51 AM Gaddafi Reportedly In Libya
A spokesman for Gaddafi reportedly told the Associated Press the Colonel is in Libya.
Today 10:39 AM Robert Fisk On Libya
"Doomed always to fight the last war, we are recommitting the same old sin in Libya," Robert Fisk writes for the Independent.
Should we worry about the West's involvement in the Libya war? Read the full article in The Independent
Should we worry about the West's involvement in the Libya war? Read the full article in The Independent
Today 10:33 AM IMF Might Recognize NTC
Reuters reports an IMF spokesperson said the IMF might recognize the Libyan National Transitional Council.
 | @ Reuters : IMF could move toward recognizing new Libya regime once there is broad-based international support - IMF spokesman |
Today 10:29 AM Corinthia Hotel Under Fire
The Corinthia Hotel, another Tripoli hotel frequented by journalists, came under fire earlier this morning.
The Associated Press reports:
The Associated Press reports:
An intense gunbattle has erupted outside the hotel where many foreign journalists are staying in the Libyan capital Tripoli.Associated Press reporters staying in the Corinthia Hotel near the Mediterranean coast saw about a dozen rebels with machine guns and an anti-aircraft gun mounted on the back of a pickup truck battling Thursday afternoon outside the hotel entrance with what appeared to be gunmen loyal to Moammar Gadhafi shooting from high-rise buildings nearby.
The rebels initially tried to enter the hotel so they could get on the roof for a better vantage point, but hotel staff persuaded them to leave.
Today 10:21 AM Gaddafi Bullet-Riddled
Photographer Filippo Montefore spotted this bullet-riddled mural of Gaddafi in Tripoli.
Today 10:13 AM Heavy Fighting In Tripoli
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports heavy fighting in the Abu Salim neighborhood near Gaddafi's compound.
Today 10:12 AM Condoleezza Rice In Gaddafi's Compound
Tripoli residents claim to have found a photo album of Condoleezza Rice in Gaddafi's compound. Did it belong to Gaddafi?
NPR has some pictures of the album. Check them out here
NPR has some pictures of the album. Check them out here
Today 9:33 AM Gaddafi Surrounded?
Reuters reports a group of rebels claims to have surrounded Gaddafi and some of his sons in a cluster of apartment buildings in Tripoli.
Reuters quotes one of the rebels:
Reuters quotes one of the rebels:
"They are together. They are in a small hole," said one of the fighters involved in the battle, Muhammad Gomaa. "Today we finish. Today we will end that."
| | @ Reuters : Group of rebels besieging buildings near Bab Al-Aziziyah compound of Muammar Gaddafi said they believe the Colonel is inside |
Today 2:16 AM Nato helping to track down Gaddafi
 | @ BreakingNews : UK Defence Secretary tells Sky that NATO is providing intelligence & assets to help track down Gadhafi |
Today 0:13 AM Canadian killed
 | @ JorgeOlanG : A Canadian has been killed in Libya while storming Gadhafi’s stronghold in Tripoli, the Ottawa Citizen has learned.via @calgaryherald |
08/24/2011 11:39 PM New Libya leaders seek to unfreeze funds
Al Jazeera reports that Libay's rebel government wants access to billions of dollars in funds that the United Nations froze as a way to punish the Gaddafi regime. Read the full story here.
08/24/2011 8:57 PM Bodies Litter Streets
| | @ BreakingNews : .@AJELive reports bodies litter streets of Tripoli district where fighting remains http://t.co/j6DA9cx |
08/24/2011 7:54 PM Doctors Without Borders Overwhelmed With Patients In Tripoli
The Los Angeles Times reports on conditions faced in Tripoli by the nonprofit organization Doctors Without Borders:
Members of a three-person Doctors Without Borders team in Tripoli Wednesday said they were already overwhelmed with patients wounded in the fighting as rebels continued their attacks and longtime leader Moammar Kadafi remained at large.The international nonprofit, with U.S. headquarters in New York, has also dispatched teams to the east (Benghazi and Zlitan) and to the west (Zawiya and Yefren) of the capital. They have 44 Libyan and 30 international staff nationwide.The full story, including an interview with the head of the organization's mission in Tripoli, can be found here.
08/24/2011 6:18 PM Libyan Health Minister Reportedly Dissents From Gaddafi
| | @ BreakingNews : Al Arabiya TV: Libyan health minister has dissented from Gadhafi - NBC translation |
08/24/2011 6:05 PM Al Jazeera Reports On Journalists Freed From Tripoli Hotel (VIDEO)
Al Jazeera reports on the journalists that have been freed from the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli after having been held against their will:
WATCH (via Al Jazeera English on YouTube):
WATCH (via Al Jazeera English on YouTube):
08/24/2011 5:45 PM Pentagon Says Stockpile Of Chemical Weapons 'Secure' As Rebels Reportedly Take Army Base
Al Arabiya reports:
Libyan rebels fighting to overthrow Muammar Qaddafi have taken control of an army base west of Tripoli in Zuara, Al Arabiya reported on Wednesday, as the Pentagon said Libya’s stockpile of chemical weapons were “secure.”The military installation was called Mazraq al-Shams, Al Arabiya said.Full story here.
The rebels swept into Tripoli at the weekend and have been fighting pockets of fighters loyal to Gaddafi in and around Tripoli.
08/24/2011 5:41 PM Report: Libyan Rebels Put $1.35 Million Bounty On Gaddafi's Head
The Slatest reports that Libyan rebels have put a large bounty on the head of Muammar Gaddafi:
UPDATE: Libya's rebels have put a bounty on the head of Muammar Qaddafi.Mustafa Abdul Jalil, the head of the National Transitional Council, announced that a group of businessmen in Benghazi are willing to pay a reward of 2 million Libyan dinars, or roughly $1.35 million, to anyone who captures or kills the embattled Libyan strongman.Full story here.
08/24/2011 5:17 PM Burkina Fasso Offers Gaddafi Exile
Reuters reports Burkina Fasso offered Gaddafi exile. Yet the African nation did also recognize the National Transitional Council as Libya's legitimate representative. In the past, Burkina Fasso received large amounts of aid from the Gaddafi regime.
According to Reuters, over 40 countries have recognized the Libyan National Transitional Council.
According to Reuters, over 40 countries have recognized the Libyan National Transitional Council.
08/24/2011 4:59 PM Aichi Gaddafi's residence
The Associated Press released pictures from inside the house of Aicha Gaddafi, Colonel Gaddafi's daughter.
08/24/2011 4:41 PM Plane On Fire In Tripoli Airport
CNN reporter Arwa Damon tweets from Tripoli that a plane is burning in Tripoli airport.
 | @ arwaCNN : plane burning on tarmac at #tripoli international airport, still hearing & feeling explosions from artillery fire |
08/24/2011 4:27 PM Fighting At Ranch
Al Arabiya reports heavy fighting at the ranch that housed Gaddafi's chief of staff
 | @ AlArabiya_Eng : Heavy fighting at a ranch that houses Qaddafi's chief of staff #alarabiya #Libya #Qaddafi |
08/24/2011 3:39 PM Chavez Slams NATO -- Again
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said on wednesday that Libya's crisis hasn't ended with the fall of the Gaddafi regime, but is instead just beginning.
Chavez responded to questions from reporters after a meeting with the Russian foreign minister, saying that NATO airstrikes in Libya have destroyed the country
Chavez responded to questions from reporters after a meeting with the Russian foreign minister, saying that NATO airstrikes in Libya have destroyed the country
08/24/2011 3:28 PM CNN Talks To Saadi Gaddafi
Gaddafi's son Saadi reportedly offered to broker a cease-fire in LIbya, CNN reports.
CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson exchanged emails with the Colonel's son, in which Saadi reportedly said he had the authority to negotiate and was willing to discuss a cease fire.
CNN quotes Saadi Gaddafi:
CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson exchanged emails with the Colonel's son, in which Saadi reportedly said he had the authority to negotiate and was willing to discuss a cease fire.
CNN quotes Saadi Gaddafi:
"I will try to save my city Tripoli and 2 millions of people living there ... otherwise Tripoli will be lost forever like Somalia," he wrote. Without a cease-fire, he added, "Soon it will be a sea of blood."Read the CNN update here.
08/24/2011 3:22 PM Tripoli Calms
Cath Norris-Trent, reporting for France24 from Libya, tweets most neighborhoods of Tripoli are calm right now.
 | @ cntrentF24 : Most neighbourhoods of #Tripoli calm this morning, hardly any gun or missile fire ringing out compared to last few days. #Libya |
08/24/2011 3:21 PM Portrait Of A Family
Want to learn more about Gaddafi's illustrious sons and daughter?
Foreign Policy drew an excellent portrait of eight of the Colonel's children --from former western darling Seif al-Islam to ex-professional football player Saadi and defiant daughter Aicha.
Qaddafis On The Loose: Read the full article here.
Foreign Policy drew an excellent portrait of eight of the Colonel's children --from former western darling Seif al-Islam to ex-professional football player Saadi and defiant daughter Aicha.
Qaddafis On The Loose: Read the full article here.
08/24/2011 3:17 PM Stocks Of Nuclear Material Reportedly Near Tripoli
Reuters wrote on Wednesday that a senior U.N. inspector warned a research center near Tripoli has stocks of nuclear material that could be used to make a dirty bomb.
Reuters reports:
Reuters reports:
Olli Heinonen, head of U.N. nuclear safeguards inspections worldwide until last year, pointed to substantial looting that took place at Iraq's Tuwaitha atomic research facility near Baghdad after Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003. In Iraq, "most likely due to pure luck, the story did not end in a radiological disaster," Heinonen said. In Libya, "nuclear security concerns still linger," the former deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in an online commentary.Read the full article here.
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