Wednesday, August 24, 2011 – Rebels in Libya said, it is planning to move many of its key ministers to the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Wednesday and claimed they are controlling 90% of the country and were days away from a new Libya.
The claims have been dismissed by the Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi’s regime.
This comes as two Arabic networks aired an audio message purportedly from Gadhafi that called upon all Libyans “to clear the city of Tripoli and eliminate the criminals, traitors and rats.”
The Libyan leader said, “They are hiding between the families and inside the civilian houses,” the message said. “It’s your duty to enter these houses and take them out.”
But the authenticity of the message was not independently confirmed yet.
Musa Ibrahim Gadhafi spokesman, hours later said, government forces have the power to fight in Tripoli “not just for months — for years.”
Ibrahim said, “We will turn Libya into a volcano of lava and fire under the feet of the invaders and their treacherous agents.”
Meanwhile, Pro-Gadhafi forces held out pockets of resistance in Tripoli on Wednesday.
According to reports, they fully controlled the airport but were struggling to control an area east of it. The unexpected resistance caused them to speculate that loyalists could be protecting a high-profile figure in the vicinity.
Rixos Hotel, where international journalists are trapped, is also maintained by the Gadhafi forces.
On Tuesday, Rebels celebrated their most significant catch yet with the capture of Gadhafi’s Bob al-Aziziya compound.
Rebels also claimed, they had captured some of Gadhafi’s forces inside the compound following an hours-long siege.
The compound, formerly the heart of the Gadhafi regime, had been damaged in recent weeks by repeated NATO airstrikes.
According to reports, neither Gadhafi nor any of his family members were found at Bab al-Aziziya.
Mahmoud Shammam, the information for the rebel government the National Transitional Council, said it didn’t matter where Gadhafi was.
Mr. Mahmoud Shammam on Tuesday said, “In a few hours, maximum a few days, we have a new Libya, a new, liberated Libya.”
Meanwhile, a senior NATO official said the war was “not over yet, although it’s close. We continue to watch for flare-ups from around the country, where there are still going to be pockets of resistance. We are also watching the chemical weapons and Scud missiles to make sure they are not used in the endgame.”
On the other hand, the rebels’ National Transitional Council has been recognized as Libya’s rightful government by a number of foreign countries.
South Korea on Wednesday said, National Transitional Council (NTC) is the legitimate governing authority representing the Libyan people.”
The government of South Korea also vowed to deliver humanitarian aid worth $1 million.
Meanwhile, Shammam said, the release of money that has been frozen in international banks will be critical to the rebels’ ultimate success.
He said, “We need to provide ourselves with a lot of necessities and we cannot do this without money.”
Mr. Shamam also said, “Please, please, please, let the international community know — we are hungry for freedom, we are hungry for democracy, we are hungry for a state of law and order and we would like everybody, everybody everywhere in Arab countries and in the international community to support us and help us to get that.”
