The Rise And Fall Of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Now Scared, Alone And Pondering His Fate -- The Telegraph

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, held in a secret location by the men of Zintan who his family fought, must wonder if he will get a fair trial - and then execution.

There are no books, and no television. More importantly perhaps, for a partygoer used to shooting weekends at country houses and birthday celebrations, there is no company.

In an anonymous concrete house, in the back streets of the mountain stronghold of Zintan, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi sits alone, with no access yet to a lawyer, friends, or even the four men captured with him.

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My Comment: A year ago he was on top of the world, the man destined to take over his father and rule Libya without opposition. The best for him now is life imprisonment .... and maybe a release when he is an old man. But my money is on him being convicted guilty of committing war crimes against the Libyan people .... followed by a quick execution. And in the end ... he will not be missed.

Were Saif Gaddafi's Fingers Cut Off By Rebels For Revenge?

Did Rebels Cut Off Saif Gaddafi's Fingers In Revenge? -- The Week

Gaddafi's son was renowned for wagging his fingers on camera and calling the rebels 'rats'

SAIF GADDAFI'S fingers might have been cut off by Libyans who briefly captured him after the Nato airstrike in Sirte which led to the capture and death of his father, a doctor has said.

Saif, the son of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, is being held in the Libyan town of Zintan after being captured as he attempted to flee across the border to Niger dressed as a camel herder. In pictures, there are clearly bandages around the thumb, index finger and middle finger of his right hand.

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Update #1: Saif al-Islam's gangrenous fingers need amputating -- The Telegraph
Update #2: Gaddafi son needs surgery on gangrenous fingers - doctor -- Reuters

My Comment: The good life is now over for this son of Gaddafi, and amputated fingers are going to be (probably) the least of his concerns in the months to come.

After His Capture, What Is Next For Muammar Gaddafi's Son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Moammar Kadafi's son Seif Islam sits in a plane in Zintan after being captured in southern Libya. (Ismail Zitouni, Reuters / November 19, 2011)

Gaddafi Son to Be Tried in Libya, Not ICC -- Time/AP

(ZINTAN, Libya) — Muammar Gaddafi's son and one-time heir apparent will be tried in Libya and not handed over to the International Criminal Court even though the country's new rulers have yet to set up a justice system, the information minister said on Sunday.

The Libyan people want to see Saif al-Islam Gaddafi tried at home for the crimes he committed against the Libyan people, said the minister, Mahmoud Shammam.

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More News On the Capture Of Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Exclusive: The capture of Gaddafi's son -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Gaddafi's son showed fear, bravado after capture -- Reuters
Gaddafi's son captured, scared and without a fight -- Reuters
Libyan Military Captures Gadhafi's Fugitive Son -- Voice of America
Libyan Fighters Catch Qaddafi’s Last Fugitive Son -- New York Times
Seif Islam Kadafi captured in southern Libya -- L.A. Times
Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam faces uncertain future -- Washington Post
Libya says Gaddafi son to be tried at home -- Sydney Morning Herald/AP
Libya: Gaddafi son Saif al-Islam 'will get fair trial' -- BBC
Libya vows fair trial for Gadhafi's son -- UPI
Libya to Discuss Trial Arrangements for Gadhafi Son with ICC -- Voice of America
Libyan Militia Hedges on Handover of Qaddafi -- New York Times
West Urges Libya to Work With ICC Over Gaddafi's Son -- New York Times/Reuters
Saif Gaddafi's fear of his fate exposed in recording‎ -- The Telegraph
Gaddafi son held as Libyans wrangle on government -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Capture of Gaddafi son ends "Libyan drama" -- Reuters
Saif al-Islam goes from fugitive to facing the Libyan people -- Peter Beaumont, The Guardian
Seif Al-Islam Gadhafi Was Former Heir Apparent -- New York Times/AP
Who is Saif al-Islam Gadhafi? -- CNN
Analysis: Arrest of Gaddafi's son poses challenge for new Libya -- Reuters
Key Events in Libya's Revolution -- Voice of America

Why Libya's Unguarded Weapon Stockpiles Are Dangerous

Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters load a truck with weapons after finding a cache inside a house in the village of Qasr Abu Hadi, the birthplace of Moammar Gadhafi. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/Afp/Getty Images)

The Threat Of Unguarded Weapons Stockpiles In Libya -- Epoch Times

Both before and after the death of Gadhafi, and before the declaration of the full liberation of Libya by the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC), worrying reports surfaced about huge stockpiles of weapons left unguarded. The concerns are that these may end up in the hands of armed groups within, our outside Libya, or even spread to other restive areas in the region. According to some reports, many weapons have already disappeared.

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My Comment: The dictator may be gone, but his legacy of massive weapon stockpiles remains. While the focus is on chemical and nuclear materials, my own personal fear are the large number of anti-aircraft missiles that are floating around. It only takes one to forever alter how civilian aircraft travel is done .... and Libya is swamped with thousands of them.

Libya's Militias Are Refusing To Disarm

Libya Militias Taking Law Into Own Hands -- Christian Science Monitor

Many of the fighters that pushed Muammar Qaddafi from power have refused to stand down. Now, some of Libya militias are allegedly stealing and targeting Qaddafi supporters for revenge.

How do you ask a group of armed men if the rumors that they’re a gang of ordinary thieves are true? You begin with a joke.

“Is it true that you guys stole an elephant from the Tripoli zoo, took it back to Zintan, and mounted an antiaircraft gun on its back?”

Mohamed Kor, a stern, bearded commander of the Zintan Brigade, can’t help but chuckle.

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My Comment: Libya's premier is blunt in his assessment and concerns .... in short .... it's going to take months, and the new Libyan government is not in the position to use force in enforcing their rule of law.

Where Is Muammar Qaddafi's Son?

Saif al-Islam, the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, in Tripoli in this August 2011 file photo. REUTERS/Paul Hackett/Files

Libya's Mystery: Where Is Muammar Qaddafi's Son? -- Christian Science Monitor

Muammar Qaddafi's son, Saif, is a fugitive from the International Criminal Court. The former Libya leader's son may be hiding in the Sahara Desert, say reports.

A fugitive wanted by the International Criminal Court, Moammar Gadhafi's one-time heir apparent appears to have disappeared in the Sahara Desert's ocean of dunes and could remain hidden for months in an area more than twice the size of Texas.

Seif al-Islam Gadhafi may be plotting a counterrevolution, scheming about a getaway to a friendly country, or negotiating a surrender to the ICC. Nothing has been heard of him since sources on Oct. 28 said Tuareg nomads were escorting him the length of Libya and that he was close to the Mali border.

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More News On Saif Gaddafi

Saif Qaddafi hiding out in the Sahara Desert? -- CBS/AP
Gaddafi son said to be in vast Sahara -- News24
Gaddafi son 'hiding in desert' -- Press Association
Saif al-Islam on the Run: Where is Gadhafi's Son? -- IBTimes
Gaddafi son Saif al-Islam 'may be trying to flee Libya' -- BBC
Mercenaries may help Gaddafi's son, former intelligence chief escape Libya: ICC -- Xinhuanet
ICC says Gadhafi's son Saif trying to escape -- UPI
No negotiations yet with Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, ICC prosecutor tells Al Arabiya -- Al Arabiya
ICC Trying to Secure Surrender of Gadhafi Son, Spy Chief -- Voice of America

Gaddafi's Son Is Trying To Flee Libya

Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno-Ocampo

Gaddafi Son Saif al-Islam 'May Be Trying To Flee Libya' -- BBC

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor says Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam may be trying to flee Libya with help from mercenaries.

In a statement to the UN Security Council, Luis Moreno-Ocampo called on other countries to disrupt such plans.

The court has been trying to negotiate the surrender of the 39-year-old, who is wanted for war crimes.

Mr Ocampo also said they were examining allegations against Nato and interim forces, as well as pro-Gaddafi troops.

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Update #1: Mercenaries may help Gaddafi's son, former intelligence chief escape Libya: ICC -- Xinhuanet
Update #2: ICC calls on countries to help prevent Qadhafi’s son escape from Libya -- UN News Centre

My Comment: There are rumors that he may try to flee to Zimbabwe .... a far more preferable destination than spending the next few years of your life facing a war crimes trial that will probably put you behind bars for the rest of your life.

Nato Prevented Gaddafi Forces In Using Chemical Weapons

Mustard Gas Shells

Libya: Nato 'Prevented Gaddafi Forces Reaching Mustard Gas Stockpiles -- The Telegraph

Nato air power prevented Muammar Gaddafi's forces reaching secret stockpiles of mustard gas during the nine-month war, it has been claimed.

A former rebel who belonged to a special anti-chemical weapons unit has claimed that stockpiles were carefully watched from the start of the conflict, while a captured Gaddafi commander said that the threat of attack from the skies meant the dictator's security forces were unable to get to their own stockpiles.

The claims were made as the National Transitional Council revealed that the regime had two secret stockpiles hidden in the desert, in addition to one that it had announced several years ago to the United Nations.

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My Comment: It was only a few days ago that we were told that Libya has stockpiles of chemical weapons. As to why they were not used .... if the above story is true .... we now know that NATO surveillance and air power were effective in denying him this option ... an option that could have increased the death toll exponentially as well as threatening Europe itself.

Nuclear, Chemical, And Other Weapons Found In Libya

Libya's acting Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril has announced that nuclear weapons have been found in the country and said foreign inspectors would arrive later in the week to investigate the issue. © AFP/ Leon Neal

Chemical, Nuclear Weapons Found In Libya - Prime Minister -- RIA Novosti

Libya's acting Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril has announced that nuclear and chemical weapons have been found in the country and said foreign inspectors would arrive later in the week to investigate the issue, Al Arabiya TV network reported on Monday quoting a National Transitional Council official.

The official said, the country is in close contact with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to define the composition of the exact materials of the weapons.

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More News On The Libyan Government's Assertions Of Nuclear And Chemical Weapons In The Country

Libya: Weapons Of Mass Destruction Found, Says Interim PM -- Eurasia Review/Al Bawaba News
Libya: Mahmoud Jibril confirms presence of chemical weapons -- The Telegraph
Libya Confirms Chemical Weapons Found -- Time/AP
Libya’s interim prime minister says rebels have found Moammar Khadafy’s chemical weapons cache -- New York Daily News
Libyan leader wants chemical weapons gone -- CBS/AP
Chemical Weapons Monitors Due Back in Libya -- Global Security Newswire
UN urges Libya to take control of shoulder-fired missiles, destroy chemical weapons stockpiles -- Washington Post/AP
Missing Libya Missiles: UN Calls On Libya, Neighbors to Find Weapons -- ABC News
U.N. council urges Libya to stem illicit arms flows -- Reuters
Where are Libya’s missing missiles? -- Paul Koring, Globe and Mail

My Comment: Some news agencies are reporting the discovery of nuclear weapons in Libya .... but I suspect that this is a misquote.

Libya After Gaddafi's Fall -- News Roundup

Dual U.S.-Libyan Citizen Chosen As Prime Minister Of Libya -- Washington Post

TRIPOLI—Libya’s leaders on Monday elected a U.S.-educated engineering professor to serve as prime minister during the critical postwar period, in which the country will try to create an army out of hundreds of ragtag militias and launch its first democratic elections.

Abdurraheem el-Keib, a dual U.S.-Libyan citizen, was chosen by members of the Transitional National Council who deposited ballots into a transparent box. The televised session was a stark sign of the change from the 42-year dictatorship of Moammar Gaddafi.

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More News On Libya

Libya’s NTC Elects New Interim Prime Minister -- Voice of America
Libya Chooses New Prime Minister -- Wall Street Journal
Abdul Raheem al-Keeb elected Libya's interim PM -- Reuters
Libya: Abdurrahim al-Keib named new interim PM -- BBC
NTC taps engineer who lived in U.S. for decades as interim leader -- CNN

Nato ends military operations in Libya -- The Guardian
NATO ends victorious seven-month bombing campaign over Libya, offers future partnership -- Washington Post
NATO officially ends Libya mission -- Al Jazeera
In Tripoli, NATO chief hails "free Libya" -- Reuters
NATO Chief in Libya as 7-Month Mission Ends -- Voice of America
Nato chief Rasmussen 'proud' as Libya mission ends -- BBC

Clinton praised for Libya mission's success -- CBS News
Cycle of revenge hangs over Libya's fragile peace -- The Guardian
Counting the cost of Nato's mission in Libya -- BBC
Libya War Turns Out Not To Be So ‘Endless’ -- Spencer Ackerman, Danger Room
Libya's Islamist stripes are no surprise -- Lysianne Gagnon, Globe and Mail
NATO operation in Libya ends after 7 months, could it be a model? -- Robert Marquand, Christian Science Monitor
NATO's Libya mission ends. Was it a success? -- Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor

A Gaddafi Son Wants To Flee To Canada

Saadi Gaddafi is facing demands for his extradition from Niger Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Saadi Gaddafi 'Smuggled Into Niger By Team Of Ex-Special Forces From Australia And New Zealand' -- The Telegraph

Saadi Gaddafi was smuggled into Niger by a team of ex-special forces soldiers from around the world, according to a former Australian soldier who claims to be the personal bodyguard of the son of the former Libyan dictator.

Gary Peters, who is Australian but lives in Ontario, Canada, said his team of New Zealand, Australian, Russian and Iraqi ex-special forces soldiers escorted Saadi to Niger after his flight from Tripoli as it fell to rebel forces in August.

He said he himself was injured as he tried to cross the border back to Libya, but was able to make it back to Canada even though he was bleeding.

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My Comment: And as a Canadian and being a little bit knowledgeable of Canadian immigration law, I doubt very much that this Gaddafi son would be permitted to enter this country.

Cheap Wars Can Become Costly

Al Qaeda flag in benghazi. Photo from Vice.com

The High Cost of Cheap Wars -- Abe Greenwald, Commentary

John Ennis makes a good (and depressing) point:

It seems that al Qaeda is moving into Libya. Their flag is flying in Benghazi. With no American boots on the ground, they should have training camps set up by the end of the year. Part One of the Libyan War is over. Part Two: Attack of the Drones should be coming to theaters next spring!

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My Comment: Oh oh ... I guess that means we must start really worrying about this.

Colonel Gaddafi’s Son Saif al-Islam Has Escaped To Niger

Saif Is In Niger Says NTC, As Discussions Begin To Bring Him To Trial At The Hague -- The Telegraph

Colonel Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam has crossed the Libyan border into Niger, a senior official in the National Transitional Council said last night (Thur).

The official, who declined to be named for safety reasons, said: ‘There is a contact with Mali and with South Africa and with another neighbouring country to organise his exit.

‘He hasn’t got confirmation yet, he’s still waiting.’

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More News On Colonel Gaddafi’s Son Saif al-Islam

International Court in talks through intermediaries with Gadhafi son on possible surrender -- Washington Post/AP
Fugitive Gadhafi Son in Contact With ICC, Prosecutor Says -- ABC News
International Criminal Court Confirms 'Indirect' Talks With Gadhafi Son -- NPR
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi negotiating with ICC -- The Telegraph
Prosecutors in contact with Kadhafi son Seif -- AFP
Criminal Court in Indirect Talks With Qaddafi Son, Prosecutor Says -- New York Times
Gaddadi son Saif al-Islam finds friends in desert -- Reuters
No deal for Gadhafi's son, ICC says -- UPI

My Comment: Gaddafi's son does not strike me as someone who wants to spend the rest of his days in jail. If I am to make a prediction .... he is going to try to flee to another country that will give him safe asylum.

NATO Will End Its Operations In Libya On Oct. 31

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks during a press conference after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany, on Oct. 27, 2011. NATO will wrap up its operations in Libya on Oct. 31, Rasmussen said here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Ma Ning)

NATO Libya Mission Will End On Oct. 31 -- Christian Science Monitor

NATO voted today to end its Libya mission Oct. 31, despite a request from Libya's interim leaders to stay through December. Some NATO members may still help in an individual capacity, however.

NATO voted today to end its Libya mission on Oct. 31, although some members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization may opt to continue providing assistance on an individual basis. But NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he didn't expect the military alliance itself to play a large role in post-war Libya, aside from potentially assisting with reform of its security sector, according to Reuters.

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More News on NATO Ending Their Libyan Mission on October 31

NATO ending Libya mission -- CNN
NATO announces end of Libya mission -- CBS/AP
NATO Votes to End Libya Mission -- Voice of America
NATO to end Libya operations on Oct. 31: Rasmussen -- Xinhuanet
Libya mission to end Oct 31 – Nato -- News24
U.N. Votes to Lift Libya No-Fly Zone, Effectively Ending Action -- Wall Street Journal
Counting the costs of Libya mission -- BBC

Gaddafi's Ex-Intel Chief Thrown Out Of Window While In Custody

Abuzed Omar Dorda at the UN, New York in 2002. (Stephen Chernin / Getty Images)

Ex-Intel Chief To Gaddafi Wounded, Raising More Questions About Handling Of Detainees -- Washington Post

The former intelligence chief to Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi was seriously injured Tuesday while in the custody of the National Transitional Council, fueling concerns about the treatment of loyalists to the deposed government.

The cause of Abuzed Omar Dorda’s injuries are disputed, but a relative of Dorda, a one-time U.N. envoy, has appealed to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council president to intercede with Libyan authorities to protect the former official, saying he had been the target of an assassination attempt by his jailers. The U.N.’s special representative to Libya, Ian Martin, has instructed his staff to look into the claim.

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My Comment: While he was only thrown out of a second floor window (not a third floor or higher) .... he is clearly a marked man. It appears that retribution and revenge is now the order of the day .... and the new Libyan governments announcement that they are now going to put Gaddafi's killers on trial is clearly an attempt to stop these acts of revenge .... but (for now) I doubt that it is going to work.

Gaddafi's Personal Driver Describes His Final Days

Huneish Nasr, Muammar Gaddafi's former personal driver, said 'the boss' had always been good to him. Photograph: Martin Chulov for the Guardian

Gaddafi's Driver On The Endgame: 'He Didn't Seem To Know What To Do' -- The Guardian

Huneish Nasr, who served Gaddafi for 30 years, tells how denial and confusion marked the final days of a crumbling regime

Huneish Nasr last saw the boss he served for 30 years standing in the ruins of Sirte looking confused as all hell broke loose around them.

"Everything was exploding," said Nasr, Muammar Gaddafi's personal driver, recalling the moments before the deposed dictator was caught last week. "The revolutionaries were coming for us. He wasn't scared, but he didn't seem to know what to do. It was the only time I ever saw him like that."

Minutes later, euphoric rebels had ended Gaddafi's last stand, over-running the ruined quarter of his birthplace that had served as his final, ignominious refuge.

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My Comment: Unlike his father .... Saif-al-Islam had better luck in escaping NATO air strikes and Libyan NTC soldiers. An insider's account of his escape can be read here.

Gaddafi's Killers To Be Prosecuted By The New Libyan Government

Image taken from amateur video posted on a social media website and obtained by Reuters, October 21, 2011, shows former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, covered in blood, after his capture by NTC fighters in Sirte. Photo: Reuters

Libya Vows To Prosecute Gadhafi Killers -- Voice of America

Libya's ruling National Transitional Council said Thursday it will prosecute the killers of ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, if an investigation shows he died after his capture.

NTC leaders have been under intense pressure to investigate the circumstances of Gadhafi's death last week after initially saying he was killed in crossfire after being pulled from a drainage pipe.

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Update #1: Libya to try Kadhafi killers as UN ends mandate -- AFP
Update #2: Libya official: Gadhafi's killers to be prosecuted -- MSNBC

My Comment: The Libyan government has to reassert it's authority, failure to do so will result in resentment increasing in certain parts of the country .... a prospect that the new Libyan leaders cannot afford right now.

Gaddafi's Son Offers To Surrender To The International Criminal Court

Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, son of late Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, talks to reporters in Tripoli in August. Paul Hackett/Reuters/File

Muammar Qaddafi's Son And One-Time Heir Apparent Reportedly Poised For Surrender -- Christian Science Monitor

Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, the last of deceased Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's sons still at large, has reportedly asked to be transported to the International Criminal Court.

al-Islam Qaddafi, the last of Muammar Qaddafi's sons remaining at large and the late leader's one-time heir apparent, has requested safe passage out of the country so that he can turn himself over to the International Criminal Court.

Former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, who is also the subject of an international warrant, also reportedly wants to turn himself in. The surrender of both men could help the new Libya make a clean break with the Qaddafi era and ease the transition to a new political order.

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More News On Saif al-Islam And His Desire To Surrender

Gaddafi son Saif al-Islam seeks surrender to International Criminal Court -- The Australian
Libya's NTC: Gadhafi son offers to surrender to International Criminal Court -- Haaretz
Qaddafi's Son Reportedly Eyeing Surrender at The Hague -- FOX News
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi 'trying to broker deal to surrender to ICC' -- The Telegraph
Gaddafi son seeks aircraft to surrender: NTC source -- Reuters
Gaddafi son may prefer surrender to death, after all -- Reuters
Official: Qaddafi spy chief in Mali; Son next? -- CBS/AP
Gaddafi son surrender would pose challenges to ICC -- Reuters
Q+A-How prosecution of Saif al-Islam would play out -- Reuters

Did Libya's NTC Lose Control Of Some Of Their Fighters?

Did Libya's NTC Lose Control Of Its Fighters? -- Al Jazeera

Inside Story examines reports of atrocities committed during the final weeks of battle and asks if these were justified.

The former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has gone. He is now officially "dead and buried", but just how did he and more than 50 of his supporters die?

As Gaddafi was buried at an undisclosed location at dawn on Tuesday, the National Transitional Council (NTC) bowed to international pressure and announced the formation of a committee to investigate how he and his son were killed.

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My Comment: When I read stories like this one .... yup .... they lost control of some militias.

Libya's New Government Urges NATO To Stay Till Year End

NATO Urged To Stay In Libya Till Year End -- Sydney Morning Herald/AFP

Libya's interim leader has urged NATO to continue its Libya campaign until year's end, saying loyalists of slain despot Muammar Gaddafi still pose a threat to his country.

Mustafa Abdel Jalil's comments, made at a Doha conference of military allies of his National Transitional Council (NTC) on Wednesday, come a day after Gaddafi's body was buried in secret under cover of darkness after being displayed in public for four days.

"We hope (NATO) will continue its campaign until at least the end of this year to serve us and neighbouring countries," Abdel Jalil, the NTC chairman, told the Conference of Friends Committee.

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Update: Libyans seek further NATO help -- Reuters

My Comment: I must confess that I am surprised by this request .... I expected NATO to be gone by the end of this month. This now tells me the following .... the NTC government is concerned about the security situation, and having an outside military force like NATO on standby is the best way to insure that Gaddafi's loyalists remain quiet and the NTC's own alliance of militias continue to toe the line. This move is smart politically .... and what it would cost them is minimal.