Russian Official; Revolutionary forces: Gaddafi is still in Libya
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Tehran, Sept 8, IRNA -- A high ranking Russian official announced Wednesday that the ousted Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi is still in Libya.
According to the IRNA Audiovisual Monitoring Service, the Euro News, the forces of the National Transitional Council of Libya have thus far managed to capture the Bani Valeed city, 150 kilometers of Tripoli.
According to the report, Moammar Gaddafi and two of his sons are in that city, leading the armed rebellion against the forces of the National Transitional Council.
Meanwhile, the Special Envoy of the Russian President to Africa Michael Margelov announced Wednesday that Moammar Gaddafi is still somewhere in Libya.
Margelov who was speaking on the sidelines of the Global Policy Forum in Yaroslavl, 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow, added, “I believe Gaddafi is still in Libya, but the passage of time will show us his exact where-about and next destination in the future.”
The spokesman of the National Transitional Council of Libya, Anis Sharif, too, announced in Tripoli Wednesday that Gaddafi is besieged by the Libyan revolutionary forces, but arresting him is in need of some more time.
According to IRNA, the information website of the Arab Online news agency quoted Sharif as confirming that the fugitive ousted ruler of Libya is presently in Libya.
Anis Sharif made the comment in an interview with the Free Libya TV, but did not mention the hiding place of Gaddafi, pointing out that the received news from information sources is of great importance in spotting the hiding place of Gaddafi.
The Spokesman of the Libyan military forces further emphasized that Gaddafi is now incapable of fighting, while the revolutionary forces are both capable of arresting and able to kill him.
According to the report, one of Gaddafi’s sons is now engaged in negotiations with French and British officials aimed at seeking a way out of the Libyan soil for his father.
The former Libyan dictator’s wife, Safiya, his daughter Ayesha, and two of his sons, Hannibal and Muhammad along with their children who have fled to Algeria, are now living in the vicinity of that country’s capital city, Algiers.
The Russian President’s Envoy Margelov has also said that Russia was in active talks with the new Libyan government officials.
'The Libyan oil and energy minister is coming to Moscow in the near future and we will talk to the Libyan delegates at a UN General Assembly meeting in mid-September,' Margelov said.
Russia is seeking to establish a dialogue with the new Libyan government, which ousted Gaddafi with NATO's help during six months of armed confrontation. Russia, which had strong ties with Gaddafi, did not recognize the legitimacy of the new Libyan government until recently.
Anti-Gaddafi fighters have reportedly said they know the location where Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is hiding, insisting that they will reveal it later.
The Sky News has quoted the country’s new Oil and Justice minister, Ali al Tarhouni, as claiming that the group is aware of Gaddafi’s hideout.
'They (the anti-Gaddafi fighters) are not saying at the moment (where he is), but are indicating they might at a later stage. If they come out and say where they believe he is... that may give some inspiration to Colonel Gaddafi to go on the move,” Al Tarhouni said.
'The net does appear to be closing, it is all everyone is talking about,' he added.
The revelation comes after a spokesman for Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, said he had met tribal leaders close to Tripoli to discuss plans to recapture Tripoli.
Meanwhile, the deadline for the surrender of Gaddafi's home town of Sirte has been extended.
Fighters are poised to advance on Sabha and Bani Walid, places where Gaddafi may have turned to after fleeing from Tripoli.
A Sky News report from Sirte, said: 'The anti-Gaddafi fighters have been blindsided by Abdel-Jalil who announced without any reference to any of the frontline commanders that there would be an extension of a week for the negotiations for the surrender of Sirte.”
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30553882
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