Rebels take Gaddafi's compound, son says dictator is in Libya

Tripoli: Libyan rebels have entered Muammar Gaddafi’s house after breaking into his vast Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli. Rebels were firing shots into the air from within the compound in celebration. Libyan UN envoy Ibrahim Dabbashi said the country will be liberated within 72 hours. The Pentagon said the rebels appeared to be in control of most of Tripoli, adding that it was sticking to its assessment that leader Muammar Gaddafi had not left the country. Calling the situation fluid, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan said that Gaddafi’s forces remained dangerous even though their command capabilities had been diminished by major rebel advances into the heart of the capital and NATO air strikes. [caption id=“attachment_67684” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=" Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan said that Gaddafi’s forces remained dangerous even though their command capabilities had been diminished by major rebel advances. AFP Photo"]  [/caption] The United States, which is providing Predator drones and other air capabilities to the NATO mission, sharply stepped up the tempo of its air strikes on Libya over the past week and a half, according to Pentagon data. “It’s still very fluid, there’s still fighting going on,” Lapan said. “While we believe that opposition forces control a large part of the country, Libya and Tripoli in particular are still very dangerous places.” Asked specifically about Tripoli, Lapan said the situation was too fluid to put a precise percentage on how much of the city was under rebel control. Rebel leaders say 80 percent of the Libyan capital is now controlled by forces opposed to Gaddafi. “Majority (control of Tripoli) is safe but I wouldn’t get beyond that,” he said. The United States was monitoring Libya’s chemical weapons sites, Lapan said, amid concern in Congress that those and other Libyan weapons could fall into the wrong hands. Lapan said he was aware of a total of two Scud missile launches by Gaddafi forces. A US official told Reuters that neither caused any injuries or deaths. “Regime forces are going to use whatever means they have to continue to inflict damage on their opponents and on the civilian population,” he said. The Pentagon said on Monday that it believed Gaddafi had not left the country, a position Lapan reaffirmed on Tuesday, saying: “Nothing’s changed.” Still, he did not offer any more precise assessment about Gaddafi’s potential whereabouts. Gaddafi’s son and presumed heir Saif al-Islam told a crowd that his father was well and still in Tripoli, confounding reports of his capture.“Firstly I want to deny all the rumours, NATO and the West have modern technology and they blocked and jammed communications. They sent messages to the Libyan people through the Libyana network I think. They stopped the TV broadcasts, they’ve created a media and electronic war to spread chaos and fear in Libya. They have also smuggled saboteur gangs by sea and in civilian cars into the city to create a mess. You have seen how the Libyan people rose up together, men and women, to break the spine of the rebels, rats and gangs yesterday and today. Now we will have a tour in the hotspots of the city of Tripoli so you can see that the situation is good and everything is well. We want to reassure the world that the situation in Libya is excellent, thank God. We will go now for a tour in Tripoli in the areas where they claim there is fighting and battles.” When asked if he is afraid of being turned over to the International Criminal Court he responded, quote, “screw the criminal court”. The presence of Saif Al-Islam calls into question the legitimacy of reports from the rebel camp. Saif al-Islam, who rebels and the International Criminal Court said had been arrested, arrived late on Monday at the Tripoli hotel where foreign reporters are staying. He appeared at the Rixos Hotel late at night and spoke to foreign journalists there. Television footage showed him pumping his fists in the air, smiling, waving and shaking hands with supporters outside the hotel, as well as holding his arms aloft with each hand making the V for victory sign. Saif told journalists that Libya, which has been largely overrun in the past 24 hours by rebel forces seeking to topple his father, was in fact in government hands and that Muammar Gaddafi was safe. Asked whether the Pentagon was surprised by the emergence of Gaddafi’s son, whom the rebels had initially said was in their hands, Lapan said: “We’ve seen conflicting reports. Again it goes back to a very fluid situation … We continue to see conflicting reports about the whereabouts certain individuals.” Reuters