Gaddafi Dead: Former Libyan Leader Killed, Prime Minister Confirms
SIRTE, Libya (AP) -- Dragged from hiding in a drainage pipe, a wounded Moammar Gaddafi raised his hands and begged revolutionary fighters: "Don't kill me, my sons."
Within an hour, he was dead, but not before jubilant Libyans had vented decades of hatred by pulling the eccentric dictator's hair and parading his bloodied body on the hood of a truck.
The death Thursday of Gaddafi, two months after he was driven from power and into hiding, decisively buries the nearly 42-year regime that had turned the oil-rich country into an international pariah and his own personal fiefdom.
It also thrusts Libya into a new age in which its transitional leaders must overcome deep divisions and rebuild nearly all its institutions from scratch to achieve dreams of democracy.
"We have been waiting for this historic moment for a long time. Moammar Gaddafi has been killed," Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said in the capital of Tripoli. "I would like to call on Libyans to put aside the grudges and only say one word, which is Libya, Libya, Libya."
President Barack Obama told the Libyan people: "You have won your revolution."
Although the U.S. briefly led the relentless NATO bombing campaign that sealed Gaddafi's fate, Washington later took a secondary role to its allies. Britain and France said they hoped that his death would lead to a more democratic Libya.
Other leaders have fallen in the Arab Spring uprisings, but the 69-year-old Gaddafi is the first to be killed. He was shot to death in his hometown of Sirte, where revolutionary fighters overwhelmed the last of his loyalist supporters Thursday after weeks of heavy battles.
Also killed in the city was one of his feared sons, Muatassim, while another son - one-time heir apparent Seif al-Islam - was wounded and captured. An AP reporter saw cigarette burns on Muatassim's body.
Bloody images of Gaddafi's last moments raised questions over how exactly he died after he was captured wounded, but alive. Video on Arab television stations showed a crowd of fighters shoving and pulling the goateed, balding Gaddafi, with blood splattered on his face and soaking his shirt.
Gaddafi struggled against them, stumbling and shouting as the fighters pushed him onto the hood of a pickup truck. One fighter held him down, pressing on his thigh with a pair of shoes in a show of contempt.
Fighters propped him on the hood as they drove for several moments, apparently to parade him around in victory.
"We want him alive. We want him alive," one man shouted before Gaddafi was dragged off the hood, some fighters pulling his hair, toward an ambulance.
Later footage showed fighters rolling Gaddafi's lifeless body over on the pavement, stripped to the waist and a pool of blood under his head. His body was then paraded on a car through Misrata, a nearby city that suffered a brutal siege by regime forces during the eight-month civil war that eventually ousted Gaddafi. Crowds in the streets cheered, "The blood of martyrs will not go in vain."
Thunderous celebratory gunfire and cries of "God is great" rang out across Tripoli well past midnight, leaving the smell of sulfur in the air. People wrapped revolutionary flags around toddlers and flashed V for victory signs as they leaned out car windows. Martyrs' Square, the former Green Square from which Gaddafi made many defiant speeches, was packed with revelers.
In Sirte, the ecstatic former rebels celebrated the city's fall after weeks of fighting by firing endless rounds into the sky, pumping their guns, knives and even a meat cleaver in the air and singing the national anthem.
The outpouring of joy reflected the deep hatred of a leader who had brutally warped Libya with his idiosyncratic rule. After seizing power in a 1969 coup that toppled the monarchy, Gaddafi created a "revolutionary" system of "rule by the masses," which supposedly meant every citizen participated in government but really meant all power was in his hands. He wielded it erratically, imposing random rules while crushing opponents, often hanging anyone who plotted against him in public squares.
Abroad, Gaddafi posed as a Third World leader, while funding militants, terror groups and guerrilla armies. His regime was blamed in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland and the downing of a French passenger jet in Africa the following year, as well as the 1986 bombing of a German discotheque frequented by U.S. servicemen that killed three people.
IMAGES OF DEAD GADDAFI & CELEBRATION (Story continues below)
The day began with revolutionary forces bearing down on the last of Gaddafi's heavily armed loyalists who in recent days had been squeezed into a block of buildings of about 700 square yards.
A large convoy of vehicles moved out of the buildings, and revolutionary forces moved to intercept it, said Fathi Bashagha, spokesman for the Misrata Military Council, which commanded the fighters who captured him. At 8:30 a.m., NATO warplanes struck the convoy, a hit that stopped it from escaping, according to French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet.
Fighters then clashed with loyalists in the convoy for three hours, with rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft weapons and machine guns. Members of the convoy got out of the vehicles, Bashagha said.
Gaddafi and other supporters fled on foot, with fighters in pursuit, he said. A Gaddafi bodyguard captured as they ran away gave a similar account to Arab TV stations.
Gaddafi and several bodyguards took refuge in a drainage pipe under a highway nearby. After clashes ensued, Gaddafi emerged, telling the fighters outside, "What do you want? Don't kill me, my sons," according to Bashagha and Hassan Doua, a fighter who was among those who captured him.
Bashagha said Gaddafi died in the ambulance from wounds suffered during the clashes. Abdel-Jalil Abdel-Aziz, a doctor who accompanied the body in the ambulance during the 120-mile drive to Misrata, said Gaddafi died from two bullet wounds - to the head and chest.
A government account of Gaddafi's death said he was captured unharmed and later was mortally wounded in the crossfire from both sides.
Amnesty International urged the revolutionary fighters to give a complete report, saying it was essential to conduct "a full, independent and impartial inquiry to establish the circumstances of Col. Gaddafi's death."
The TV images of Gaddafi's bloodied body sent ripples across the Arab world and on social networks such as Twitter.
Many wondered whether a similar fate awaits Syria's Bashar Assad and Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh, two leaders clinging to power in the face of long-running Arab Spring uprisings. For the millions of Arabs yearning for freedom, democracy and new leadership, the death of one of the region's most brutal dictators will likely inspire and invigorate the movement for change.
As word spread of Gaddafi's death, jubilant Libyans poured into Tripoli's central Martyr's Square, chanting "Syria! Syria!" - urging the Syrian opposition on to victory.
"This will signal the death of the idea that Arab leaders are invincible," said Egyptian activist and blogger Hossam Hamalawi. "Mubarak is in a cage, Ben Ali ran away, and now Gaddafi killed. ... All this will bring down the red line that we can't get these guys."
Thursday's final blows to the Gaddafi regime allow Libya's interim leadership, the National Transitional Council, to declare the entire country liberated.
LIBYAN-CANADIANS JOIN THE CELEBRATIONS
It rules out a scenario some had feared - that Gaddafi might flee into Libya's southern deserts and lead a resistance campaign. Following the fall of Tripoli on Aug. 21, Gaddafi loyalists mounted fierce resistance in several areas, including Sirte, preventing the new leadership from declaring full victory. Earlier this week, revolutionary fighters gained control of one stronghold, Bani Walid.
Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam told AP that Muatassim Gaddafi was killed in Sirte. Abdel-Aziz, the doctor who accompanied Gaddafi's body in the ambulance, said Muatassim was shot in the chest. Also killed was Gaddafi's Defense Minister Abu Bakr Younis.
Justice Minister Mohammed al-Alagi said Seif al-Islam Gaddafi had been wounded in the leg and was being held in a hospital in the city of Zlitan, northwest of Sirte. Shammam said Seif was captured in Sirte, but the senior NTC leadership did not immediately confirm.
The National Council will declare liberation on Saturday, Mohamed Sayeh, a senior council member, said. That begins a key timetable toward creating a new system: The NTC has always said it will form a new interim government within a month of liberation and will hold elections within eight months.
But the revolutionary forces are an unruly mix of militias from Libya's major cities, and already differences have emerged between them. Revolutionaries from Tripoli, Misrata and Benghazi - Libya's second-largest city that has served as the rebel capital during the civil war - have exchanged accusations that each is trying to dominate the new rule.
Also, Islamic fundamentalists have taken an increasingly prominent role, pushing for some form of Islamic state in Libya, causing friction with more secular leaders.
"Libyans aim for multiparty politics, justice, democracy and freedom," said Libyan Defense Minister Jalal al-Degheili. "The end of Gaddafi is not the aim, we say the minor struggle is over. The bigger struggle is now coming. This will not happen unless all the Libyan people are ... united."
Associated Press reporters Rami al-Shabheibi in Misrata, Libya and Hadeel Al-Shalchi, Maggie Michael and Sarah El Deeb in Cairo contributed to this report. Gamel reported from Tripoli.
More details are emerging about the course of events on Thursday which led to the death of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Gaddafi reportedly attempted to break out of the under-siege town of Sirte on Thursday morning, accompanied by a few dozen bodyguards.
His convoy was intercepted by Nato, who confirmed its aircraft had been involved in strikes on military vehicles outside the town at the reported time.
Gaddafi allegedly escaped death after these attacks and ran from the wreckage towards two drainage pipes, where he and his remaining guards attempted to hide from the NTC fighters.
The former leader was discovered soon afterwards, at which point he was already wounded with gunshots to his back and legs, Reuters said.
Libya's interim prime minister said that Gaddafi was alive when his captors put him in a car to evacuate him, as shown by graphic footage caught on mobile phones and broadcast on television stations around the world.
Soon afterwards Gaddafi was reportedly shot and killed in further crossfire, said the Libyan prime minister Mahmoud Jibril on Thursday evening, citing forensic evidence. "After 42 years, Colonel Qadhafi's rule of fear has finally come to an end. Libya can draw a line under a long dark chapter in its history and turn over a new page. Now the people of Libya can truly decide their own future.
I urge the National Transitional Council to prevent any reprisals against civilians and to show restraint in dealing with defeated pro-Qadhafi forces.
NATO and our partners have successfully implemented the historic mandate of the United Nations to protect the people of Libya. We will terminate our mission in coordination with the United Nations and the National Transitional Council. With the reported fall of Bani Walid and Sirte, that moment has now moved much closer." The White House spokesperson Jay Carney has told the press corp there that the president views this as "a victory for the Libyan people".
The Libyans are in "a far better place now because of what they achieved with our assistance", he said. Al Jazeera have also broadcast this video of Gaddafi following his capture.
US President Obama has said it is a "momentous day" in Libya's history.
"This marks the end of a long and painful chapter," he said.
Speaking in the White House rose garden he said the Libyan people "now have the opportunity to determine their own destiny in a new and democratic Libya".
"Today we can definitively say that the Gaddafi regime has come to an end.
"The new government is consolidating its control over the country and one of the world's longest serving dictators is no more.
"One year ago the notion of a free Libya seemed impossible, but then the Libyan people rose up and demanded their rights."
He added: "This is a momentous day in the history of Libya, the dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted."
"Across the Arab world, citizen have stood up to claim their rights, youth are delivering a powerful rebuke to dictatorship."
AP is reporting that the French defence chief says it was a French jet that fired on a convoy carrying Colonel Gaddafi near Sirte this morning. British foreign secretary William Hague: “We do not approve of extra-judicial killings but we are not going to mourn him.”
Video has emerged of the moment that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton learned of the death of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi via a message on her mobile phone.
Clinton was undergoing a series of interviews in Kabul, Afghanistan, when an aide handed her a phone with the unconfirmed news of Gaddafi's capture.
"Wow," Clinton said on learning the news. "Unconfirmed." The Spectator has posted a video of David Cameron's statement on Libya.
The magazine's Coffee House blog says that while the prime minister may be facing a showdown at home over the EU, he can "go to bed knowing that his leadership and diplomatic acumen helped rescue many people from death and terror".
A special meeting of the North Atlantic Council is expected to be held tomorrow to consider bringing Nato's air campaign in Libya to an end. Colonel Gaddafi fled to hide in a drainage pipe underneath a highway in the coastal town of Sirte, according to reports by Libyan TV channels.
A gallery of photos showing where he was said to have been found can be seen here. The Labour Party has just issued two further statements on Gaddafi's death.
“This is a momentous day in the history of Libya, and closes a dark 42 year long chapter in the county’s history.
"All of us will hope this will also mark an end to the present fighting in Libya, but the challenges facing the NTC remain great.”
“At this historic moment for the people of Libya, this should also be a time of reflection for us at home on the professionalism of our Armed Forces.
"The NATO effort played a vital role in bringing Libya to this historic point and huge praise must go to the service personnel who have helped to end brutality, protect civilians and set Libya on a path to a secure, democratic and peaceful future.
"Challenges remain and their solutions will be led by the Libyan people themselves, backed by the support of the international community.” United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon has said that the road ahead for Libya will be "difficult and full of challenges".
"Now is the time for all Libyans to come together," he said.
He said Libyans on all side of the conflict "must lay down their arms in peace".
"This is a time for rebuilding for generosity of spirit, not for revenge.
"Libyans must be able to recognize themselves in the nation's government and leadership.
He added: "The high hopes sustained through the long days of revolution and conflict must translate in to opportunities and justice for all."
Celebrations have erupted on the streets of Sirte, Gaddafi's hometown, following the confirmation by the National Transitional Council that the deposed leader is dead .
Despite conflicting reports of how he was finally killed, the sound of celebratory gun fire and car horns blasting indicated the new atmosphere of joy and relief in the costal town.
Labour leader Ed Miliband has just sent out this statement on the death of Colonel Gaddafi:
"I pay tribute to the Libyan people for standing up to the former regime and seeking to define their own democratic destiny. We should be proud of the support that our armed forces have given to that cause.
"We should all hope that this day also marks the end of the armed conflict and the start of a period of stability where we see a transition to democratic government.
"Britain should stand ready to continue to help the National Transitional Council as it seeks to improve economic and social conditions, ensure order and prepare for elections." British prime minister David Cameron has just delivered a statement on Gaddafi's death.
"Prime minister Mohammed Jibril has confirmed that colonel Gaddafi is dead. Today is a day to remember all of Colonel Gaddafi's victims," he said.
"From Lockerbie to Yvonne Fletcher and obviously all the victims of IRA terrorism through their use of Libyan Semtex.
"We should also remember the many, many Libyans who died at the hands of this brutal dictator.
"People in Libya now have an even grater chance after this news of building a strong and democratic future.
And he said he was "proud of the role Britain has played in helping them bring that about."
He added: "We will help them, we will work with them."
The Libyan charge d'affaires in London, Mahmud Nacua, has just given a press conference.
He said the death of Gaddafi has "drawn the curtain on Gaddafi's crimes".
"Their brave actions [the rebels] have spared Libya and the world from any further suffering ... today Libya's future begins, Gaddafi's black era has come to an end forever," he said.
"The Libyan people are looking to a very promising future.
He said the Libyan people were looking forward to a "free, democratic and just state for which they have fought for for about eight months now".
"Our people have paid a high price, about 40,000 martyrs have given their souls and lives for the freedom of their country.
"We appreciate very much the help of the international community to get rid of Gaddafi and his crimes." At a press conference in Benghazi, NTC spokesman Abdel Ghogha confirmed that Gaddafi had been killed.
"We would like to present to our sons and daughters and in Libya and all countries ... the news of the end of tyranny and dictatorship in Libya after the revolutionaries have been able to get to the head of the tyrant."
"And who has met his fate and destiny, which is the the fate and destiny of all dictators and tyrants.
"We will announce to the world that Muammar Gaddafi has been killed at the hands of the revolutionaries.
"And Gaddafi's tyranny and dictatorship has been finally ended, and this chapter has been closed for Libya and all of the world."
His words were met with cries of "Allahu Akbar" by some at the press conference.
Channel 4 News' Lindsey Hilsum, who is in Libya, has reported that Mahmoud Jibril, Libya's Interim Leader, has announced Gaddafi's death
AP is reporting that United States officials have been told by Libyan leaders that Gaddafi is dead. A fighter claims to have shot Gaddafi and stolen his golden pistol.
According to reports, a man named Mohammed al-Bibi said that he took the ornate, golden pistol, which Gaddafi had often been photographed holding, after shooting him dead.
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has given her reaction to the reports.
"I will wait to comment on it until we know if it is true, and which is true," she said.
"I think it would mean a lot to them (the NTC) they were fighting so hard to get Sirte which is Gaddafi's hometown and to try to end the fighting phase of their revolution and begin the building phase.
"They knew that if Gaddafi remained at large he would continue to buy mercenaries and cause problems for them.
"If they know he is no longer a threat to them that will ease the transition process into a new government." Sky News has reported that some of the text on the photo of tunnels where Gaddafi is said to have been captured reads: "This is the place where the rat Gaddafi was hiding." On a hugely historic day, you can always rely on the power of Twitter to produce the lighter side of a serious news story.
While there are thousands of tweets about the breaking news, others look at the story with a slightly more humourous attitude including one tweeter who said: "Westlife and Gadaffi in one week. This is too much to take." A image has been shown on Al Jazeera which is said to be where Gaddafi was captured. This has not been confirmed.
This is a screen grab of the video shown by Al Jazeera. The man is said to be Colonel Gaddafi moments after his capture.
Al Jazeera are showing video footage of of what is claimed to be Gaddafi being captured. From the footage a man who looks like Gaddafi is laying bloodied on the floor.
@ WilliamJHague :
Qadhafi made #Libya a byword for violence & stifled freedom. Now Libyans will be known for courage & persistence in gaining their freedom
@ lindseyhilsum :
Jibril says fighters engaged with armed convoy believed to include #Seif al #Gadaffi
@ lindseyhilsum :
Md Jibril announces death of #Gadaffi at presser and #Libyans all shout Allah Akbar.
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First Posted: 10/20/11 08:24 AM ET Updated: 10/20/11 11:37 PM ET