Libya still clashes in Bani Walid rebels prepare for the onslaught of Sirte

Clashes between insurgents and troops of Muammar al-Gaddafi in the conquering of Bani Walid and Sirte. According to Cnt TV, Lybia anti-Gaddafi forces this morning attacked Bani Walid, going up to the city centre. Then you are withdrawn to allow Nato to bomb the positions of the militia of rais. An Envoy of Ansa reported fighting between the rebels and gheddafiani to about fifty kilometres from Sirte: loyalists are responding to the insurgents with a rain of missiles grad and mortar. According to hospital sources, there would be three dead.

Meanwhile there are riots and clashes also in other cities anti-gheddafiane and rivals between them in the South of Libya: twelve people have died and others were injured in clashes between fighters of Gharyane and Kikla and those of Al-Assabaa.

Yesterday the President of the Transitional National Council, Abdel Jalil, has returned to Tripoli for the first time since the beginning of the fighting. Received by a huge crowd and an audience of diplomats: the number two of the Cnt, the interim premier Mahmoud Jibril, and several other members, in addition to representatives of countries that have recognized the new rebel authorities. Including the Consul of Italy, Guido de Sanctis, which he called "extremely important" visit Jalil: "it was a move that had to do, so that even in Tripoli, the population could confirm to be satisfied with his leadership." The President will have the task of provisional write off divergences, increasingly, between the different factions of rebels ".

Libya, siege at Bani Walid rebels: "we know where's the raìs"

At first light of dawn today, the rebels had announced: "In a few hours we will enter in Bani Walid". But it didn't go well.

During the late afternoon the insurgent radio "Lybia Hurra" (which means Libya frees) had announced the capture of the city, but the news was later denied. In the first place by two journalists, a Reuters correspondent who is on the front line, about 60 km north of the city and one of the France Press: both have stated that negotiations between the rebels and tribal leaders of beni Walid are still ongoing. In the evening the National Transitional Council has even made it known that "the negotiations with the leaders of the tribe of Bani Walid Warfalla have failed and did not resume. The ultimatum fixed yesterday ended this morning at 10 Italian time.

The war, in any case, you will not be finished until you find Muammar Gaddafi. And if until yesterday the suspicion was that the raìs was in town to the South East of Tripoli, today that instead of him there is no track insurgents do however know to know the place where you would find the Colonel. He said, according to the satellite channel Al-Jazira, the military leader of the insurgents in Tripoli, Abdul Hakim Belhaj, but has added other details. The rebels, as reported by the Bbc, are also sure that one of the sons of rais, Khamis Al-Gaddafi, died last month and is buried in Bani Walid.

In their advance, meanwhile, fighters of the Cnt are carrying out several mass arrests against people, mainly from Chad, Sudan, Niger and Mali, accused of being mercenaries in the pay of the regime. And here is the warning of Human Rights Watch, which asked the Cnt to release those who are detained only in the colour of their skin.

Meanwhile, the UN, to the mouth of the Special Envoy for the rebuilding of Libya Ian Martin, the new rulers to start as soon as the electoral process in the country. Martin claimed it was also "concerned" for the amount of weapons circulating in the country and called for the formation of a "public security authorities."

But the internal situation in Libya is anything but quiet. And there are already those who accuse the Cnt to be composed of former supporters of dictator. It does, for example, the fundamentalist military commander of Benghazi, Ismail al-Salabi, who leads a force of about 3 thousand men and that those who are part of the Committee "are all members of the old regime" and thus should "resign everyone from the top of the pyramid at the base." Al-Salabi fought in Afghanistan in the past but denies any links with fundamentalist groups out of Libya, as the Taliban or Al Qaida. "There are lay people who have their own agenda and as extremists who would like to exclude us Wednesday by the international community and cause a division that would be useful only to the tyrant", he added.

Libya, the Cnt prepares to conquer Sirte "will be the final battle"

Washka (Sirte) – Swore that Tripoli would have been the last town to conquer before the start of the "new Libya." Instead, after more than a week after the victorious entrance in the capital, the rebel army must prepare for another battle. That without a surrender of the Loyalists, will probably be the hardest. The ultimatum issued by the National Council of Transition of Benghazi is Saturday. Then you will go to arms.

But meanwhile, on the ground, the rebels begin to organize the military offensive. The road from port Measured in Sirte is a long stretch of asphalt in the middle of the dust of the desert. Signs of battle of recent months are obvious. Whole buildings gutted by the shots of Rpg and heavy machine guns. Military trucks and tanks incinerated Nato raids. The last rebel army check point lies about 120 kilometres from Sirte, Washka. Is the bridge of the motorway that passes over Security container filled with sand that marks the area off-limits. Later is "no man's land". "The forces of Gaddafi sent civilian cars to check out our positions," says Montbressous, French, and embraces his sniper rifle manufactured in Israel. Those who want to continue to jump on a pick-up of the "shebab".

Patrol the desert. This is what makes the katiba (Brigade). Recognizable by cars on which travel is one of the platoons of the rebel army more fierce. It is they who, after having marched from Measured in Tripoli, the assault on Fort Bab Alazazia, the stronghold of Gaddafi. It is they who, at the edge of the scraper caterpillar, amid shots of snipers who still were in the fortress of Colonel, have opened the main door and have advanced up the statue with the punch that crushes the F16. It is to them, in the case decided to resist, Sirte which will break through the enemy lines and capture the last Libyan town still holding to the faithful of Rais.

"Our Brigade is the one that has lost more men in this war-tells Mohamed – and for this we are trying to coordinate with the rebels who come from Benghazi. I don't know what will be our role, in case there should be a battle at Sirte, but our katiba there will be ". Mohamed, as all his colleagues who patrol these parts is skeptical about a possible surrender and clearly explains why: "Sidra is a town loyal to Qadhafi. And Gaddafi is a criminal. He doesn't care that his regime is now finished. Want to make more deaths possible. Oblige those inside to resist and will be yet another bloodbath ".

Meanwhile, the nine rebel pick-up on which we travel to 50 kilometres from Sirte. The last bastion of gheddafiani do not see. In front of and behind the nothing, only desert and silence. The military rebels descend from the car and control with binoculars. In the distance, at least in appearance, there is nothing, but the rebels are not peaceful. Anti aerial machine guns pointing and turn pickup to go back, when they start raining blows from 22 mm. You do not understand from where they arrive, but the Brigade only has the task of patrolling, without responding to the fire. Nothing escapes stampedes. Nothing withdrawn style "brancaleone" as happened between Benghazi and Brega. Here you are serious about. The media column is organized and back with weapons and binoculars wagered in the desert. It is not yet time to battle. At check point Washka General give instructions to the boys who pass the night there. And then off to the seaside barracks of Measured, martyr city now released.

Libya, the rebels ' right to kill Gaddafi ' reopens Tomorrow the Italian Embassy in Tripoli

Today there was the prayer for the end of ramadan in the main square of Tripoli thronged by thousands of faithful. The imam, in his sermon, he evoked the "martyrs" of the Libyan uprising. The prayer was held in piazza dei Martiri (the old Green square) in a climate of tension for fear of attacks by loyalists of the Colonel. In the afternoon, a car bomb explosion in Tripoli killed four rebels. According to some it would be an attack organized by some militiamen pro-Gaddafi. But the insurgents denied this reconstruction and speak to a car exploded due to a gunshot shots fired to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the feast ending Ramadan.

The Libyan national Council of transition (Cnt) rejected the idea of deploying any kind of military Force or international observers: said UN Special Envoy for the rebuilding of Libya Ian Martin, after having attended a closed-door meeting of the Security Council. "We do not currently expect that military observers are required" by the new Libyan leadership, said Martin, adding: "it's very clear that the Libyans want to avoid any kind of military deployment, the United Nations or other". Yesterday, the President of the Cnt, Mustafa Abdel Jalil said that Libya did not need help from outside to maintain security. However, continued Martin, the Cnt is "interested in receiving assistance" to create a police force. The forces of liberation by the dictatorship have also announced that within two weeks to complete the transfer of the Transitional National Council from Benghazi to Tripoli. The announced Abderazay Salem, representative of the Cnt Yefrin region. On the political front the document drawn up by the rebels Announces elections within 18 months, with the monitoring of the UN. In the draft Declaration 14 pages of ' Constitutional ' developed by insurgents and provided an interim Government tasked to manage the transition up to the election of an Assembly of 200 members (Conference National), which replaces the Cnt and will have the task of drafting the new Constitution, to be submitted to referendum. But what kind of Country will be constitutional? In this document we talk of a "democratic and independent Libya", based on party pluralism "and" in which the Sharia, Islamic law, "it is the main source of law."

Nato has announced that it will continue to patrol the skies of Libya to enforce the No Fly Zone (taken with resolution 1973) also cease once the hostilities between the rebels and the last pockets of resistance. It is for the moment only a hypothesis, formulated by the Alliance's military staff and under consideration of the ambassadors of the Member States. Any eventual initiative, however, will take place under the auspices of the UN, which will almost certainly be entrusted with the management of the transition Libyan. Anonymous sources also reveal that the allies would agree on one point: no sending ground troops. If anything, a logistic support to a future UN mission, with naval or air bridges.

Meanwhile, rumors continue that Saadi Gaddafi, the third of eight children of Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, on the verge of surrender. The assured Abdelhakim Belhaj, a member of the military leadership of the national transition Council (Cnt), the satellite television al-Jazeera. According to the tale of Belhaj, Saadi, known in Italy for his claim, the player would call on the phone, that he was ready to surrender and surrender to the Cnt. In particular, the son of Colonel would have expressed the wish not to leave Libya and to negotiate the surrender. Second Belhaj, also many other members of the regime would be ready to surrender and the Cnt would ensure their treatment according to international law. The rebels also know many of their hiding places and clues on the place where Qadhafi, for which, however, exclude the hypothesis of a surrender.

The United Kingdom had the go-ahead of the Un sanctions Committee to unfreeze 1.86 billion Libyan dinars (1.6 billion dollars) to be used for "helping to provide urgent humanitarian aid, restore confidence in the banking sector, paying salaries of public sector employees and liquidity on the market." This was announced by the British Foreign Secretary William Hague in late evening ieriI. ll money issue, printed in the United Kingdom, had been frozen following the adoption of UN sanctions against the regime of Muammar al-Gaddafi. After the decision was taken following "substantial progress in recent days," added Hague, quoted by the Bbc.

The Spanish premier Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced that Madrid is ready to unlock, always "under UN auspices," the Libyan assets in the country.

In the last 24 hours, hundreds of tuareg rebels, accused of being mercenaries in the pay of Gadaffi, are crossing the border with Libya to repair in Algeria.

Libya, Cnt: "Tripoli is free" parliamentary elections "within 20 months"

The Libyan national Council of transition, announces the formation of a Check within a few months and you agree to hold presidential and parliamentary elections within 20 months. "We have established a precise roadmap-said to the Bbc from Great Britain Guma al Gamaty (Cnt) – with a transitional period of 20 months" and accurate "for eight months, the Cnt will lead the Libya before an Assembly elected by the people to take the reins of the country for drafting a new Constitution and spent a year," elections will be organised.  And from Britain, the representative of the Cnt, replication of new audio message disseminated yesterday that Gaddafi had asked his men to "resistance to the bitter end" and to "put to fire and the Libya".

"Gaddafi is still a fugitive, but you must hide, is isolated and surrounded, and it is only question of time to capture or if you oppose, be killed. The Libyans-says Guma to Gamaty – can go ahead with the process of transition and stabilization, and with the new political course. Meanwhile, the Cnt invites rebels from other towns to leave Tripoli and back in their provinces. The capital is free – State – and his fighters are able to protect her ".

But late in the evening SkyNews diffuses the news: "sources of the Transitional National Council Libyan claim to be aware of where Moammar Gadhafi will hide and promise to make known the later". Yesterday the Deputy Israeli Ayoob Kara revealed that the regime of Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi had proposed the Israelis to recognize their State and work for the release of Gilad Schalit, corporal kidnapped in Gaza in 2006. While the cable by Wikileaks has emerged the view of the West to Saif, the most powerful Gaddafi's son: "philanthropist and reformer".

Libya, the shadow of The Qaedasulla Capital freed

"Libya is United and its capital is Tripoli", chanted the rebels at the beginning of the war in Benghazi and contradicted the rumors about tribal conflicts or differences between Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, but now that the capital has fallen and the common enemy defeated, begin the first internal divisions.

The Interior Minister, Ahmed Darrad, asked yesterday, in the name of rebel President, Mustafa Abdel Yalil, not battalions of Tripoli to abandon the city, where the situation is safe and there is no longer need them, for example, of 16 brigades coming from Measured.

Mohamed Majdub, head of one of them, says that about six thousand men came from the third Libyan towns, where they are irritated by the fact that they, the harder and those who fought one of the most symbolic battles of this war, they are not getting due recognition. Once in power, the rioters if they do, satisfying all the groups, interests, and the different conceptions of what will be the future Libya. This week, the National Transitional Council has made some fundamental pillars of Libya Gaddafi post, in which the sharia (Islamic law) will be a source of inspiration for the laws of the State. This is not surprising in a Muslim Country to almost 100 percent and is common in this region of the world: even in secular Egypt, theoretically the sharia is the basis of legislation, particularly the rules relating to the family and private property. Therefore must not be cause for alarm for the international community.

Instead, it might be the new military commander of Tripoli: an Islamist, suspected of links with Al Qaeda and one of the founders of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (Lifg): Abdelhakim Belhaj, also known as Abu Abdullah Al Sadik. He led an important rebel battalion since the beginning of the war, around which was born the legend of the presence of qaedisti in Libya: are known to be the most rebellious among the rebels, without mercy and without respect for the authority of the Cnt but Belhaj has always distanced himself from these rumors, declaring themselves "moderate". In the years ' 80 he fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan, alongside the Mujahedeen assisted by the United States, as well as now the West anti Al-Qaeda is helping Libyan rebels, despite the suspicions and fears expressed by some intelligence agencies.

Belhaij founded in 1995, the Lifg claimed in 1996 that a failed attempt to assassinate Gadhafi, who in recent years began to make war on Islamists, not as extremists but because they threatened his power and to make glad the West that was by now. What is now the leader of the military Council of Tripoli, was delivered in 2004 by Us secret agents to the Colonel, who locked him in the infamous Abu Salim prison, where the regime was holding political prisoners, most of them of Cyrenaica.

In 2008, Belhaj was freed by Saif al Islam al-Gaddafi's son – who offered an amnesty to Islamists, and retired to his home of Darna until the uprising broke out on 17 February. Now, Belhaj – that would be entered in Tripoli with the rebels from the Nafusa mountains, although many were still in Darna when the capital fell – wants its reward, his slice of power. And this is not like at all, where they fear that the bengasini, those who revolted first, want to impose their law and their imprint on the future of Libya, maybe with a vengeance so for discrimination suffered during the Al-Gaddafi.

An aide of Belhaj, Wasim al Masry, told the Newspaper: proud "tripolini rebels staged the operation to liberate the capital and are managing at this time the security in the city", where it is evident that the rioters are much better organized and equipped than other areas of the country. Admits that they have received "so much help from fellow Nafusa and Libyan city Misrata", from where they arrived most of the weapons. Those of the East remained outside the military operation, even if one of them, Belhaj is now the head of all the battalions. Also in the streets, among the population, this difference is obvious: the distance between two Libie, two ways of seeing the religion and politics, which will have to live in a country that wants to be pluralistic and democratic, as well as established in the road map of the Cnt.

from Tripoli Francesca Cicardi