tv CNN Newsroom CNN August 22, 2011 6:00am-8:00am PDT
6:00 am
him or not. it's a new day in libya. >> that's right. >> planning for a new government there. >> circle has been broken. three of his sons have been arrested. now it's just a matter of time for moammar gadhafi after 42 very long years, maybe long hours or days ahead, but it is the beginning of the end. kyra phillips picks up the story from here. good morning, kyra. >> thank you so much. i'm kyra phillips live at the cnn center with special coverage for the battle of tripoli, following the fast-moving fighting with rebels in control of most of the city now. here is what we've got this hour. in cars, pickups, trash trucks, convoys of rebels sweeping into tripoli, heading for green square. their mission? back up their guys being targeted by gadhafi snipers. apparently, it hasn't been enough. we're now hearing that the fighters are pulling back from the square because of heavy
6:01 am
resistance from pro-gadhafi forces. correspondents are reporting on the ground. cnn's sarah sidner is hunkered down in green square and matthew chance is in the city's hotel, the same hotel where senior libyan officials just fled moments ago. our first correspondent in tripoli, nic robertson, he is in our washington bureau and national security contributor, fran townsend is in new york and zain verjee is following international reaction from left knee done. dan lothian is with the president on martha's vineyard and barbara starr has the military perspective from the pentagon. all right. let's get to tripoli where all the action is right now. we've been telling you about the fighting in and around green square. it's been a big symbol for the gadhafi regime. in fact, until recently, they've been using it for big
6:02 am
pro-government demonstrations. cnn's sarah sidner has been watching the rebel invasion and pretty heavy fighting as well. she fired this report before the rebels pulled back from the square. >> finish, gadhafi finish. >> very, very happy. gadhafi finish. >> reporter: we are in green square. what you're seeing behind me, the rebels are now saying there's going to be a massive battle here. they do not have full control of the city. >> at the moment, we are not fully in control of tripoli because you can see, you can see that -- >> reporter: what does this make you -- how do you feel about this day? you are from tripoli? >> yeah. >> reporter: why is this day important? it's an historic day? >> historic day because we had to leave from here without anything and we had to fight. a
6:03 am
>> reporter: we also now have to leave. what's happening is everyone started -- we are in green square here in the middle of tripoli. what we're seeing is rebels all over this square. there are really no civilians. mostly men with guns in the square. but we're also seeing people running. there's a lot of gunfire. they say there are snipers. we all had to pull back. the wags is very intense here. there is a lot of celebrating going on. some of this is just gunfire in the air. people are very, very concerned because of snipers on top of these buildings. they're not sure exactly where some of this gunfire is coming from. every now and then you see people running, trying to get out of the way. right now rebels have green square. it is an historic moment here in tripoli, in the capital, the real stronghold of moammar gadhafi has now been taken over by the rebels. sarah sidner, cnn, tripoli. ahead of an exclusive phone
6:04 am
interview on al jazeera, reportedly with gadhafi's son, mohammed, they say rebels had surrounded his home and planned to take him to benghazi. here is part of that dramatic interview. >> translator: i'm standing outside my house. i'm being attacked right now. gunfire outside my house. they're inside my house. good-bye. good-bye. good-b good-bye. >> that al jazeera anchor then reported that mohammed gadhafi and his family have not been harmed, but that their movements are under control of rebel forces. now, at least two of mohammed's brothers in rebel custody right now. moammar gadhafi, his whereabouts still unknown. nic robertson has more on the gadhafi's, actually interviewed the family over the years. what do you know at this point? >> we know that saif alice llama
6:05 am
gadhafi, arrest warrants for him for war crimes now in custody of the rebels. he was, according to his brother, saadi gadhafi, who i met and interviewed both of them while i was in tripoli a couple of months ago. saif was actually running the country, according to saadi. which means with him arrested running the country will be much harder for moammar gadhafi. that, added to the fact that he's holed up somewhere, that he doesn't control the reigns of power, that the rebels have the initiative. wherever gadhafi is, he is in the last phases of his freedom, if you will. the rebels, if they do know where he is, are not saying where he is. but very likely the pockets, he will be in one of those pockets of resistance inside tripoli. it seems that the whole family was caught off guard by the speed of the rebel movement.
6:06 am
that's why three sons have already been picked up. they weren't expecting the rebels to come into the capital so fast. perhaps that's the best key to understanding where moammar gadhafi is right now. he was also called out, caught by surprise of the speed of movement. >> nic, you've interviewed the family over the years. what is your sense? is this it? you've heard the posturing from various members of the family. what's your take now with regard to their attitude, their response and what's happening? >> i'm surprised that they've been picked up so quickly. there was certainly indications over the past few month that is saadi gadhafi, while loyal to his father, didn't have a real military role and that he was looking for a way to get out of the country. saif was in a leadership role when i interviewed him a few months ago. just before the native bombing began, i couldn't believe that he didn't have a can clearer picture of how he was going to take control of the country.
6:07 am
he has been isolated by the best of his friends and allies in the past. there was a seminal movement where he went on television and berated the nation. i spoke to two people who wrote speeches for him, to give on television. he went off script, apparently because he had just been to meet his father right before he went on television. so this seems to be, ss essentially, a man who threw away the opportunities of building some kind of consensus in the beginning. now his fate is in the criminal court, as they want, should he stand trial in the hague or the libyan transitional council keep hold of him? this is one of the big tests under scrutiny, how the transitional national council in libya will handle building democracy in the country. the fact that these sons have been rounded up is just bad news for moammar gadhafi himself.
6:08 am
he must be next on the list. it must be fairly soon to happen, kyra. >> nic, we'll be talking a lot more in the next couple of hours. if gadhafi is negotiating an exit, what is he likely to deal with? let's bring in fran townsend, cnn's national security contributor and member of the cia's external advisory committee and has had experience dealing with gadhafi regime. last year she visit ed high-ranking officials at the invitation of the libyan government. fran, what are you paying attention to right now at this hour? >> reporter: it's interesting, kyra, from a number of perspectives. i met with the gadhafis. once some of these sons are in cap activity, some people think that will affect moammar gadhafi. i do not think so. he is not driven by the normal personal emotional things. i do think he will try to evade capture. i do think he will fight to the end. i don't think he's going to look
6:09 am
for an exit plan. in fact, i spoke to a senior italian ofgs, who has been directly involved in this. and i think even our european allies are quite stunned that gadhafi doesn't seem to care about an exit plan. their take is that he wants to be a martyr. and it looks like the rebels may give him that opportunity. >> fran, we're having you shalls with your audio. we want your insight in this, especially your personal experiences of dealing with members of the gadhafi family. meanwhile, zain verjee is in london with reaction from around the world. it is getting international play at this hour. >> it's the top story around the world, kyra. let's take a look at the independent. its headline reads like this. it says the end game is at hand. but holds dangers of its own. it goes on to say the population's perception of the opposition's strength will be key to what happens next. and this will depend, to a large
6:10 am
extent, on how far the leaders of its national transitional council can present a united front and a coherent vision for libya's future. check out the national in the uae, kyra. arab uprisings need patience, not pessimism. it says revolutions of these sort require more patience and persistence to see them through to their conclusions. the end of street demonstrations, whenever that comes, must only be viewed as the start of these nation's own revolutions. finally, look at the guardian. neighborhood watch. that's the headline. it says fear that even the lis lavish application of air power would not bring a clear victory in libya has been displaced by anxiety about libya's future after victory. you look at pictures of the rebels, kyra. they're all united. they have one goal. get rid of gadhafi. get rid of the regime. they don't have many analysts
6:11 am
say, a lot more than that in common. they're made up of different groups. former gadhafi loyalists, islamists, secularists. the question is, are they going to be able to agree on a way forward for libya? >> we'll talk about it much more in the next couple of hours, zain. thanks. are we any safer and could we see american boots on the ground in libya? retired general james "spider" marks joins us next. ♪ [ jim ] i need to push out a software upgrade. build a new app for the sales team in beijing. and convince the c.e.o. his email will find him... wherever he is. i need to see my family while they're still awake.
6:12 am
[ male announcer ] with global services from dell, jim can address his company's i.t. needs through custom built applications, cloud solutions and ongoing support in over 100 countries. so his company sees results. and jim sees his family. dell. the power to do more. no, it's just for new people. hey ! chocolate, vanilla or strawberry ? chocolate ! chocolate it is ! yeah, but i'm new, too. umm... he's new... er... than you. even kids know it's wrong to treat new friends better than old friends. at ally bank, we treat all our customers fairly, with no teaser rates and no minimum deposit to open. it's just the right thing to do. -woohoo! -yes! ♪ it was the best day ♪ it was the best day yeah! ♪ it was the best day ♪ because of you
6:13 am
6:14 am
continuing to follow that fast-moving fighting happening right now in the libyan capital. calling in to us now -- she's been working around the clock for us, sarah sidner out of tripoli. what's going on around you at this point? bring us up-to-date on the situation. >> reporter: just about 45 minutes ago, we were getting very, very close to green square, the main square of tripoli. we were just the night before, when rebels rushed in and took over that square and were celebrating. but we were unable to get there, because at one point rebels said everyone must push back. they had been given a command to push back. they all pushed back and we are now with them. they are all congress re gate d congregated in a part of the city. they're resting, but they're trying to coordinate a push through the city to try to go street by street, try and figure out where, if there are any, gadhafi forces left, where they
6:15 am
are, capture them, detain them. we do have some new information. we know they are detaining people. we, ourselves, were in an area where we were taken. they have detained one of the most famous libyan state tv broadcasters. her name is hala al misrahi. they brought her in, she was with her brother. rebels very frustrated with state tv. libyan state tv is obviously very, very much run by the moammar gadhafi regime and some of the things that have been said over the past few months have really enraged people. we're hearing gunshots. those, again, are celebratory gunshots, not gunshots involved in any sort of fight. we do have to report that this is a pretty big deal. everyone in this town and in libya pretty much knows her and knows who she is. she's quite well known. she has been detained.
6:16 am
we tried to see her. we were unable to see her, to see if she was being treated properly. at this point, the rebels say they are treating her properly and will be taking her to court at some later date. >> sara, is this the anchor we actually have a clip of, that was holding the gun on set, saying that she was going to stick -- yeah, we're actually looking at it right now. is this the same -- i'm trying to find her name. the same anchorwoman? have you seen this, where she went on the air, holding the gun, saying she will go down a m martyr? >> reporter: no, i do not know if it is the same one. we have no television. the only way we can communicate with you is through satellite. we're unable to see any of the coverage. >> here it is, sarah. tas hala misrati. >> reporter: that is her. >> she was holding the gun.
6:17 am
>> reporter: you can imagine how angry people were. they found her near a car in a coffee shop the last couple of hours, got into the car with her and had her brother drive her to this -- what was a training facility for people who were training to be in the world of petroleum and learning to do jobs in that particular line of work. they took her to this random sort of building. we know she was sitting there with her brother. though we were unable to see her ourselves. a very big deal. outside the pond moandemonium t ensued when they found out that hala was taken into custody. they all wanted a piece of her. they wanted at her, they wanted to scream at her. i don't know what else they were planning to do. gunshots went off inside the building. we had to take cover. a very tense moment and a very sort of big moment, i think, for a lot of people who saw her face and really saw her as a
6:18 am
mouthpiece for the gadhafi regime. >> she actually -- i'm getting some of the translation here, as i've been able to pull it off the computer, sara. obviously you haven't been able to see it. but she sat up there and said with this weapon, holding the gun, i either kill or die today. so, what you're saying is that this woman, this hala misrati, is quite well known. and the fact that she was taken in sends out a tremendous message here. >> reporter: it does send out a message. it sends out the message that if you were part of the gadhafi regime, if you incited violence or terror in people's hearts, if in some way these people feel scared or feel like they were not safe, you will be detained. what they are going to do next is very unclear. you know, this city is so different than what it was just 24 hours ago. there is nothing functioning. everything is closed.
6:19 am
if you're taking her to court, are the courts functioning? are the judges there? do you trust their decision? they said, oh, yeah, of course they're functioning and we will be taking her to the court. we don't really know what that means,s to be to be honest. we doesn't know if they're going to be trusting the same judges that were there in place during the gadhafi regime r will start putting their own courts together. that remains unanswered. we do know there's a lot of anger in this city, surrounding those seen as supporters of gadhafi. not only supporters, but those who would put fear into people's hearts through a message from gadhafi. >> sara sidner, calling in, doing incredible work for hours. thanks so much. we'll be talking more. we're going to talk with retired major general james "spider" marks, joining us live from washington. we'll talk about what's next. ♪ [ female announcer ] we're throwing away misperceptions
6:20 am
about natural gas vehicles. more of the vehicles that fuel our lives use clean american natural gas today. it costs about 40 percent less than gasoline, so why aren't we using it even more? start a conversation about using more natural gas vehicles in your community. [ male announcer ] if you're in a ford f-150 and you see this... it's the end of the road. the last hurrah. it's when ford's powertrain warranty ends. but in this ram truck, you've still got 39,999 miles to go. ♪ guts. glory. ram. ♪
6:22 am
okay. let's check in with what's new this morning out of libya at this hour, after celebrating their sweep into the very heart of the city, rebel fights have now pulled -- fighters, rather, have pulled back from green square, sara sidner reporting that to us moments ago. pro-gadhafi forces are putting up resistance. one of moammar gadhafi's sons is holed up with tanks standing guard outside. gadhafi himself is still m.i.a., his whereabouts unknown at this hour. three of his sons, we are being told, are in rebel hands. gadhafi's regime, nato says, is
6:23 am
crumbling. while we've seen rebels celebrating that fact, there's also major international concern about what could happen next. retired general james "spider" marks joins us now. good to see you. i was speaking to military types over the weekend. they're saying it's great to see a dictator like this go but we've got enough on our plate right now. this is one more thing we're going to have to stress about and figure out how we're going to endure this with all the other countries that we're involved with right now. what's your take, first of all, from a u.s. military perspective? >> you know, kyra, that's a classic. it's very legitimate. a classic tail wagging the dog. clearly the united states has a very legitimate role, could assume a very prominent role on the ground as libya transitions. it's the most difficult part right now, ensuring that there isn't score settling, a bunch of vengeance and who takes control
6:24 am
of this military that gadhafi has in place since it was created some 60 years ago. the united states or the administration has said we are not going to put boots on the ground. therefore, we've got to get intimately involved and, frankly, we are, with the nato powers, to ensure that there is a military presence on the ground, to ensure a smooth transition. >> but as we know very well, spider, because we've both been there. even with the boots on the ground, we saw what happened in iraq, the looting, the violence, the civil war issue. there was a controversy, are we in civil war or not? it sure appeared to be, when we were there. this is the same concern going forward in libya as well. >> if we're going to look back, let's look back really precisely. in baghdad in those early days, we were directed to keep our hands off. that this cathartic uprising that occurred we thought would be very episodic. we were directed don't get in
6:25 am
between with what's happening between the people on the ground, institutions, each other, et cetera. looking forward, we've learned that lesson. i would imagine that the sooner there are boots on the ground in libya, specifically tripoli, the better. we've got to be very careful about what we hear about control of tripoli. a lot of folks on the ground have said the rebels and the opposition now control libya -- excuse me, control tripoli. that's a very liberal use of that term. clearly, pockets of tripoli are being controlled by rebel sources. tripoli is a very big place. there's a lot that's still unknown. the only way you get known is to put boots on the ground. >> how do you know who you can trust and who you can't trust with regard to the rebels? >> you can't. it's very, very difficult. we, the international community, are relying on what we're being fed from the opposition forces in terms of what their intentions are.
6:26 am
clearly, we understand their intentions based on their actions. so, the notion of trust can only be achieved over time and with with very close personal interaction. >> spider marks, i know you're watching this closely with us and you'll be joining us for the next couple of hours. appreciate it so much, spider. let's bring you up-to-date with what we know right now. three of gadhafi's sons have been detained by rebels. one of them could end up in the netherlands, we're being told. and saif alice llama, they are looking to have him tried at the hague. when could he be transferred? when could that happen, zain? >> the international criminal court has accused him for crimes against humanity and war crimes. they would want it to happen as soon as possible. it's likely that they're in touch with the rebels, trying to negotiate some kind of transfer. although the international
6:27 am
community has also said that this needs to be a libyan process. it's not really clear right now. we don't know. saif alice llama gadhafi, when i met him, kyra, was riding high. he was seen as a successor to moammar gadhafi, he had helped to end libby's status, helped influence his father to end the program that libya had of pursuing weapons of mass destruction. he opened libya for business, paid compensation to victims of the lockerbie bombing and their families. really, this was totally turned around acres 180. he was seen as a man who could actually help proeker some kind of peace deal when the fighting first broke out in libya, but he picked sides, he threw it all in. many said he was just a wolf in sheep's clothing. he was the man that got on television and talked about rivers of blood. he has been accused of organizing killings, mass murders of civilians, organizing
6:28 am
mercenaries to come in and do the dirty work. a real fall from the perceptions he had many years ago. the international criminal court, though, does want to try him. >> zain verjee out of london. zain, you'll be with us, obviously, the next couple of hours as well. also coming up, cnn's matthew chance at the hotel controlled by gadhafi forces. [ male announcer ] members of the american postal workers union
6:29 am
handle more than 165 billion letters and packages a year. that's about 34 million pounds of mail every day. ever wonder what this costs you as a taxpayer? millions? tens of millions? hundreds of millions? not a single cent. the united states postal service doesn't run on your tax dollars. it's funded solely by stamps and postage. brought to you by the men and women of the american postal workers union. ♪ have i got a surprise for you! yeah, it's newan [ barks beneful healthy fiesta. gotta love the protein for muscles-- whoo-hoo! and omega-rich nutrition for that shiny coat. ever think healthy could taste so good? [ woman announcing ] new beneful healthy fiesta.
6:30 am
that's how it is with alzheimer's disease. she needs help from me. and her medication. the exelon patch -- it releases medication continuously for twenty-four hours. she uses one exelon patch daily for the treatment of mild to moderate alzheimer's symptoms. [ female announcer ] it cannot change the course of the disease. hospitalization and rarely death have been reported in patients who wore more than one patch at a time. the most common side effects of exelon patch are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases. patients may experience loss of appetite or weight. patients who weigh less than 110 pounds may experience more side effects. people at risk for stomach ulcers who take certain other medicines should talk to their doctor because serious stomach problems such as bleeding may worsen. people with certain heart conditions may experience slow heart rate. [ woman ] whenever i needed her, she was there for me. now i'm here for her. [ female announcer ] ask the doctor about your loved one trying the exelon patch. visit exelonpatch.com to learn more.
6:31 am
let's bring you the latest now in the battle for tripoli. rebels controlling most of the capital this morning have just been pushed back from a key battleground. that coming to us from sara sidner, who just called in. also, worried that they may attempt a last-ditch attack against the rebels there. reps there should be sitting down about now, in the ethiopian
6:32 am
capital. we'll follow all those angles for you. plus, barbara starr at the pentagon on what the u.s. military role could look like. barbara, i'm sure you've seen the interviews with general marks and various other military leaders we've been talking to, everybody speculating about what could happen. what are you getting from the pentagon? >> well, kyra, pentagon officials say don't count on any involvement by u.s. forces, president obama, defense secretary leon panetta have long said this will not involve u.s. forces on the ground. this is a nato coalition-led operation. that's how they want to keep it and they want to work with whatever new government emerges in libya. let me go back to what you were saying a minute ago. last-ditch attack. that is a major concern by nato. i just got off the phone with senior nato officials. they say that is something they're watching very carefully, as they continue to see these loyalist, militia forces on the ground in tripoli fight back
6:33 am
against the rebel advances. they are concerned this could spiral into attacks against civilians. nato planes remain on station overhead. they will move to stop anything that they can. look, this is a large, urban city. any air strikes inside tripoli are always problematic. you never know exactly who you're hitting when it's forces on the ground. the coming hours and days still could have considerable danger attached to them. kyra? >> barbara starr from the pentagon. thanks so much. moammar gadhafi's whereabouts still unknown. we've been talking a lot about where could he go? what will be next? will he stay in country, fight to the end? nic robertson is joining us out of washington. a lot of speculation now, nic, about his whereabouts from your sources, your experience, what's your take now? what do you think he's -- where he is and what's going through his mind with regard to where things stand at this point?
6:34 am
>> predicting what's going through his mind, i think, perhaps is the toughest thing right now. he said he want ed to retire to the desert of libya and write his memoirs. that is not going to happen. it's going to look, if he is going to run, he is going to look to his friends around the world, venezuela, hugo chavez was a regular visitor to libya, brothers in arms, if you will, raising the -- if you will to the rest of the world. he may choose to go there. that could be one place where perhaps he could find a friendly, warm and safe welcome. he would want to escape capture and delivery to the international criminal court. he may go to south africa, has played himself as an african leader, hosted representatives from many african nations. his advisers were telling me several months ago it was going to be an african solution for libya, we've seen african
6:35 am
politicians try to play a role in ending the conflict in libya. south africa is a possibility. zimbabwe, another rogue state. perhaps he could holed up there and risk international capture. there are other possibilities as well. the key thing for him will be not being picked up and delivered to an international tribunal and wanting to go down as a hero. that's what's got to be going through his mind right now, kyra. >> you mentioned south africa. this man had a friendship with nelson mandela. >> he sort of played himself as a great arab leader. when that fell flat, when this sort of -- arab leaders parted sort of meeting of the minds with him, he turned to africa and wanted to cast himself as a great african leader. two years ago in tripoli, he gathered together all these sort of tribal and regional leaders from all over africa, sat on
6:36 am
this massive throne. they were there in their regional costumes and came and gave him gifts on the stage. it was a huge, elaborate affair. libya, after all, is the richest african nation per capita income, at least until the past year, over $35,000 a year average annual income. he had money to spend in africa to build friendships and relationships and south africa was one of those countries that he was close to, at the north end of africa, if you will. they were to the south. he would look to the south africans as a way out of the situation. that will be entirely dependent on some means of transport. getting to an aircraft and make that happen may be his biggest short-term challenge. >> you, obviously, have been to saudi arabia many times.
6:37 am
this is a place known to house dictators, if you think of tunisia, pakistan. there was a time when moammar gadhafi wanted king abdullah assassinated. knowing what saudi arabia has done in the past or the relationship between these two, what's your take on saudi arabia? >> there are bigger relationships at play, obviously. one of the things that saudi arabia has tried to do through this whole arab spring is slow down the exit of any of these leaders. ben ali in tunisia. he did end up going to saudi arabia. when the united states turned against mubarak and said he should leave power, they threw that in the u.s.'s face. king abdullah should step down,
6:38 am
that there should be a broader western democracy there. whether or not these sort of d old -- one of gadhafi's son's top adviser spent a year and a half in jail in saudi arabia, over half of that in solitary confinement for allegedly paying millions of euros to a middleman who was going to assassinate king abdullah in mecca. there is a lot of bad blood there. sometimes an enemy's an enemy of my enemy. it may suit their needs short term. but a lot of bad blood there for sure, kyra. dan lothian is in massachusetts with the president.
6:39 am
reacting to the developments in libya. are we likely to hear from him today? >> reporter: that's a big question. i think the white house wants to wait and see how the situation unfolds on the ground. there are still a lot of questions there about the fate of moammar gadhafi and what the white house doesn't want to do is get the president out in front of the camera when the situation is still so fluid. we've been talking about the statement that the president put out last night. part of that statement saying, quote, the people of libya are showing that the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron fist of a dictator. president obama has been saying on top of the situation in libya with briefings from one of his top advisers, john brennan. we're told there is a briefing to take place some time this morning. we don't know if that has happened as of yet. the president held a high-level conference call with senior members of his national security team, including his chief of
6:40 am
staff, his national security adviser, secretary of defense in addition to other briefings that the president has been getting. we do expect to have a briefing from the deputy white house spokesman here on martha's vineyard some time this morning. that's when we'll get a chance to get more reaction from the white house to the situation unfolding in libya. kyra? >> dan, let us know if you hear anything. ben wiedeman is in cairo, where egyptians recently celebrated another leader's downfall. we'll get his take after the break. ♪ [ male announcer ] they'll see you...before you see them. cops are cracking down on drinking and riding. drive sober, or get pulled over. [ male announcer ] this is our beach. ♪
6:41 am
6:43 am
6:44 am
cairo. are you getting the similar feelings, looking what's happening in the square in libya and remembering what went down there in cairo? >> reporter: in cairo, however, kyra, it was really revolution on fast forward. it only went on for 18 days. libya, it's been six months and it's really been a war as much as a revolution. you've had pitch battles across the country. and i was basically in the middle of most of them. and what we saw here in egypt, for instance, is that the army played a neutral role. they would not open fire on the anti-mubarak protesters. in libya, it was a completely different picture, the army firing missiles into the middle of towns like misrata, where we saw ordinary libyans being randomly targeted by their own armed forces. a completely different equation. in green square, the situation is very fluid.
6:45 am
it's not clear whether gadhafi's forces had try to make some sort of counter attack. when hosni mubarak stepped down, he was out of the game. in libya, the situation, as i said, we still don't know the final outcome. although, clearly, moammar gadhafi is on his way out. it's just not clear when libyans will be able to finally say he is gone after 42 years of dictatorial rule. >> ben wedeman, thanks. we'll talk to two libyan-american brothers, their father kidnapped by moammar gadhafi's regime two decades ago.
6:48 am
the rebel advance on tripoli is giving americans new reasons to celebrate. and also hope. three american libyan brothers hope they'll finally find out about their missing father, whether he's dead or even alive. a libyan opposition activist who disappeared 20 years ago, kidnapped in egypt and handed over to libyan officials. some of his letters were smuggled out of a libyan prison. his sons are joining me now, both college students here in atlanta. gentlemen, this -- i know you finally think that this could be the answer, you're going to get the answer to the whereabouts of your father. before we talk about that, what's happening now, ahmed, you
6:49 am
say you've been skyping with your cousin in benghazi? >> yes. i spoke with him last night in benghazi. they weren't able to sleep. he said everybody is out celebrating, cheering. everything is so peaceful. also spoke with a friend in tripoli who was quite the opposite. he was very frightened, still hearing gunshots and planes overhead. >> now, you were 5 years old when your dad was taken away, correct? >> correct. >> you were 5 weeks. >> yes. >> ever since you were born, you were telling me, this is what you've been waiting to see? >> exactly. one day i've been waiting for my whole life. it's overwhelming, the sense of joy and happiness that's come now and i'm just waiting to hear more updates. >> and what is it that you've been hearing that has been inspiring you? you say this is what you've been -- you've been filled with joy and you've been inspired by
6:50 am
all of this. what are you hearing that's giving you confidence in what's going on right now? >> my father's dream has always been to have people help change the regime, because gadhafi has been oppressive for about 42 years now. and just having normal people, civilians, attempting to defend themselves against gadhafi's security forces, people -- even teachers, regular, normal people are standing up. >> that's the first time you've witnessed something like this. i know the older family members are like, this is remarkable. so what could this mean with regard to your father. do you still believe he's alive? do you think you'll finally get the answer you've been looking for now? >> definitely. we're nervous, anxious, very excited if he's alive, we'll be
6:51 am
there in a split second to see him. and if he does pass, we view him definitely as a martyr and gave his life for his country and for his people. >> your mom and your older brother immediately flew to cairo when all this started happening. are they wanting to get into libya? >> yes, definitely. they just arrived into cairo last night. they gave us a call and told us they're going into libya. >> why do they want to do that in do they feel safe? >> they finally want to celebrate with family my mother hasn't seen her brothers for over 20 years now. so to get to celebrate a regime change and gadhafi's toppling is something she's been waiting for for a long time. >> i have a feeling i know what both of you will be writing
6:52 am
about in class this semester. please keep us updated from your mom, your brother, especially with regard to your father and if indeed he's still alive. we want to make sure we follow up. >> thank you. >> thank you both. wall street opens for business after a four-week losing streak. we're going to go live to
6:54 am
6:55 am
24 hours will make. yesterday it was sustained winds at 50 miles an hour, now it's 80 miles an hour as we speak. it's crucial to see what happens over the next 24 hours. what's important about it getting close to hispaniola is intersected by a giant range of mountains. the reason why that's important, as this tropical system gets close, that high mountain range can disrupt the circulation. if that happening, you may see it collapse all together, however, the latest forecast shows a very different story altogether. notice then the cone of probability includes a great deal of the florida peninsula. it's still too early to see if it will make landfall. the possibility is it could veer a little farther south. it may stay in the atlantic.
6:56 am
however, you have to know that florida is in play. if it makes landfall or not, you have to keep in mind it's a long season. if you don't have your preparedness kit together yet, it's time to get ready. it's a long season, again all the way through november. this is the first named hurricane, but it only takes one to make a huge difference to a lot of people. >> reynold, thanks. >> you bet. alison kosik is at the exchange. we know how stories of the middle east can impact those numbers and impact them quickly. >> yes, things can change on a dime, but at least it's nice to see the games, kyra, but it's not necessarily based on fundamentals. it's not based on strong economic reports or earnings, the problems we had about the economy last week are still with us. it's not necessarily a sign that the market has hit bottom.
6:57 am
what you're seeing is a bounce back from the past month and gosh, what an incredible month it's been. the dow, nasdaq, s&p 500, all down about 15% to 18%. for the s&p 500 it's the biggest four-week loss we have seen since 2009. many are saying, you know what? this market is clearly oversold. they see this bargain hunting opportunity to buy stocks that have been beaten up and analysts say we're not sure if the volatility is over yet. so don't necessarily expect the gains to stick today. we'll keep an eye on it. >> we'll have the latest from tripoli after a quick break. [ male announcer ] they'll see you...before you see them. cops are cracking down on drinking and riding. drive sober, or get pulled over. [ doug ] i got to figure this out. i want to focus on innovation. but my data is doubling. my servers are maxed out.
6:58 am
7:00 am
you're watching cnn's special coverage of the battle of tripoli. here's what's new. then encountering heavy resistance, rebel fighters have pulled back from green square. they're coordinating their next offensive. meantime rebels say they have detained a prominent anchor from libyan state tv. she made headlines over the weekend waving a gun around on air and threatening rebel fighters. matthew chance is in the city's rixos hotel, same hotel that libyan officials and their families just fled.
7:01 am
zain verjee is from london, jill dougherty is checking diplomatic developments, and dan lothian is in martha's vineyard and kate bolduan has the political perspective from washington. let's begin be getting to our matthew chance, at the hotel for international journalists, still until control by gadhafi forces. >> reporter: we've been sort of weighing our options. we're in a bit of a difficult position. we're sort of a man down on the team. we don't have a cameraman with us, so we're a bit stuck anyway. we also haven't got a vehicle, so that's a problem. previously we've been depending on the government to take us around. that was the only wade we were allowed to get around. we've been deprived of that. the overriding situation is the fact that the government is still very much in control of this perimeter, and they're not permitting us to go outside. a number of journalists have
7:02 am
been requested to leave the grounds, and they've been refused. you have armed men in the lobby of this hotel, in the trees around the compound as well and heavy weaponry on the perimeter we're thinking about hunkering down and waiting for this to pass, whatever comes next. >> now just ahead of a exclusive interview reportedly with gadhafi's son, an sank ore said his home -- but that anchor added in an exchange of gunfire one of the moammar's guards was killed. here's a part of that. >> translator: standing outside my house being attacked. there's gunfire they're outside my house, good-bye, good-bye,
7:03 am
good-bye. >> the anchor reported according to the chairman of the transitional council gadhafi and his family have not been harmed, but that i movement is until the control of rebel forces. two of moammar gadhafi's whereabouts are still unknown. nic robertson joins us with more. knick, you have interviewed family members over the year, what is your take and what are your sources telling you right now? >> my take is they were outmaneuvered quickly. that seems the only logical explanation why, sadi gadhafi is perhaps the member of the miami that's been most on the outside, if you will, of the key sons. he hasn't had a top military job or in a position of leadership,
7:04 am
essentially pushed to one side. there was even talk that he wanted to get out of his country, but his said his brother saif was running the country on a day-to-day basis. so it seems they didn't expect the rebels to get in there so quickly, so the assumption must be that moammar gadhafi is surrounded eed by friends and family. time it does seem in his case seems to have run out. if he's holed up, it seems to be in one of the areas -- how long can he hold off there? that's anyone's guess. exactly where he is, also anyone's guess. a lot of rumors right now. >> knick, what is your take? what could the rebels get from gadhafi's sons? >> they will get the knowledge that they have begun to round up
7:05 am
the regime they so detest and despise. if as saadi gadhafi, if the sai fiismt, the heir apparent, was really running the country, then that's going to deprive the country of some direction. gadhafi himself is so mercurial, what real impact having his sons removed from the equation will mean, but we know from the very beginning the family hunkered down together. they relied on themselves, perhaps the only other insider, the head of the intelligence, sort of one of the three wanted by the international criminal car for war crimes. very small trusted group. so it seems that that group is now broken up and that gave gave will feel more isolated. will it change anything?
7:06 am
probably not. even his family found him unpredict afc. on the one mand -- when i talked to him, he didn't have a strong idea of how to bring the country under their control. >> would the sons even know where their dad is? >> yes, you would have to believe there would be the possibility of that, but would the rebels -- the father have moved since they were picked up? quite possibly even if they told the rebels there's no guarantee that the rebels would be able to move in and find gadhafi. it may be quite obvious on the ground some parts of the city particularly around the strongholds are where -- does seem to indicate that perhaps he is holed up there. he would try to flee from the airport by plane, if he could. if again, if he had aircraft on standby, as has been rumored.
7:07 am
the military airfield is where they kept their private aircraft. we believe that those have been destroyed during the nato campaign, but that would be one of the obvious places for him to run, down on the coast. he may simply not be able to get there now, kyra. >> knick, thanks so much. let's tain it over to zain verjee. she hayes reaction from around the world to what's happening, but zain, you mentioned last hour, that you have actually met with one of gadhafi's sons. tell us about that, and what's your take on the boys and their influence now? >> i only met saif al islam gadhafi, it was a big moment, because condoleezza rise was going there. he was riding high, not only seen as a potential successor, the wests embraced him for what
7:08 am
think perceived to be a modern reformist attitude. he opened up libya for business. he influenced his father to giving up the weapons of mass destruction program, and also paid compensation to families of victims of the lockerbie bombing, but the situation with the uprising, many people thought, this is someone who can broker some kind of peace deal, but they threw it in, got on tv and started shouting about rivers of blood many. people then accused him of having been a wolf in sheep's clothing. he's now wanted by the international criminal court for war crimes. >> if he knows exactly where the whereabouts of his father, is this one that would turn against his dad ever, or lead -- be forced to give out any information? >> many experts say if he was going to betray his dad, it
7:09 am
would have by now. he threw it all in with his father. it's likely that moammar gadhafi continues to move to difficult location, so in the event of a situation like this, they may not even know where he is. it's unlikely that he would give his father up, but under pressure to save his skin, who knows in a situation like this. >> zain, thanks so much. dan lothian is in massachusetts with the president, who's calling for gadhafi to step down, as you know. dan, could we hear from the president today? >> reporter: that's the big question we've been asking since last night. and at this point nothing on the president's schedule. the only thing we've heard from the president himself last night as he was going to a local takeout restaurant in oak bluffs, he was asked to comment on the situation in libya and president making it clear he would be holding back any public statements until they get more information about what's going
7:10 am
on, the president saying, quote, we're going to wait until we get full confirmation of what is happening. i will make a statement when we do. but the president did put out a written statement where he said the momentum has reached a tipping point that gadhafi and his regime's rule has come to an end and he needs to relinquish pow one and for all. the president will be receiving a briefing from john brennan, who is traveling with the president. the president has been getting frequent updates on the situation there over the last few days. while the administration has not said so publicly, this is no doubt a positive move, they see it, coming some six months after the president called for gadhafi to step aside, gadhafi digging in, defying not only calls from the west, but other allies, nato as well with the pressure has been ramped up. the white house is waiting to see what happens before the
7:11 am
president steps in front of the camera. >> dan lothian, thanks. washington is applauding the imminent fall of moammar gadhafi, but it will be a long road ahead for the libyan people. if a new government takes over libya and the oil starts pumping again, what will happen to the price of your gas? we'll talk about that as well. n tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. and celebrex is not a narcotic. when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning.
7:12 am
they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. woman: day care can be so to save some money, i found one that uses robots instead of real people. 'cuz robots work for free. robot 1:good morning... robot 1:...female child. sfx: modem dial-up noise
7:13 am
woman: flaws? yeah, um, maybe. anncr: there's an easier way to save. anncr: get online. go to geico.com. get a quote. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. as you can imagine, a number of our lawmakers are weighing in. kate bolduan is usually on the hill. she's joining us out of washington today. kate, who are we hearing from and not hearing from? first of all, what is the latest from your vantage point on who
7:14 am
is coming occupy speaking strongly about libya? >> according to two top senators on military and foreign policy issues, the fall of moammar gadhafi is being called a victory for the libyan people. senators john mccain and lindsey graham, two republican senators, they released a statement applauding the efforts of the libyan people and international community for reaching this point, adding that gadhafi's fall should now send a message to other nations and other embattled leaders, namely in their tame, bashar al assad of syria saying we're confident his regime will soon join gadhafi's on the ash heap of history, but also listen to senator mccain. he was on cbs "face the nation." >> it's going to be a big challenge forming a new government, uniting a country that's never known democracy. we've seen the difficulty with
7:15 am
other countries that have made this transition, but we'll be rid of a guide who has american blood on his hands, he's practiced the worst kind of brutality, and it will be up to us and the europeans. >> mccain is also criticizing the obama administration for not doing more to end this conflict sooner, mccain saying the u.s. has led from behind here, something that we have heard a criticism from republican members in the past. i should say, of course, that senators mccain and senator graham have both long been strong voices from the perspective of u.s. lawmakers who have been pushing for greater involvement of u.s. military involvement and greater involvement just from the u.s. in general in trying to bring 234 conflict to an end. kyra? >> we haven't heard from any of the gop presidential candidates on this, have we? >> i haven't seen any statements
7:16 am
yet. maybe we're just trying to bring those statements in. many people just trying to sal bray the situation and i'm sure watching cnn as well, trying to see all of this unfold as we are, before they put out their statements. not a surprise we are hearing quickly from senators mccain and graham. they've been very vocal and out front on thinks military issues. >> kate, thanks. before the war, libya pumped out nearly 2% of the world as oil. if that flow starts up soon, what could could it mean. christine romans is in new york. do prices look look they'll keep sliding, christine? >> it's interesting, because here oil prices are going up, but they're going up with stock prices today the moof is maybe it won't be a double-dip recession, but overall you have euphoria if i had libya back on the market that could be a
7:17 am
indicator, and if you don't have europe worrying about that quantity of oil, that's better overall for the markets. the president tapped the reserves earlier, because they had, so how big is it? the 167th largee oil producer, at least in good times. 2% of the world's oil supply, again before its civil wart. 1.8 million barrels a day. the u.s. directly consumes only about 3%, kyra, of libya's oil exports, almost all of it goes straight to europe, which is basically has a rho rashs appetite for libyan oil, but when you're competing for restricted supplies, every drop of oil sucked out of the earth is used, so longer term, many say this is good, good for the fundamentals for consumers, the oil market. how long will it take after six months off-line for them to get back up to full production and
7:18 am
begin exporting again? that's a big question mark at this point. >> we can't gauge whether we could see lower gas prices if we wanted to tie it to the situation in libya. >> we're going to see lower gas prices, because the u.s. economy is slowing. this is something that adds to that, it helps that situation overjuly, yes. >> christine, thanks. going forward in libya, what will a transitional government look like? we'll try to piece that together, up after the break. [ jack ] what's for breakfast? um... try the number one! [ jack ] yeah, this is pretty good. [ male announcer ] half a day's worth of fiber. fiber one. whether it can be done safely and responsibly. at exxonmobil we know the answer is yes. when we design any well, the groundwater's protected by multiple layers of steel and cement. most wells are over a mile and a half deep so there's a tremendous amount of protective rock
7:19 am
7:20 am
7:21 am
offensive after some pretty big gains earlier today, the rebels came under heavy fire and had to retreat from green square. meantime moammar gadhafi is still mia, and they u.s. official sounds a little more certain, saying, quote, there is reason to believe he reremains in libya. well, the white house says that gadhafi should go and prevent further bloodshed. jill dougherty is at the state department, apparently getting new information. jill, what do you have? >> yes, it is interesting. it's coming from jeff feltman, the assistant secretary of state for near east affairs. i reached him in cairo. he was in benghazi, the rebel stronghold over the weekend. he says that senior libyan officials were actually reaching out to the united states in the
7:22 am
last moments before the onslaught began, and feltman is saying this was obviously -- or it felt it was an attempt to buy some time, to stop what they felt was inevitable. they were willing, he says, to negotiate in general, but when it came to would moammar gadhafi leave or step down, they want that's not negotiable those telephone conversations, by the way, stopped on saturday. also, feltman saying that the initial signs from tripoli, where the rebels now are, are encouraging, that there's no report of any widespread looting, no reports of anybody taking justice into their own hands for retribution. he says he's also encouraged by reports there are checkpoints for public security and safety around public buildings, and then finally, interestingly, jeff feltman again assistant secretary of state for near
7:23 am
eastern affairs says there appears to be more communication than even he expected, and he's the person that leads up the state department on libya. between the rebels who are the fighters in tripoli, and the tnc, the transitional national council that's back in benghazi, that they were actually able to predict some of what happened. also, a bit of caution coming separately from a senior administration officials, who says the tnc has a lot of plans on paper, they look good, but the issue right now is interim period right now, can they actually carry them out. the plans exist, they say so far, and now it's a question of in this chaotic period, whether all of that can come to pass. >> jill dougherty, thanks. and our wolf blitzer is ready to join us after the break. stay with us. t's time for a bet. here, try this. it's yoplait greek. it has two times the protein of regular yogurt. you'll feel satisfied. [ female announcer ] yoplait greek.
7:24 am
it is so good. it's pretty good! is my doctor told me calcium is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. new citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. and i was a pack-a-day smoker for 25 years. i do remember sitting down with my boys, and i'm like, "oh, promise mommy you'll never ever pick up a cigarette." i had to quit.
7:25 am
♪ my doctor gave me a prescription for chantix, a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] chantix is a non-nicotine pill proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some of these can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. dosing may be different if you have kidney problems. until you know how chantix affects you, use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. ♪
7:26 am
my benjamin, he helped me with the countdown. "5 days, mom. 10 days, mom." i think after 30 days he got tired of counting! [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about chantix. over 7 million people have gotten a prescription. learn how you can save money and get terms and conditions at chantix.com. just about half past the hour. here's the latest details for the battle ontropy live. rebel fighters after some pretty big gains earlier today, they
7:27 am
game until heavy fire and had to retreat. meantime moammar gadhafi m.i.a., the opposition thinks he's heading out in tripoli or maybe fled to southern libya. a u.s. officials sounds more certainly -- there is no reason to believe he -- so we've been telling you about the fighting in and around green square. it's been a big simible for the gadhafi regime. until recently they haddic using it for big progovernme-governme rallies. >> tripoli very, very happy. gadhafi is finished. gadhafi is finished. now we have freedom. >> reporter: we are in green square, and there's just a few people left, but the rebels are
7:28 am
saying there will be a massive battle here. they do not have full control of the city. >> at the moment we are not in full control of tripoli. you can see that. >> reporter: what does this -- how do you feel about this day? you are from tripoli. why is this day important? historic day? >> historic day, because we have to -- and now we had to fight. it's my first time to handle a gun. >> reporter: the civilians are gone from here and now we also have to leave. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: what's happening as everyone starts running, we are here in the middle of tripoli. what we're seeing is rebels all over the square. there are really no civilians, mostly men with guns in the square, but we are also seeing people running. there's a lot of gunfire. they say they are snipers. the situation is very tense
7:29 am
here, but there's a lot of celebrating going on. some of this is gunfire in the air, but people are very concerns. right now the rebels have green square, and it is a historic moment here in tripoli in the capital, the real stronghold of moammar gadhafi has been taken over by the rebels. >> all right. our wolf blitzer is watching the battle as well. he joins us from washington. if you don't mind, i would like to talk about the politics. why don't we get with the president. you probably saw ed rendell's claim this is a victory, what's your take? do you think it's too early? >> if gadhafi is gone, and by all accounts if he's not gone
7:30 am
yet, he will be gone very soon. that's a victory for most of the democracies in the world, certainly in the region, given gadhafi ease his tire over 42 years. without gadhafi, that's a big gain. having said that, we don't know what the transition is going to look like. i know that right now they are united, this transitional council. they're united in their opposition to gadhafi, but not necessarily united among themselves. they have various different interpretations of what a libya should look like. having said that, they went in in march, and now gadhafi is on the verge of being gone. that's a plus for the u.s. >> and you talked about the national council working together right now, but you're talking more than 140 tribes.
7:31 am
this could be a dividing moment as well. there's a lot of concern, how do we prevent a civil war. we know the tnc is going to be in place, but it could get worse with the looting and -- >> and taking revenge over the next few days and weeks. i suspect the people will try to start stealing important artifacts, and other things, and people wanting to kill others, pro-gadhafi elements will be endangered if the rebels get by. a lot of people have lost loved ones, lost family, friends, and there will be an effort to take revenge. there's no national leader along the lines of a nelson mandela, shall we say, in south africa that can stop that development. one thing i know u.s. officials
7:32 am
are worried about, they're going to try to protect as much as they can, even though theft lifted capabilities. the governmental archives that gadhafi has been involved in all sorts of activities, including the pan am 103 downing, and the killing of those americans at that disco in germany. so there's a lot of history that the international community would like to get its hands on. i don't know what, if anything, the gadhafi regime is doing about burning archives, destroying history, whatever, but that's one issue i'm sure will come up in the coming days. >> we've heard from various senators on libya, and i asked kate bolduan this, and it's tough to find a direct answer. do you have any idea why we're not hearing in the government presidential candidates? >> i'm sure we will. this has not been a huge issue on the campaign trail. the issues have been the economy, jobs, taxes national
7:33 am
security really hasn't played a big role, but i suspect we will get statements from mitt romney, rick perry, michele bachmann and the other candidates. the story really broke last night as the rebels were moving into tripoli, the capital, moving into green square, which they have now renamed martyr square. but i suspect you'll be hearing from the candidates. we did hear, as you pointed out earlier, from senator mccain and lindsey graham, they indirectly took a swipe at the obama administration for supposedly not going more quickly and leading more robustly in the air campaign. >> wolf, stay with us, as we continue our breaking news coverage on libya. but i understand we have miked up and ready to go a former translator for moammar gadhafi.
7:34 am
it's kind of hard to figure out what's next, and what's going inside moammar gadhafi's mind. but he's a professor at western state connecticut university now, and as i mentioned he was an aide and interpreter for gadhafi himself. i'm glad we have a chance to talk with you this morning. that seems to be the $50 million question, where is moammar gadhafi? what is going through his mind right now? will he cut a deal? will he flee? you obviously know him or knew him very well at one time. what is your take as you watch everything that's happening right now? >> well, as we sit right now, moammar gadhafi i know and i worked for him for nine years, i know his's not going to surrender. also many people are wondering where he is. my suspicion -- and i am not so
7:35 am
sure of it, my suspicion he had left tripoli quite a while ago. he's probably hiding either in his hometown or at his tribal stronghold? southwestern libya. so those are the possibilities. watching the news and following what's going on in the past week, especially hearing the -- his messages on the phone, that indicated to me that he was not talking from tripoli. he was talking from far away. those areas are out there. i have very strong suspicion that he had been whisked out of tripoli days ago, not just -- he's not hunkered in tripoli as most people think. that's my own interpretation of it. ic by wrong, but that's my interpretation of it, of the person i know. he's not going anywhere. he refuses to go anywhere, and he will fight for the very end.
7:36 am
of course, the end is getting close. most of his forces are abandoning him, surrendering, but he still has some strong loyal supporters who are going to fight with him to the end. so it's not over in tripoli. it's not hoefr in other parts of libya. we have to be careful here not to separate too soon. we have to be careful with this man. this man has the knack of regrouping. if you remember wait back in february when uprising took place, all of a sudden, many of the towns rose up, and he lost them. all of a sudden two weeks later, he got his grip back on it again. so he's going to fight. he's very resilient. >> you think at this point he could actually regroup? >> he will try to fight to the bitter end, even if he recruits 1u 00 people around him, he is not going to surrender. he is going to fight to the
7:37 am
bitter end. >> he may be able to regroup, but there's no way he'll regain control -- >> no, no. >> are you saying -- >> no, no, that's not what i'm talking about. i'm not talking about regaining control. i'm talking about making it difficult to security the country. he is going to make it difficult to the tnc to peacefully take over the whole place, and this really will be their main problem, is to prevent anarchy is to secure the safety of the population, because his rule of 42 years had created a lot of hatred within the country against him, and against his followers, so the revenge factor is there. we have to be very careful with that, with the revenge factor, because libya is a tribal society. libya is family connected, and anybody in the family who had
7:38 am
southbound tortured our killed by gadhafi's regime wanted revenge. so we have to really be careful in the next couple days in order to may sure the tnc controls the situation peacefully. >> what do you make of his sons being captured, and will any of his sons betray him? >> i don't think they have a chance to betray him. first, sai fiismt al islam is wanted by the libyan people, so the only son that i would suspect that he -- that the tnc and revolutionaries will be a little more lenient with him is his son mohammed, the one who surrendered himself last night, but both saadi, and saif -- and two others commanding forces. hamis is still commanding
7:39 am
forces, and mottasam is commanding forces in the east where the oil refineries are. so those two are going to fight with their father. you know, it's a big family. i don't think any would betray him. the three who got caught, they got caught by surprise. they did not count on the idea that the tripoli would actually fall that quickly. actually most of us were surprised by the speed at this triply had fallen. >> sir, please stay with me. wolf, you want to weigh in? >> saif al islam, he's been captured, do you honestly believe they'll hand him over to the international criminal court in the netherlands? or will they seek revenge and try him in libya?
7:40 am
>> the understanding i get from benghazi is no way will they surrender him to the icc. even when icc issued the order for his arrest, many within tnc and libyan population said no way, we wanted to try him, he didn't want -- of course, he did, but in their mind, atrocities they committed in libya, he and his sons, if gadhafi is captured alive and his other sons are captured alive, my suspicion is that they are not going to be handed over. we are going to try them in libya and punish them for all the crimes -- >> that's my impression as will, kyra. i think the chances of them handing over saif al islam or if
7:41 am
they get gadhafi, handing them over are slim. i think they'll want a speedy trial in libya. the people hate these gadhafis, and they want to deal with them with libyan justice. i suspect that will unfold sooner rather than later. sir, they didn't release -- libyan state television, which was still under the control of the gadhafis last night, they released an audio statement from moammar gadhafi in which he said i am with you here, i am in tripoli. do you not believe that was an authentic audiotape? >> it is an authentic audiotape. i listened to the arabic at a time. he didn't say i am in tripoli. he said i am with you, tripoli. i have strong suspicions, because i've worked with this
7:42 am
man for nine years, i know exactly that he had already left tripoli. if you listen to the quality of the tapes he's been releasing the last couple weeks, theer very bad quality. that's not the television. it's the distance from which he is talking. i am suspect the sabha in the south, a stronghold to his tribal group, or sert, the town he was born in. >> wolf, stay with us. great insight, mr. saad, and we're going to talk about more if gadhafi is pushed out, is knocked out of power today, what happens tomorrow? we're going to bring in one of our reporters who actually covered libya for years, and we'll take a look at that next. hey, the new guy is loaded with protein!
7:43 am
really? 25 grams of protein. what do we have? all four of us, together? 24. he's low fat, too, and has 5 grams of sugars. i'll believe it when i--- [ both ] oooooh... what's shakin'? [ female announcer ] as you get older, protein is an important part of staying active and strong. new ensure high protein... fifty percent of your daily value of protein. low fat and five grams of sugars. see? he's a good egg. [ major nutrition ] new ensure high protein. ensure! nutrition in charge! a network of possibilities. in here, the planned combination
7:44 am
of at&t and t-mobile would deliver our next generation mobile broadband experience to 55 million more americans, many in small towns and rural communities, giving them a new choice. we'll deliver better service, with thousands of new cell sites... for greater access to all the things you want, whenever you want them. it's the at&t network... and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say.
7:46 am
. rebel forces battling for tripoli in the four-decade-long rule could soon by over. if that happens, then what? ben wedeman, wolf blitzer is here, and nic robertson is here. wolf, let's start with you. how involved will the u.s. be in this transition? >> i'm sure the u.s. will be involved more robustly behind the scenes than in front of the scenes. remember, france, britain, some of the other nato allies have more at statement. having said that. nato played a critical role, they launched the air strikes, the no-fly zone in march, so the
7:47 am
u.s. already involved. the u.s. has more than its own hands full in afghanistan and iraq right now. the last thing it needs is to get directly involved on the ground. and maybe some of the african cunning, maybe some of the -- maybe they'll play a significant role. all of these months they played a significant role in getting rid of gadhafi. what they bring is some military expertise, mitt tear power, there's 33 or 36 billion dollars in frozen assets that the united states controls. that money will eventually go back to the transitional authority in libya, so they'll do fine if they can stop the looting, stop the revenge killing. >>. even the rebels, they'll have to reconcile their differences and create a
7:48 am
broad-based governments even all the rebels are not on the same page. >> some disparate views, if you will, liberals, at least secularists, and islamists on the other hand. that's before you bring in tribes, powerful tribes that have had power through gadhafi's rule for a long time. there's a history east-vest split. you've had the gadhafi has head out for the best part in the west, so you've got those issues at play, so a disparate traz session at, who either have asset on the -- it's not going to be easy and it will take sometime. the truth, where is it? they'll have to share that
7:49 am
trust. we've seen the sudden killing of the military chief raises serious questions about the real democratic leanings, and gives an case of how they might deal, and that's happened as recently as the past few weeks, and tough to avoid further 1i68 war. >> certainly it is. in the beginning of this revolt when the rebels took over, for instance, benghazi, there was surprisingly little looting. they tended to go after the buildings that were connected with the intelligence, with the police, with the army, but for instance, unliablen other countries, there's been relatively little. banks were left alone, so the
7:50 am
hope is this is a much more clos closer-knit society. there is a chance they will be able to avoid the kind of chaos we saw in iraq after the fall of is a dam and it is a disparate leadership. you have people from the west, from the east, exiles that have come back and want to play a part, so it comes down to who can lead this country from a revolution to reconstruction. >> ben, wolf and knick, gentlemen, please stay with me. after the break, we've been talking about wall street, it's been a horrible month, but don't be afraid to look at the big board today. we have good news. dow industrials are up. we'll be right back. t your favoe
7:51 am
but it's time for your medicine, okay? you ready? one, two, three. [ both ] ♪ emma, emma bo-bemma ♪ banana-fana-fo-femma ♪ fee-fi-fo-femma ♪ em-ma very good sweety, how do you feel? good. yeah? you did a really good job, okay? let's go back to drawing. okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours?
7:53 am
alison kosik is monitoring the numbers at the stock exchange. we have a bit of a rally. >> we do. we're holding on to some nice gains. here all of the 30 stocks are rising. we're also seeing something similar happen overseas. some of the european markets are still open it's a huge relief after the past four weeks. we watched the dow fall more than 1800 points over the past month. so we've got a lot of ground to make up. >> what do you think? is this the sign of possibly the rest of the week? the next couple weeks? >> let me pull out mire crystal ball. just kiting.
7:54 am
almost all of the economists that were surveyed they expect it to end 7% higher this year, not as good as originally thought, if you see where it is right now, the s&p 500 is down about 10%, so let's all hope they'll be right with their crystal balls. kyra? thanks, alison. network of . excuse me? my grandfather was born in this village. [ automated voice speaks foreign language ] [ male announcer ] in here, everyone speaks the same language. ♪ in here, forklifts drive themselves. no, he doesn't have it. yeah, we'll look on that. [ male announcer ] in here, friends leave you messages written in the air. that's it right there. [ male announcer ] it's the at&t network. and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. your nutritional needs can go up
7:55 am
when you're on the road to recovery. proper nutrition can help you get back on your feet. three out of four doctors recommend the ensure brand for extra nutrition. ensure clinical strength has revigor and thirteen grams of protein to protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. and immune balance to help support your immune system. ensure clinical strength... helping you to bounce back. ensure! nutrition in charge!
7:57 am
the images are sparking celebrations. thousands of fighters shouted and fired weapons in the air. it's also the city where the current rebel government resides. we'll talk to an i reporter who shot this video coming up in the next hour. that wasl that was the scene in miss rata, a city under heavy forces for months during the early part of the conflict. as the regime began to crumble yesterday, a 19 years old woman who didn't want to be identified call in to do something she's never been able to do before -- speak freely. >> this is the freedom we've been waiting for 42 years, not to mention the last six months where we weren't allowed to do anything here. you don't even know whether your
7:58 am
neighbor is with or against. today when the day came, i don't even know how to explain it. we were outside of the windows screaming. everyone is screaming and realized that no one wants him, no one wants this dictator. most of us had our because of fear. we don't want anymore. the end, game over. we'll have continuing developments, right after a short break. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta.
7:59 am
taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. that's not going to satisfy you. come on. it's time for a better snack. try this. it's yoplait greek. it has two times the protein of regular yogurt. you'll feel satisfied. [ female announcer ] yoplait greek. it is so good. oh, and there's a smile.
285 Views
Uploaded by TV Archive on