1457: The Guardian correspondent Martin Chulov tweets from Benghazi: "The Mitiga air base is confirmed to have fallen in Tripoli. #Libya. #Ghaddafi. Planes that strafed citizens took off from here."
Reports multiplying of army/security force defections and growing crowd of protestors from Toojora area massing and marching towards central Tripoli
AJ English caller from Tripoli attempted to describe mass march....phone went dead after loud voice (via translation) shouted that he was forbidden to call
The regime is doomed. Qaddafi’s secret police goons and mercenaries won’t be able to save his rapidly crumbling dictatorship.
It could be all over by Sunday.
Ping.
The best we can hope for now is that whoever succeeds Gaddafi isn’t an islamist.
If they took the air base this is HUGE. Won’t be long then before it’s a done deal...but then there of course is the aftermath...as one Libyan said...”Who would have thought we’d find ourselves rebuilding our country from kids on the interenet.”
If they want to end the regime, they’ll first have to FIND Gaddafi. He’s probably in a better hidey-hole than Saddam was.
He is likely also guarded by fierce loyalists.
I also think he’ll eat a gun before being taken. It’s probably better than what the crowd may do to him if they get their hands on him. Think “Mussolini”.
: BREAKING:.... Reports of a split between members of the Khamis brigade, when confirmed this should signal the end of the tyrant ....3 minutes ago via web
Very credible reports that Souq al Juma area of Tripoli has fallen out of regime control.....3 minutes ago via TweetDeck
Not less then 30,000 heading to Green square, people dead in janzoor West of Tripoli Libya ....36 minutes ago via web
Looks like it might even be less than that.
Mitiga barraks reported have joined people and now marching with people from Tajoura towards center of theTripoli.... 1hr ago.......webvaladon2
CONFIRMED: along with the protesters who left for Martyr square, there are a few military vehicles traveling with them........ @ShababLibya:
Guys, forget about everything outsideTripoli. Don’t ask me about other cities, it’s all inTripoli now. It falls, he falls....... 5 minutes ago
Gaddafi Gunmen Storm Hospitals to Shoot Wounded Demonstrators, Take Dead Bodies With Them…..... http://t.co/93Wdo8R 4 minutes ago
Certainly confirms that by taking out Saddam we set all the dominoes tumbling in motion. For better or worse...
Ollie North said last night on FOX that Ghaddafi was not long for this world. He said either a bullet from his own weapon or the weapon of an assassin would end his life in short order.
I wonder how many of his Amazon Guards are still hanging around him willing to take the first bullets fired at him? Most of them are probably hiding out under a burka heading for the border right now if they have any brains at all.
He probably isn’t allowing anyone with a weapon closer than 2 bulletproof doors from his ugly mug either, even his kids and most loyal guards probably have to step through that last door naked I bet.
Via Twitter:
CONFIRMED: Libyan Govt Falcon DA-900 flight tail nr 5A-DCN will depart Minsk UUMS at 17:00 UTC for Mitiga HLLM #Libya #Gadhafi
Possibly having second thoughts on martyrdom?
6:01pm Violence flared up even before the Friday sermons were over, according to a source in Tripoli.
People are rushing out of mosques even before Friday prayers are finished because the state-written sermons were not acceptable, and made them even more angry,” the source said.
5:55pm Bloomberg reports ‘Al Jazeera Enrages Dictators, Wins Viewers With Coverage’
Beaming images of the protests and interviewing key participants, Al Jazeera in particular has moved from being perceived as a Middle Eastern talk shop to a catalyst for change.
5:28pm Al Jazeera correspondent tweets: Precious scene on Libyan state TV now - kids leading pro-Gaddafi gathering, chanting ‘Long live Papa Muammar’
5:01pm The Libyan envoy to the UN has told the Human Rights Council that he and others at the embassy “represent only the Libyan people” and not the regime.
4:52pm Twitter user in Tripoli reports gun fire outside his house. He reports that he had to run back into the house after witnessing a shoot out, and someone being shot in the head. He continues to give running commentary of the events outside his home. Here is a picture of a bullet hole in the wall.
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/africa/2011/02/24/live-blog-libya-feb-25
From another tweet. You know what is funny: I forgot that Libya sits on the UN Human Rights Council. What a damn joke the UN is. Mexico has now formally asked that they be removed.
TheDaffy is now speechifying in Tripoli square according to the various twits trying to turn everyone against each other.
Other than the mercs firing on the civilians, has anyone heard of any other military action, particularly by the resistance?