(BBC) Rupert Wingfield-Hayes - Libyan rebels have taken control of Col. Muammar Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli, one of the final areas that remained under his control. TV footage showed fighters breaking off the head of a statue of the Libyan leader and kicking it along the ground. They also seized items from his home. Gaddafi's Bedouin tent, where he used to receive visiting foreign dignitaries, was set on fire. It is not known if Gaddafi or any of his family are inside the compound. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department said it was clear that the regime had almost collapsed. Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. would seek to release between $1bn and $1.5bn in frozen Libyan funds in the coming days, and hand the money to the rebel National Transitional Council.
2011-08-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive