Libyan Rebels Claim Moammar Gadhafi is Dead
Libyan rebel forces in Sirte claim that Moammar Gadhafi has been captured and likely killed following an attack on the former Libyan dictator's convoy.
Conflicting reports are emerging from Libya as to the fate of Moammar Gadhafi. Several reports claim that the former dictator was killed and that there has been a visual confirmation of the body from fighters on the ground. Other reports say that Gadhafi has been captured, with no confirmation as to his condition. It is believed that Gadhafi was traveling in a convoy in or near the besieged city of Sirte when the convoy was hit by airstrikes and possibly a ground attack.
Sirte was Gadhafi's hometown and one of the last strongholds of those loyal to Gadhafi's regime. If he has been killed or captured, then the turnover of the former Libyan government will be complete. With international recognition already in place for the Libyan rebels' interim government, there would seem to be at least some hope that a viable transition could be made to a functional government structure.
Of course, there has been great damage inflicted throughout Libya as a result of the months-long uprising against Gadhafi's regime. Rebuilding cities and infrastructure services will probably take time, cooperation and a significant amount of foreign investment. Given Libya's well-known oil fields, it is a certainty that many foreign nations and corporations will be lining up to "help" Libya rebuild itself.
Assuming that Gadhafi has been killed or captured, it would be yet another major shift in the make-up of the Middle East. With regime changes already underway in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya - and the death of Osama bin Laden, the coming years are going to be incredibly delicate from a foreign relations standpoint for the U.S. Let's hope our leaders make the right decisions.
Sirte was Gadhafi's hometown and one of the last strongholds of those loyal to Gadhafi's regime. If he has been killed or captured, then the turnover of the former Libyan government will be complete. With international recognition already in place for the Libyan rebels' interim government, there would seem to be at least some hope that a viable transition could be made to a functional government structure.
Of course, there has been great damage inflicted throughout Libya as a result of the months-long uprising against Gadhafi's regime. Rebuilding cities and infrastructure services will probably take time, cooperation and a significant amount of foreign investment. Given Libya's well-known oil fields, it is a certainty that many foreign nations and corporations will be lining up to "help" Libya rebuild itself.
Assuming that Gadhafi has been killed or captured, it would be yet another major shift in the make-up of the Middle East. With regime changes already underway in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya - and the death of Osama bin Laden, the coming years are going to be incredibly delicate from a foreign relations standpoint for the U.S. Let's hope our leaders make the right decisions.
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