XINHUANET REPORT ON THE DEATH OF GADDAFI

XINHUANET REPORT ON THE DEATH OF GADDAFI

GADDAFI'S DEATH MARKS END OF LONG, PAINFUL CHAPTER FOR LIBYANS: OBAMA
English.news.cn 2011-10-21

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-10/21/c_131203349.htm

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a statement on the reported death of Libya's ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi at the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, Oct. 20, 2011. Obama said on Thursday that the reported death of Libya's ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi marks the end of a long and painful chapter for the people of Libya, but there's still a long road to democracy for the country. (Xinhua/Zhang Jun)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday that the reported death of Libya's ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi marks the end of a long and painful chapter for the people of Libya, but there's still a long road to democracy for the country.

"Today, we can definitively say that the Gaddafi regime has come to end," Obama said in a statement delivered at the White House. He cited the government of Libya as the source, falling short of making independent confirmation of Gaddafi's death.
"The dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted," and the Libyan people "now have the opportunity to determine their own destiny," Obama said.
However, there will be difficult days ahead for the Libyan people, the president cautioned, adding that the North Africa country will "travel a long road to democracy."

Obama's remarks came hours after reports surfaced that Gaddafi died of wounds on Thursday after being shot in gunbattles in his hometown, Sirte.

The news was confirmed by officials of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC), including head of its executive committee Mahmoud Jibril, and backed up by pictures of Gaddafi's alleged corpse with eyes half-open, shirt torn apart and a bloodied face, televised by the pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV.

The anti-Gaddafi coalition that included the United States, NATO and some Arab countries prevailed in the conflict in the North Africa country, and the NATO mission there would "soon come to an end," Obama said.

NATO's decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, will convene for a special session on Friday to discuss its military operation in Libya, a NATO official told Xinhua on Thursday.

U.S. and NATO forces launched a bombing campaign against the Gaddafi regime in Libya in March. While the United States initially took the lead in that campaign, it quickly stepped back to a facilitating role to other NATO allies.

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GADDAFI KILLED IN GUN BATTLE AS LIBYA'S RULING NTC CONTROLS SIRTE
English.news.cn 2011-10-21

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-10/21/c_131203349.htm

Profile: Libya's fallen leader Muammar Gaddafi

TRIPOLI, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Libya's fallen leader Muammar Gaddafi died of wounds around Thursday noon after his capture in Sirte, after nearly two months on the run, as fighters of the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) claimed control of Gaddafi's hometown.
Mahmoud Jibril, head of the NTC's executive committee, confirmed Thursday at a press conference held in Tripoli that Gaddafi, who has ruled the North African country for 42 years, was killed in his hometown Sirte, some 450 km east of Tripoli.

NTC troops had surrounded the Mediterranean coastal town of Sirte for weeks to break the last stronghold of Gaddafi. However, the NTC forces faced tough resistance of Gaddafi loyalists.

NTC field commander Momhemed Buras Ali Al-Maknee told Xinhua earlier that Gaddafi was found trying to flee by a group of NTC fighters from the western Libyan city of Misrata in Sirte, who was then severely injured.

At an evening press conference in the capital, Jibril said that Gaddafi was pulled out from a drainage hole in Sirte on Thursday morning, and that he was "completely in good health" when he was captured by NTC fighters.

Wearing his underwear and trousers and armed with a gun, Gaddafi, the former ruler of the North African country did not resist the arrest, Jibril told reporters.

Gaddafi was shot by a bullet in his right hand as he was to be sent onto a NTC pickup truck, Jibril said, stressing that he had no other injuries before the truck moved.

But when the vehicle started moving, there occurred "a cross- fire between the revolutionaries and the (Gaddafi) loyalists," when Gaddafi was shot and injured in his head, Jibril said, without confirming on whether the shot was made by the NTC fighters or Gaddafi's troops.