Mass grave found in Tripoli contains bodies from 1996 Abu Salim prison massacre: NTC officials

Tripoli, 25 sep (EFE).- Una fosa común con 1.270 cadáveres fue descubierta hoy en Tripoli por los insurgentes, anunciaron portavoces de la oposición.

Este descubrimiento fue posible gracias a las informaciones suministradas por un simpatizante del régimen de Muamar Gadafi, detenido horas antes.

Mass grave found in Tripoli contains bodies from 1996 Abu Salim prison massacre: NTC officials

Libya finds grave with 1,200 victims of 1996 massacre

Sun Sep 25, 2011 1:47pm GMT

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TRIPOLI, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Libya's interim authorities said on Sunday they had found a mass grave in the capital containing the bodies of more than 1,270 people killed by Muammar Gaddafi's security forces in a 1996 massacre at Tripoli's Abu Salim prison.
"We are dealing with more than 1,270 martyrs and must distinguish each one from the other for identification by comparing their DNA with family members," said Dr Osman Abdul Jalil, a medical official.
"It may take years to reach the truth." (Reporting By Joseph Logan; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Sophie Hares)

© Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved

A monster's successor: The extraordinary lengths Britain reached to train and entertain Gaddafi's son

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 1:28 PM on 25th September 2011

Khamis benefited from a special relationship with British delegates

Whilst the ongoing conflict in Libyan continues in a bid to reclaim the entire North African country from ousted Colonel Gaddafi, new evidence has been uncovered detailing the special 'privileges' Britain bestowed on the former leader's deceased son Captain Khamis al Qadhafi.
In documents uncovered by the Sunday Telegraph, the clear courting of Khamis includes SAS training for his regiment, courses at Sandhurst and taxpayer-funded invitations to British events including accommodation in five-star London hotels.
Khamis was Gaddafi's fifth son, who having graduated from the Libyan Military Academy in 2002, then spent an additional year in Russia at the Frunze Military Academy.
Having returned to his homeland, he established the 32nd Brigade, that were given an insight into British operations when 50 Libyans including members of Khamis' squad were given SAS training in counter-terrorism, weapons and field craft.
This knowledge was later used by the Brigade to a devastating effect during their retaliation for the uprising against his father.

 

When the conflict reached Tripoli in August, Khamis' Brigade clashed with rebel forces and carried out a brutal execution of a reported 45 prisioners at a warehouse.
Escapee, Abdulrahim Ibrahim Bashir told of the horror. He said: 'Four soldiers climbed on the top of the warehouse, and another soldier opened the door. They started shooting at us
'The guy at the door was throwing in grenades. After I escaped, I saw one of the soldiers finish off anyone who was wounded.'

A Libyan man covers his face with the charred skeletons of some 50 people found in a makeshift prison following an execution carried out by Khamis' troops

It was widely accepted that Gaddafi's 10,000 unit was better equipped than the country's army but their overriding responsibility was for the safety and welfare of the entire family.
Following the completion of the deal in principle to release the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, Khamis' unit signed a £85 million agreement with General Dynamics UK in 2007.
This provided the Libyans with a similar command and control system to that used by the British Army.
And with the relationship blossoming, clearance in 2009 allowed for 50 Libyan troops from the Brigade to undergo SAS training.
Documents dating back to 2008, addressed, 'Restricted - UK/Libya Eyes only,' reveal that whilst the SAS course was 'regrettably' inaccessible for foreign parties, just months later, the permission to educate Khamis' men was given.

Former commanding officer to Tony Blair, Robin Searby, defended the education received by the Brigade insisting: 'There was no need for the British Government not to be involved with Libya at the time, as it was felt that it was better to have them inside the tent rather than outside.'

Libyan rebel fighters celebrate as they drive through Tripoli near to where Khamis was later reportedly killed

In letters from Khamis' elder brother Saif, enquiring into the training, it reveals the difficult 'selection' course endured by the Libyans during their stay at the training base.
Searby reinforced this belief by adding that the soliders 'were no up to it' following their special programme.

However relations between both British and Libyan parties began to deteriorate following a request from the Campaign Against Arms Trade to name all the overseas delegates, which was rejected by Libyan officials.
A letter sent by Defence and Security representative, Graham Innett pleaded with the Libyans for reasons behind their denial of the names.
He wrote: 'If you are not content, I would ask that you provide me with a formal statement with the reasons, as this will help strengthen the case against release.'
Khamis and his aides believed the release would severely threaten his ability to conduct future deals as the conflict in the Arab country spiralled.
Having fled Tripoli, he is alleged to have been killed during a rebel ambush south of the capital.
However, the same British troops that once assisted him and his fellow compatriots were now fighting against him in a bid to end his father's last remaining foothold on the Arab nation.

Libyan NTC fighters pull back from Sirte

Fighters regrouping after forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi mount strong resistance in former leader's home city. Last Modified: 25 Sep 2011 11:58 1

NTC fighters said the had made a 'tactical retreat' from Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte [AFP] Libya's interim government forces have retreated from Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, after fighters loyal to the former leader mounted stiff resistance to an attempt to seize the city. National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters said on Sunday that they were making a "tactical retreat" from the coastal city, a day after entering the centre of Sirte in a major push to take the area. Explosions rocked the city and plumes of smoke rose into the sky a day earlier, as NTC fighters backed with rockets and heavy artillery launched attacks and Gaddafi's forces returned fire with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. But Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from the outskirts of Sirte, said NTC fighters were forced to pull back "after a fierce and intense battle. Both sides were using heavy power". An NTC commander told our correspondent that the forces retreated because there were not enough to hold territory, and they had endured a high casualty toll among their ranks. "In fact the casualty toll on Saturday was nine dead among the anti-Gaddafi fighters and up to 97 wounded, mostly as a result of snipers' fire," Khodr said. "We have to remember these are inexperienced fighters."  Tactical retreat Khodr added that the NTC commanders are adamant that they were not "forced" to pull back from Sirte's centre. "They are calling it a tactical retreat" because they said they achieved their three objectives in Sirte, our correspondent reported. "One of the objectives was to create a corridor to allow families to actually escape; the second objective was to secure the periphery of Sirte; and the third objective was to block any possible escape route for Gaddafi fighters."    However, what was achieved from these objectives is quite debatable, Khodr said. “Not a lot of civilians managed to get out, [besides just] dozens of them. Thousands of people remained trapped inside Sirte… where people lacked food, fuel, running water and electricity. "It has been awhile since these families [have been] living in unbearable conditions. "Yet it is very difficult to know if these people actually want to leave because Gaddafi does enjoy support in Sirte." Fight for Bani Walid Besides Sirte, Bani Walid, where medics say at least 30 NTC troops were killed in the past 24 hours, remains the only other major urban area left under Gaddafi's control. NTC fighters took the capital, Tripoli, last month, effectively ending Gaddafi's rule and sending him into hiding. Click here for more of Al Jazeera's special coverage Taking Sirte would be a huge boost for the NTC as it tries to establish credibility as a government, and a devastating blow for Gaddafi, widely believed to be on the run inside Libya. NATO, whose warplanes played a vital role in the six-month war that toppled Gaddafi, said its planes had hit a number of targets in Sirte, including an ammunition depot and an anti-aircraft gun. It said in a statement the air attacks had been mounted to protect civilians from Gaddafi forces inside the town. A Gaddafi spokesman has accused NATO of killing several hundred civilians in strikes on Sirte. Communications have been largely cut off since the fall of Tripoli. Oasis attacked Meanwhile, fighting took place in the Ghadames oasis southwest of Tripoli, on Sunday. Witnesses said forces loyal to Gaddafi attacked the oasis at dawn, killing at least five NTC fighters. "We came under attack at dawn today from Gaddafi loyalists," Muhandes Sirajeddin, deputy chief of the local council in Ghadames 600km  southwest of the capital, told the AFP news agency by telephone. "Clashes are still under way and so far at least five rebels were killed," he added. Two witnesses in Ghadames, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to ancient Roman ruins, also confirmed the toll, AFP reported.

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