Live Blog - Libya Feb 28 | Al Jazeera Blogs

Timestamp:

11:59pm

Al Jazeera's live blog on developments in Libya continues here.

Timestamp:

11:48pm

While most workers from Western countries and from China have left by sea and Egyptians and Tunisians are leaving by land, many people from poorer countries remain stranded at Benghazi's port, our correspondent reports.

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11:43pm

PJ Crowley, the US state department spokesman, confirms that Gene Cretz, the US ambassador to Libya, has "been reaching out for the past two days to talk to a range of figures within the opposition".

The aim of the US move is to "gain understanding of what's happening on the ground and to identfy as we go forward what needs and concerns they might have".

Asked if the US government would arm those who do not recognise Gaddafi's government, Crowley said:

We've got a wide range of options available to us. I don't think we've ruled out anything at this point."

Earlier in the day, Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, said matters had not yet reached the point where the US was considering arming the opposition.

Timestamp:

11:39pm

Ralph Gonsalves, the prime minister of the tiny West Indian island of St Vincent, says there is no reason for his country return a $250,000 hurricane recovery grant from Libya or to sever ties with the country.

Saying that he was viewing developments in Libya with "great disquiet", he nevertheless reminded reporters that things are rarely "black-and-white" in international relations, and "there are greater subtleties and shades which have to be accomodated".

Opposition figures in St Vincent say the Libyan aid is "blood money" and want Gonsalves to return it.

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11:12pm

According to an eyewitness account from a doctor in Tripoli, pro-Gaddafi militia members are acting as security guards at the capital's hospitals, but, rather than protecting doctors, they are harrassing them, and have been "taking away" the bodies of those killed in violence, while also forbidding doctors from taking pictures of their wounds.

Alia (not her real name), a doctor in the capital, said a patient was brought into her hospital yesterday with a gunshot wound to his chest. He expired after ten minutes, and his body was taken away by armed men wearing the characteristic green armband of pro-Gaddafi supporters.

"When they die, they don't let people come near them, [because] they don't want people taking pictures/videos," Alia said.

The pro-Gaddafi militiamen also "come in with the patient into the resuscitation room, [making it] uncomfortable for doctors to work".

They arrest any doctors found trying to take pictures of the dead or wounded, though they do not stop them from treating patients.

Alia also alleged that the militiamen give 500 Libyan dinars to anyone who "snitches" on others, and said she was told on by a nurse recently. This prompted a man with a wearing a "green flag" to come into the room "with a firearm in his hand", wanting to confiscate her and another doctor's phones.

The two were only saved because the administrative staff of the hospital stood by them and insisted that there was nothing on the phones.

Alia also complained about doctors being too afraid to come to work. She mentioned at least four more casualties coming in on the night that the dead patient's body was taken away.

Timestamp:

10:58pm

A witness has told the AFP news agency that two people were killed and one seriously wounded when pro-Gaddafi forces opened fire on passersby in the city of Misurata, east of Tripoli, today.

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10:51pm

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says that it suspects that Libya received a shipment of military equipment from Belarus as the government began a violent crackdown on protesters.

SIPRI says an Ilyushin-76 aircraft left a military base near the Belarusian city of Baranovichi and landed at the Libyan airport of Sebha in mid-February.

"The aircraft came from a dedicated military base that only handles stockpiled weaponry and military equipment," Hugh Griffiths, an arms trafficking expert at SIPRI, said.

He added that the Sebha airport where the plane landed was a key military logistics base in Libya's south.

Griffiths said a Libyan government plane has made two trips to Belarus in the past week, although it is unclear who or what cargo was on board.

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10:47pm

Muammar Gaddafi is "delusional" and "unfit" to lead his country, Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN has said after the Libyan leaders comments in a recent interview.

We should mention that the interview Gaddafi did was with reporters from ABC, the BBC and the Sunday Times of London.

Timestamp:

10:41pm

In response to Gaddafi's interview with ABC's Christiane Amanpour, in which he claims that Libyans are not protesting against him, and that those out on the streets are on "hallucinogenic drugs", PJ Crowley, the US state department's spokesman says:

He should get out of his tent and see what is really happening in his country."

Timestamp:

10:32pm

Libyans are happy to see the international condemnations of Gaddafi's actions coming in from all over the world, bu they want more concrete action as well, reports Al Jazeera's correspondent Hoda Abdel-Hamid from Benghazi.

While they do not want to see foreign soldiers on the ground, she said, they certainly want to see the imposition of a no-fly zone, which would impede any attempts at aerial bombardment of the protesters, and would also stop the government from flying in mercenaries from other countries.

She said that amongst protesters there is a feeling that Gaddafi's control is now limited to Sabha, Tripoli and Sirte, but there is also a feeling that he is not going to give up easily, without a fight.

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10:18pm

US-based television station ABC says that during an interview with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, he invited the United Nations to conduct a fact-finding mission to his country, and also asserted that his air force only bombed military sites and ammunition depots.

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9:54pm

Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, warns that many citizens of Iraq, Sudan, Somalia and other poorer countries remain stranded in Libya as their governments lack the resources to aid in their evacuation.

He also warns that natives of African countries are at particular risk of violence in Libya, as they are associated with being mercenaries by some Libyans.

Timestamp:

9:31pm

Fathi Abidy, a member of a security council set up by the temporary administration in Benghazi, says two military aircraft circled around the city Adjabiya earlier today, but did not carry out an airstrike (as had earlier been reported by several agencies).

Al Jazeera's online producer Evan Hill, who was in the area, said that initial investigations had revealed no evidence of an airstrike, though people at a checkpoint he passed through did fire off several anti-aircraft rounds into the air, apparently for his and other journalists' benefit.

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9:28pm

David Cohen, an acting US Treasury under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, says the $30 billion of Libyan assets that have just been frozen is the largest sum ever to be blocked.

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9:22pm

The London School of Economics has moved to repudiate a research grant it received from a charity run by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.

According to a statement, it plans to set aside $487,000, which is equivalent to the sum it received from the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, for purposes agreed upon with the wider LSE academic community, including a plan to establish a scholarship fund for Libyans.

Students at the LSE's main campus began a sit-in on February 22 in protest against the LSE's keeping the funds. That sit-in has now ended, the statement says.

Under a 2009 agreement, the Foundation was to provide $2.43 million for a research plan on North Africa. Only $487,000 of that money had so far been disbursed, and the LSE says it will not accept any further funding.

Timestamp:

9:16pm

The Libyan government has informed the United States that Ali Aujali, the Libyan ambassador to the United States, no longer represents the government, US state department spokesman PJ Crowley has announced. It has asked the US to conduct all future high-level contact via the Charges d'affaires at the Libyan embassy in Washington DC.

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9:14pm

The US Treasury says that it has blocked $30 billion in Libyan assets in accordance with recent sanctions announced by its government, Reuters reports.

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9:12pm

Libya will first attempt dialogue with rebel cities (who refer to themselves as "liberated") before it uses military force, Khaled Kaim, the country's deputy foreign minister, has told reporters in a news conference.

If all attempts and efforts for dialogue ... are exhausted, a very well guided force will be used in accordance with international rules."

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8:47pm

Valerie Amos, a UN humanitarian affairs official, tells Al Jazeera that while the medical aid situation is beginning to normalise in the east of Libya, the UN's major concern remains the country's west, where aid agencies have so far had limited access.

She said that 100,000 people have so far fled across Libya's land borders with Egypt and Tunisia, and that more people are expected to leave the country in the coming days.

In Benghazi, she said the World Health Organisation, the ICRC and Medicins sans Frontieres aid workers said there was some shortage of medical supplies, but that things were "beginning to return to normal".

She said the UN's major concern was getting humanitarian aid to people in the west.

We're seeing some horrific pictures of what is happening, and we really want to be able to go in to help people in their time of need.

PJ Crowley, the US state department's spokesman, meanwhile, has confirmed that two USAID humanitarian teams have been deployed to Libya's borders with Tunisia and Egypt. The aid agency has also set aside $10 million to support the Libyan Red Crescent Society and other aid agencies.

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8:38pm

Our correspondent in Washington DC has more details on US naval ships that are currently positioned in the Mediterranean Sea.

There are currently eight ships of the US Navy's Sixth Fleet deployed in the area at the moment, with the USS Mount Whiney, a command and control ship, being the largest.

Deployed in the Red Sea are the USS Enterprise, a now aging aircraft carrier and the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious ship that may have a small contingent of Marines, among others.

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8:36pm

This photograph, taken in Tripoli today, shows people buying fresh fruit and vegetables at a local outdoor market. [Photo credit: EPA]

File 11056

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8:33pm

This picture was taken during a guided government tour by a Reuters photographer. Gaddafi's supporters chanted slogans at a Roman amphitheatre in the town of Sabratha, 75km west of the capital Tripoli. The supporters had apparently followed the convoy of journalists, who was being taken on the tour today, from the Sabratha city centre.

File 11036

Timestamp:

8:23pm

More details coming in on that interview that ABC's Christiane Amanpour conducted with Muammar Gaddafi. Gaddafi apparently said that he felt betrayed by the United States, given his country's role in the fight against al-Qaeda.

I'm surprised that we have an alliance with the west to fight al Qaeda, and now that we are fighting terrorists they have abandoned us ... Perhaps they want to occupy Libya."

Gaddafi said Barack Obama, the US president, is a "good man", but may be misinformed about the situation in Libya. He added that the US was not the "international police of the world".

Timestamp:

8:19pm

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has insisted that Libya remains "peaceful", even as video has emerged showing him apparently offering arms, food and other aid to pro-Gaddafi militias. Meanwhile, military units continue to desert Gaddafi's government, saying that they are joining the revolutionaries, not effecting a coup.

Al Jazeera's Lawrence Lee filed this report.

Timestamp:

8:14pm

Tarek Yousef, a senior research fellow at the Dubai School of Government tells Al Jazeera that while it would be difficult for protesters to march on Tripoli (and, indeed, he has advised against it), it would be equally difficult for the Libyan military, with its decentralised command structure, to launch a coordinated operation to retake territory in the country's east.

He says that given the fact that the Libyan army is more a set of disparate units operating under their own field commanders, and that several of said units have 'defected' to the opposition, it would be a very difficult task for the Libyan army to launch an offensive on anti-government protesters on that scale.

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8:08pm

If protesters in the east do intend to march on Tripoli, it will be an arduous journey, says our correspondent in Benghazi.

Between balancing the number of people they will need to stay and hold Benghazi, and the number they will need to "take" Tripoli, such a march would be difficult to plan. They would also need to travel through hostile territory, including the town of Sirt, which is Gaddafi's hometown and is where his elite forces are based. The alternate route would require them to travel through the desert, which of course has its own challenges. They also face the threat of possible aerial bombardment, our correspondent said.

Nevertheless, protesters have told Al Jazeera that they are willing to make the march, but that they are currently in "preparation mode".

Timestamp:

8:02pm

ConocoPhillips, a US oil company, has announced that it has closed operations in Libya and evacuated some employees due to unrest in the country, according to a company spokesman.

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7:53pm

US-based television channel ABC's Christiane Amanpour has interviewed Muammar Gaddafi. She says that the Libyan leader refuses to acknowledge that protests were taking place on Tripoli's streets.

"All my people love me. They would die to protect me," Amanpour quoted him as saying.

Timestamp:

7:41pm

More on the US military repositioning in the Mediterranean is coming in. Colonel Dave Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, has told reporters:

We have planners working various contingency plans, and I think it's safe
to say as part of that we're repositioning forces to provide for that
flexibility once decisions are made."

Timestamp:

7:38pm

In the latest episode of Inside Story, Al Jazeera is looking at what's being done to counter the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding as people flee the violence in Libya. You can watch it on the video below, or, alternately, http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/insidestory/2011/02/201122895134... " target="_blank">here.

Timestamp:

7:34pm

Reuters reports that a unit of Libya's state-owned National Oil Company that operates in the country's east has decided to operate separately of its parent company unless Muammar Gaddafi steps down.

Hassan Bulifa, a member of the management board at Agoco, told Reuters in Benghazi that the loading of crude oil onto a tanker operating by Sinopec, a Chinese firm, would be completed by about midnight tonight, and that a second tanker for the OMV shipping company would be loaded immediately after.

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6:52pm

Asked whether a repositioning of US naval assets in the Mediterranean indicates that a military response is imminent, Secretary Clinton responds in the negative. She says the military assets were in place for humanitarian and evacuation support, including possible rescue missions.

Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane in Washington DC points out that the rhetoric regarding a no-fly zone has moved into "active consideration", as opposed to "discussing".[Image from EPA]

File 11016

Timestamp:

6:50pm

In the Q&A section of the press conference now.

Clinton says a "no-fly zone is an option we are actively considering, I discussed it today with allies and partners".

She also said that on the matter of additional measures, discussions are focussed on how "we could keep the pressure on the Gaddafi regime without harming the Libyan people".

Timestamp:

6:47pm

Secretary Clinton's remarks appear to largely be repetition of what she said about two hours ago in front of the UN Human Rights Council.

She also pointed out that the US was concerned about possible disruptions to oil distribution networks.

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6:45pm

Clinton says the US will send expert teams to the border and that the priority is to keep medical supplies ready in the pipeline, as well as food supplies, as shortages arise.

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6:42pm

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addresses the media in Geneva, saying the international community has been speaking with one voice, saying Gaddafi's brutal attacks on the people are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

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6:27pm

Libyan oil production is down by about 50 per cent, but it is now "safe" for foreign oil workers to return the country, Shukri Ghanem, the head of the state-run National Oil Company and Libya's de facto oil minister, has said. He has rejected remarks by the EU's energy commissioner that protesters now control the country's main oil and gas fields.

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6:23pm

The Libyan government on Friday announced that it would be disbursing 500 Libyan dinars (about $400) to all families. The move was part of efforts to offset public anger at rising prices and unemployment. This picture, taken today, shows people waiting to collect their handouts at a Tripoli bank.

File 10996

Timestamp:

6:19pm

Qatar has once again urged Gaddafi to quit, with Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, the country's prime minister, saying he should take a "brave decision".

It is not too late for a decision. It is impossible for anyone to win in this revolution but the Libyan people ... What is the value of leadership? What does it lead to? I believe he should now take a brave decision."

Timestamp:

6:16pm

Wondering what happened to Galina Kolotnitskaya, Gaddafi's "voluptous blonde" Ukranian nurse (as described in leaked US diplomatic cables)?

She's back home, having been evacuated by her government along with other Ukrainian nationals, where she's avoiding the press.

Timestamp:

6:13pm

Cited a source, the Reuters news agency says the Libyan envoy who is to be sent to Benghazi to negotiate with anti-government protesters will leave this evening, and will be accompanied by a consignment of humanitarian aid, including medicine, food and medical equipment.

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6:12pm

The US military says that is repositioning its forces in the area around Libya in order to be able to provide "flexibility [and] options", Reuters news agency has reported.

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6:08pm

There is a dire shortage of supplies in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, the opposition's stronghold. Food supplies are running low, as are medical supplies. In addition, most of the doctors and nurses there were foreigners, and so almost all medical staff have now left the country, our correspondent reported.

Timestamp:

5:54pm

David Cameron, the British prime minister, says that his country is not ruling out the use of military force in Libya.

In a statement before parliament, he said:

We do not in any way rule out the use of military assets.
We must not tolerate this regime using military force against its own people. In that context I have asked the ministry of defence and the chief of the defence staff to work with our allies on plans for a military no-fly zone."

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6:34pm

Bu Zaid Dorda, Libya's foreign intelligence chief, has been commissioned by Muammar Gaddafi to hold a dialogue with opposition leaders in eastern Libya, Al Jazeera Arabic, our sister channel, has reported.

Timestamp:

5:20pm

White House press secretary Jay Carney has said that going into exile would be one option for Muammar Gaddafi, but refused to comment on any speculation that the US would facilitate said exile. He added that the US was still considering all options on Libya to be on the table, and that the matter of a possible no-fly zone was being discussed with allies.

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5:16pm

Speaking to Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, Abdul-Fatah Younis, the former head of Libyan Special Forces who renounced his post last week, said he was not ruling out calling in an Arab air force, a European air force or the United States Air Force for air support, in that order of preference.

He defined air support as: protecting troops, attacking targets and protecting civilian aircraft and population centres.

He asserted that he was not considering the possibility of foreign troops on Libyan soil.

Timestamp:

5:12pm

Ahmed Swaihey, the son of opposition leader Abdulrahman Swaihey, has told Al Jazeera that his father was kidnapped from their home in Tripoli early this morning. He said that his brothers had earlier been kidnapped, and that witnesses said that their home was full of "mercenaries and troops" this morning, and his father was missing.

Ahmed Swaihey said his father had warned him during a phone call last night that he would likely be picked up by security forces some time soon.

Timestamp:

5:04pm

Secretary Clinton acknowledged that the current situation was "not simply a matter of ideals, it is also a strategic imperative."

She warned that extremists claim that they espouse the values of protesters, but that their vision for the future "only promises more frustration and discord".

The success of peaceful protests have damaged "the credibility of extremists and exposed their bankrupt arguments", she said.

Finally, she called for the UN Human Rights Council to take action against Iran for alleged rights abuses in that country, and to establish an office of a special rapporteur on Iran.

Timestamp:

5:01pm

Clinton also hailed the Libyan people, who she said were "braving the dictators bullets, putting their lives on the line to enjoy the freedom that is the birthright of every man, woman and child".

The world has been inspired by their courage and their determination. They remind us that the power of human dignity is always underestimated until the day it finally prevails."

She said that steps must be taken to ensure an "orderly, peaceful and irreversible transition to democracy" in Libya.

Timestamp:

4:47pm

More from US secretary of state Clinton's comments:

Barack Obama, the US president, is due to meet Ban Ki-moon, the UN's secretary-general, in Washington to discuss the situation in Libya. In the meantime, the US is "coordinating closely with our allies and partners" on the issue. She pointed out that the US had already imposed sanctions on Gaddafi and members of his inner circle.

As we move forward on these fronts, we will continue to explore all possible options for action. Nothing is off the table, so long as the Libyan government continues to threaten and kill Libyans.

Timestamp:

4:53pm

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton to the UN Human Rights Council:

The international community is speaking with one voice: these violations of human rights are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

She also called on the United Nations general assembly to vote to support the resolution that the Security Council drafted earlier, imposing sanctions on Libya.

Clinton also praised the Arab League for being the first multi-lateral body to suspend Libya, despite it being the chair of the organisation.

She said that the US is ready to help in ensuring that "Gaddafi is held accountable", humanitarian assistance is provided to Libyans and to support the Libyan people as they "transition to democracy".

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4:48pm

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the UN Human Rights Council:

Mercenaries and thugs have been turned loose to attack protesters ... and there are reports of soldiers executed for refusing to turn their guns on fellow civilians. Gaddafi and those around him must be held accountable for these acts. Through their actions they have lost the legitimacy to govern and the people of Libya have made themselves clear: it is time for Gaddafi to go, now, without further violence or delay.

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4:45pm

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is addressing the UN Human Rights Council on the situation in Libya. Updates to follow.

Timestamp:

4:11pm

Moammar Gaddafi no longer controls the majority of his country's oil and gas installations, according to the European Union's energy commissioner.

Gunter Oettinger, speaking after a regular meeting of EU energy minister, said:

There is reason to believe that the majority of the oil and gas fields are
no longer under Gaddafi's control."

Timestamp:

4:08pm

About 400 people protested against Gaddafi's rule in Tripoli's Tajoura district, in the east of the capital, today. The protest was broken up after several sports-utility vehicles arrived on the scene and occupants, who wore green bandanas, jumped out and fired into the air, Reuters has reported.

Timestamp:

3:48pm

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has said that military attacks against civilians in Libya could amount to a "crime against humanity" and warrant the launching of a full investigation in the next few days.

An investigation team has been put together at The Hague to collect information on the allegations, and Moreno-Ocampo's team is in touch with Libyan officials and army staff to understand how command structures operate in that country.

Timestamp:

3:42pm

The European Union has agreed to impose an assets freeze and travel ban on Moammar Gaddafi, his family and 25 members of his inner circle, officials have said.

The sanctions, which include an arms embargo, as well as a ban on providing the country with law enforcement equipment, will come into effect in several days.

Timestamp:

3:16pm

Al Jazeera's James Bays, at the port of Jarjis on the Tunisia-Libya border, reports that an Egyptian naval frigate is preparing to set sail, as soon as approximately 1,000 Egyptians who have fled the violence in Libya arrive. The ship will set off for the Egyptian port of Alexandria, a journey that will take about five days.

Timestamp:

3:13pm

Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports that oil installations in the eastern part of the country continue to work at minimal capacity, and that the opposition authorities who are in control of them are scrutinising contracts with the intent to cancel any that they deem to be "illegal".

The port of Tobruk, meanwhile, has reopened, though activities there are far from at capacity.

She also reported that opposition activists are preparing for "all eventualities" when a possible government crackdown on them.

Timestamp:

3:00pm

William Hague, the British foreign minister, has just addressed the UN Human Rights Council on developments in Libya. He said that the UN HRC had sent out a clear signal that "crimes will not be condoned, will not go unpunished, will not be forgotten". He advised those who were involved in violence in the country to "stay your hand. There will be a day of reckoning, and the reach of international justice can be long".

Hague referred to developments in the Middle East and North Africa as being the "greatest advance in world affairs" since the falling of the Berlin Wall.

He urged all UN member states to support the draft resolution that the United Nations Security Council has prepared during debates on the topic next week in New York.

Timestamp:

12:56pm

France has announced it is sending two planes with humanitarian aid to the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

Francois Fillon, the French prime minister, said the planes would leave "in a few hours" for Benghazi with doctors, nurses, medicines and medical equipment.

"It will be the beginning of a massive operation of humanitarian support for the populations of liberated territories," he told RTL radio.

Timestamp:

12:20pm

The Reuters news agency reports opponents of the Libyan leader have held off an attack by pro-government forces and shot down a military aircraft near the town of Misurata.

An aircraft was shot down this morning while it was firing on the local radio station. Protesters captured its crew," Reuters reported, citing a witness, Mohamed.
"Fighting to control the military air base (near Misurata) started last night and is still going on. Gaddafi's forces control only a small part of the base. Protesters control a large part of this base where there is ammunition."
"Misurata is still under the control of the protesters," he said.

Timestamp:

12:10pm

The UN Human Rights Council is now meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, and the events in Libya are part of the discussions. Western leaders are becoming increasingly outspoken against Gaddafi, calling for him to go.

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is addressing the Council meeting now. He said the use of military force against civilians in Libya is unacceptable.

Timestamp:

12:06pm

The Associated Press news agency reports residents of the Libyan capital say prices for basic foods are skyrocketing, and long lines are forming at bakeries for rationed bread.

One resident tells AP that the price of rice, a main staple, has gone up 500 per cent, reaching the equivalent of $40 for a five kilogram bag.

Timestamp:

11:51am

Another set of photos from Evan Hill, our web producer in Benghazi, where the uprising has left former bastions of the regime's security forces crumbling, burned and littered with official files, some of them containing sensitive information.

Timestamp:

11:40am

It's Mad Libs - Gaddafi style. The Vanity Fair website has an interactive feature allowing visitors to create their own "rambling rants" based on the Libyan leader's recent speech.

It reads:

Create a realistic hard-line speech by inserting your own bizarre words into the colonel’s actual defiant address.

Timestamp:

11:20am

Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, is due to meet other foreign ministers to discuss Libya on sidelines of UN Human Rights meeting in Geneva.

Clinton is expected to make the US administration's case for stronger action against Gaddafi, accused of excessive use of force while attempting to quell the rebellion against his nearly 42-year-old rule.

Timestamp:

10:53am

Migrants in Libya have been streaming into neighbouring Tunisia to escape the violence.

They include many migrants from sub-Saharan Africa who are running for their lives, for fear of being mistaken for mercenaries. Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri reports from the border:

Timestamp:

10:30am

Resident of the eastern city of Benghazi, which is firmly in the hands of anti-government protesters, says people in the city will not be able to celebrate freely until the capital, Tripoli, is free. The audio clip was posted online via Twitter.

Timestamp:

9:19am

Ibrahim Sharquieh, deputy director of the Brookings Doha Centre, said Gaddafi does not appear to have lost all of his control in the capital.

We know that he is in the Bab al-Aziziya area and Bab al-Aziziya seems to be very secure. He has his militia around him and they are doing a good job protecting him," Sharquieh told Al Jazeera.
"He has even made some attacks outside the Bab al-Aziziya area.
"We can comfortably say that he is still in control in Tripoli. Although there is still some resistance in some areas I don't think we can talk about the city falling today or tomorrow."

Timestamp:

7:13am

The Libyan capital appears to be a lonely outpost for supporters of Gaddafi as the anti-Gaddafi camp gains control of more cities. Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reports from the eastern city of Benghazi with more on the opposition's growing area of control:

Timestamp:

6:48am

We're getting reports that the country's second most important military airport, not far from Benghazi, has fallen to the protesters.

Private jets and civilian aircraft at the Al Banin airport were seen grounded. Military personnel say they have joined the people's revolution.

If true, the takeover would mark another blow to Gaddafi's regime.

Timestamp:

6:15am

Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, has entered a state of revolutionary normalcy. Check out this photo gallery from the streets of the eastern city by our web producer there:

Timestamp:

4:34am

This video has emerged online in the past few hours. It shows Saif Gaddafi beating the drums of war - something of a contrast to his calm approach to his recent TV interviews.

Much of the audio can't be distinguished clearly, but here's a translation of the bits we could make out:

Saif says:

We are busy but still wanted to come here. I am here to raise your morale. Let me say something....listen brothers: They, the enemy forces, are spreading rumours that our police and security forces are joining the hooligans. It's not true. Today we will show them that the police is siding with Libya.
I am bringing you reinforcements, resources, food, weapons, everything you need. We are doing well. Today I have brought you meat and rice. This is your country. We have all the resources we need, but your country needs you ...
I have come today to you with weapons. Tonight we will [inaudible] in Tripoli.

Crowd:

We are here with you. God is great. Allah, Muammar and Libya - we will sacrifice our lives for you.
Al Jazeera you are a disgrace.

Timestamp:

3:32am

Gadaffi appeared ditched by yet another close confidant on Sunday - the Ukrainian nurse thought to have a close relationship with him.

Halyna Kolotnytska, 38, arrived in Kiev on a plane that evacuated 122 Ukrainians and 68 foreign nationals from the violence-torn North African country.

Timestamp:

2:48am

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that the United States is reaching out to Libyan opposition groups.

We are reaching out to many different Libyans in the east as the revolution moves westward there as well ... It is too soon to see how this is going to play out.

A spokesman for the new National Libyan Council, which formed in the eastern city of Benghazi after it was taken by anti-Gaddafi forces, said his group did not want any foreign intervention.

Timestamp:

1:44am

We hear that one of Libya's two main mobile phone providers has been hacked - by it's own employees. They've been topping up everyone's credit to ensure no-one runs out, a contact tells our correspondent in Benghazi. Unfortunately, it doesn' t help much - as network coverage is pretty poor and intermittent, he tells us.

Timestamp:

1:40am

Wondering how Gaddafi stayed in control for so many years? He didn't do it by himself. Here's a look at some of the most influential members of the Libyan regime: Inside Gaddafi's inner circle

Timestamp:

1:28am

With Gaddafi continuing to hold power, thoughts among Benghazi's revolutionaries are reportedly turning to the march on Tripoli. And some are already heading in that direction - circumventing the Gaddafi stronghold of Sirte by travelling hundreds of kilometres in a large arc to the south, our correspondent reports. Citizens were today queuing up to join the local militia - which has been named The Liberation Army Of The Free Libya.

Timestamp:

1:25am

The former military garrison in Benghazi now resembles a tourist site, our correspondent says, with the city's residents curiously exploring the officers' quarters, underground tunnels - and prison cells. "They're posing for pictures and collecting souvenirs," he says. Yet the abandonment of the base has had its price:

Outside, the walls of residences and businesses in the surrounding blocks are pockmarked with bullet holes. One building has a gaping hole in it that I was told came from a tank round.

Timestamp:

1:15am

Our correspondent in Benghazi - who also covered the Egyptian revolution for Al Jazeera - tells us of the generous hospitality being offered to journalists by Libyans.

Often they simply give you food and tea and coffee for free, no questions asked. Hotel rooms were free up until today, when the volunteer management - most of the employees have fled or just stopped showing up -decided they needed to start charging.
Everyone is excited to see foreign journalists around, and the atmosphere here is markedly less tense than Cairo, for instance. Men with AK-47s wave us through roadblocks instead of subjecting us to intense checks.

Timestamp:

12:15pm

Protesters chanting are met with an array of gun fire. Sent in from Tripoli.

Live Blog - Libya Feb 28

Live Blog - Libya Feb 28

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