Gaddafi son offered to surrender, say rebels

ONE of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons has tried to negotiate his own surrender, according to the rebel commander in Tripoli.

Al-Saadi Gaddafi rang Abdel Hakim Belhaj to try to work out how he might give in.

Belhaj said al-Saadi first called him on Tuesday and asked whether his safety could be guaranteed. He said he told him he would not be harmed, but he would be treated according to the law.

Belhaj said: “We told him ‘Don’t fear for your life. We will guarantee your rights as a human being, and will deal with you humanely’.”

If the offer is confirmed — the rebels have previously claimed to have captured Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam, who hours later turned up free — the surrender would be a major blow to Gaddafi’s crumbling regime.

The rebels have been pressing toward Gaddafi’s last major stronghold, his hometown of Sirte, and loyalists now only control a handful of major cities.

Belhaj said Al-Saadi told him he had not killed anyone, and that “he was not against the people”.

“I told him: ‘This is good. What is important for us is not to shed Libyan blood. For the members of the regime to surrender is the best way to do this’.”

The commander said he knows al-Saadi’s whereabouts, but prefers to negotiate a surrender.

His comments came hours after Gaddafi’s chief spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, called journalists to reiterate the senior Gaddafi’s offer to send al-Saadi to negotiate with the rebels and form a transitional government. The rebels have previously rejected such offers.

Ibrahim also rejected a rebel ultimatum for loyalists in Sirte to surrender by Saturday or face an attack.

There has been speculation that Gaddafi is seeking refuge in Sirte or one of the other remaining regime strongholds, among them the towns of Bani Walid or Sabha. Top rebel officials say that they have “a good idea” where Gaddafi is hiding, but are not revealing any details.

Libyan forces backed by Nato bombers struck at loyalist troops dug in around Gaddafi’s hometown yesterday, as refugees streamed out of the besieged bastion fearing a bloody showdown in the coming days.

As people in Tripoli and other cities marked the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan with special savour following the end of 42 years of one-man rule, anti-Gaddafi fighters at the front around the coastal city of Sirte kept up pressure on its defenders.

Nato said its planes bombed Gaddafi forces near Sirte, targeting tanks and other armoured vehicles as well as military facilities. They also hit targets in the area of Bani Walid, another Gaddafi stronghold 150km southeast of Tripoli.

Anti-Gaddafi fighters said on the same day that they had advanced to within 30km of the desert town.

At Tawarga, west of Sirte, civilians streamed in laden vehicles along the coastal highway, some flying white flags.