Gadhafi's daughter gives birth to girl
Source: Agencies |
August 31, 2011, Wednesday
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ONE day after fleeing Libya, Moammar Gadhafi's daughter gave birth to a baby girl in Algeria yesterday, the Algerian Health Ministry said.
An official with the ministry said that Aisha Gadhafi gave birth but provided no other information, including where that happened.
Gadhafi's wife Safia, his sons Hannibal and Mohammed and Aisha entered southern Algeria from the Libyan border on Monday, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said. Reports had said Aisha's pregnancy was one reason for Algeria's controversial decision to take the family in.
Libya's rebel leadership demanded yesterday that Algeria return Gadhafi's wife and children for trial, accusing Algeria of an "aggressive act."
The departure of Gadhafi's family was one of the strongest signs yet that he has lost his grip on Libya after 42 years in power.
Aisha, in her mid-30s, is a lawyer who helped in the defense of toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the trial that led to his hanging.
After Libyan rebels advanced on Tripoli last week, her home was among those exposed to looting.
She lived in a two-story mansion with an indoor pool and sauna, where DVDs included action and mystery films, but also one on getting back in shape after childbirth. A large play room was strewn with toys, party hats and streamers were in a pile in an entrance hall, and her library contained a number of children's books.
Libyan rebels, meanwhile, pledged to launch an assault within days on Gadhafi's hometown, the ousted strongman's last major bastion of support.
The rebels and NATO said that Gadhafi loyalists were negotiating the fate of Sirte, a heavily militarized city some 400 kilometers east of the capital, Tripoli.
Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the rebels' National Transitional Council, said yesterday that negotiations with forces in Sirte would end on Saturday after the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, when the rebels would "act decisively and militarily."
"We can't wait more than that," he told reporters in the eastern city of Benghazi. "We seek and support any efforts to enter these places peacefully. At the end, it might be decided militarily. I hope it will not be the case."
Colonel Roland Lavoie, a NATO spokesman, said it's possible Sirte might surrender without a fight. "We have seen dialogues in several villages that were freed - I'm not saying with no hostilities, but with minimal hostilities."
Lavoie said NATO would continue supporting the rebels as long as civilians in the country are under threat, although the area around Tripoli is now "essentially free."
He appeared to struggle to explain how NATO strikes were protecting civilians at this stage in the conflict. Asked about NATO's assertion that it hit 22 armed vehicles near Sirte on Monday, Lavoie was unable to say how the vehicles were threatening civilians, or whether they were in motion or parked.
While Safiya, Aisha, Hannibal and Mohammed are in Algeria, Gadhafi and several other sons remain at large. In Washington, the Obama administration said it had no indication that Gadhafi himself has left the country.
Rebels also said another Gadhafi son, Khamis, was likely killed last week in a battle south of Tripoli.
"We are determined to arrest and try the whole Gadhafi family, including Gadhafi himself," Mahmoud Shammam, information minister in the interim government, said. "We'd like to see those people coming back to Libya."
Rebel leaders said they were not surprised to hear Algeria welcomed Gadhafi's family. Throughout Libya's six-month uprising, rebels have accused Algeria of providing Gadhafi with mercenaries to repress the revolt.
An official with the ministry said that Aisha Gadhafi gave birth but provided no other information, including where that happened.
Gadhafi's wife Safia, his sons Hannibal and Mohammed and Aisha entered southern Algeria from the Libyan border on Monday, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said. Reports had said Aisha's pregnancy was one reason for Algeria's controversial decision to take the family in.
Libya's rebel leadership demanded yesterday that Algeria return Gadhafi's wife and children for trial, accusing Algeria of an "aggressive act."
The departure of Gadhafi's family was one of the strongest signs yet that he has lost his grip on Libya after 42 years in power.
Aisha, in her mid-30s, is a lawyer who helped in the defense of toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the trial that led to his hanging.
After Libyan rebels advanced on Tripoli last week, her home was among those exposed to looting.
She lived in a two-story mansion with an indoor pool and sauna, where DVDs included action and mystery films, but also one on getting back in shape after childbirth. A large play room was strewn with toys, party hats and streamers were in a pile in an entrance hall, and her library contained a number of children's books.
Libyan rebels, meanwhile, pledged to launch an assault within days on Gadhafi's hometown, the ousted strongman's last major bastion of support.
The rebels and NATO said that Gadhafi loyalists were negotiating the fate of Sirte, a heavily militarized city some 400 kilometers east of the capital, Tripoli.
Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the rebels' National Transitional Council, said yesterday that negotiations with forces in Sirte would end on Saturday after the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, when the rebels would "act decisively and militarily."
"We can't wait more than that," he told reporters in the eastern city of Benghazi. "We seek and support any efforts to enter these places peacefully. At the end, it might be decided militarily. I hope it will not be the case."
Colonel Roland Lavoie, a NATO spokesman, said it's possible Sirte might surrender without a fight. "We have seen dialogues in several villages that were freed - I'm not saying with no hostilities, but with minimal hostilities."
Lavoie said NATO would continue supporting the rebels as long as civilians in the country are under threat, although the area around Tripoli is now "essentially free."
He appeared to struggle to explain how NATO strikes were protecting civilians at this stage in the conflict. Asked about NATO's assertion that it hit 22 armed vehicles near Sirte on Monday, Lavoie was unable to say how the vehicles were threatening civilians, or whether they were in motion or parked.
While Safiya, Aisha, Hannibal and Mohammed are in Algeria, Gadhafi and several other sons remain at large. In Washington, the Obama administration said it had no indication that Gadhafi himself has left the country.
Rebels also said another Gadhafi son, Khamis, was likely killed last week in a battle south of Tripoli.
"We are determined to arrest and try the whole Gadhafi family, including Gadhafi himself," Mahmoud Shammam, information minister in the interim government, said. "We'd like to see those people coming back to Libya."
Rebel leaders said they were not surprised to hear Algeria welcomed Gadhafi's family. Throughout Libya's six-month uprising, rebels have accused Algeria of providing Gadhafi with mercenaries to repress the revolt.
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