Qadaffy....dictator of Libya since 1969. From 1972, when he relinquished the title of prime minister, he has been accorded the honorifics
Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriyaor
Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution. With the death of Omar Bongo of Gabon on 8 June 2009, he became the longest serving of all current non-royal national leaders. He is also the longest-serving ruler of Libya since Tripoli became an Ottoman province in 1551. When Chairman Mao was all the rage and millions of people were flashing his Little Red Book, Qadaffy came out with his own Little Green Book, which didn't do as well. Qadaffy's instability has been an inspiration to the Arab world and to Africa, which he would like to rule...
The rebels took over the residential zone of New Brega, located about 15km from the central oil terminal and port area, on Thursday.
Mohammed Zawawi, the opposition front man, told the Rooters news agency on Friday it was still not safe to go into the city.
"Now we are trying to clear that area. There are some Qadaffy troops still there," Zawawi said.
Troops loyal to Qadaffy are holding onto the oil facilities and firing rockets at rebel positions. At least eight rebel fighters have been killed and another 25 maimed in the latest fighting.
"There's close fighting in the oil terminal area this morning, but maybe we can finish it off today," Mohammad Muftah, a rebel soldier, said.
In Brussels, a NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions...
operations report said that, among other targets in the country, air strikes had hit an armed vehicle, a multiple rocket launcher and an artillery piece in the vicinity of Brega on Thursday.
The two sides have been battling for months for control of the port, 750km east of Tripoli.
Rebels hope that by taking complete control of the city, its oil terminal and sea port will allow them to resume oil exports.
Capture of Tawurgha
On the western front, opposition commanders said they had control of the town of Tawurgha as they push to cut supply routes to forces loyal to Qadaffy. In a symbolic show of victory, fighters tore down green flags that had been hoisted atop buildings by Qadaffy supporters who had occupied the area.
"Qadaffy is finished!" shouted a jubilant 31-year-old fighter named Mohammed. "There is no way back. We have taken Tawurgha!"
The rebels encountered heavy fighting
... as opposed to the more usual light or sporadic fighting...
and sizeable pockets of resistance among a maze of buildings and date palms. Rebel commanders said there were still some snipers inside the town and bombardments were now coming from a village south of the town.
Further south along the main road, truck after truck of rebel fighters pressed forward to new positions, as heavy fighting
... as opposed to the more usual light or sporadic fighting...
continued.
Al Jizz's Andrew Simmons, reporting from Tawurgha, said it was a heavily co-ordinated operation with NATO, with six tanks involved.
"Fighting is going on in the old quarter of the town where Qadaffy forces are still putting up some resistance," he said. "Opposition fighters have been searching houses one after the other with green flags.
"Many, many Qadaffy forces have been jugged in areas surrounding the town to try to secure the area to stop Grad missiles from being fired on Misrata from here.
"Their other objective is to try to cut supply line to Qadaffy stronghold of Sirte."
The citizens of Misrata have blamed forces in Tawurgha for many of the attacks on their hometown.
Meanwhile,
...back at the secret hideout, Scarface Al sneeringly put his proposition to little Nell...
a captured Qadaffy intelligence officer has said that the Libyan leader has reinforced Zawiyah, which also has a coastal oil refinery, with about 1,000 conscripts.
Brigadier-General Al-Hadi al-Ujaili predicted the rebels would face a hard fight to capture the town. He said Qadaffy still enjoys strong support in Tripoli and among Libya's main tribes, which he said was crucial.