[An Nahar] Libyan rebels on Friday claimed to control the strategic town Zawiyah and its key refinery after seizing the hospital, an Agence La Belle France Presse journalist said."Zawiyah is free," said rebels as they took up positions in the hospital hours after pounding the center of the town, which is the last major barrier before the rebels can think about advancing on Tripoli from the west.
Hundreds of rebels armed with assault rifles marched from the central square, a stronghold of forces loyal to Moammar 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...
, onto the hospital, which was decorated with green flags and portraits of the veteran leader.
Rebels also held Zawiyah's refinery, which is the only one in western Libya and vital to the Qadaffy regime, as it supplies fuel to Tripoli.