Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Still Mopping Up

It is taking time, but the Libyan alliance forces are breaking the back of the last major loyalist points of resistance:

A Reuters team that drove into the heart of Bani Walid, in desert hills 150 km (90 miles) south of Tripoli, saw no signs of resistance from supporters of the deposed leader who have been holed up inside the town for more than six weeks.

"Bani Walid is completely free. It is liberated, 100 percent," said Mohammed Shakonah, a military commander with the National Transitional Council (NTC).

Sirte seems mostly taken. But what about the deep south starting at Sabha? I thought that region was still in loyalist hands--or at best uncontrolled by the NTC alliance.

I wonder if Khaddafi has access to money, recruits, and weapons to be a major player in the months ahead to try and negotiate a place at the table as the price for weighing in on one side or another if the NTC has a falling out amongst its factions?