A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Regime Götterdämmerung in Sirte: It's Not Just the End of Qadhafi

 It increasingly seems as if the events in Sirte today may mark not just the end of Mu‘ammar al-Qadhsfi but of much of the remaining infrastructure of the regime: a real Götterdämmerung moment. Qadhafi's Defense Minister Abu Bakr Yunis Jabr has reportedly been killed; Qadhafi's son Mu‘tassim has been captured and possibly killed; regime spokesman Musa Ibrahim, who has been telling the world Qadhafi was fighting on since the fall of Tripoli, has been captured; regime ideologue and Qadhafi cousin Ahmad Ibrahim has reportedly been taken prisoner as well.

The big question mark (and one of the last possible rallying point for diehard loyalists), Qadhafi's son (and onetime heir apparent), Saif al-Islam, is still unaccounted for, though the National Transitional Council claims they may have him surrounded. If Saif is indeed captured, that would make for almost a clean sweep. (UPDATE: AlArabiya is reporting Saif has been killed. But AP says he's wounded in a hospital.  Wait and see.) (Later: Apparently neither of the above: still at large.)

No comments: