InfoAnda - Prisoner of Zintan: Gaddafi son in Libyan limbo |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Australia terror suspects wanted to 'strike big' | 25 August 2009
PAKISTAN | 26 April 2010
Adolescent Troubles Linked To Adult Health Problems | 16 August 2010

iPad to hit stores April 3 | 9 March 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Prisoner of Zintan: Gaddafi son in Libyan limbo |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Social Pulse Business Video The Freeland File Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Reuters Investigates Decoder Politics Politics Home Election 2012 Issues 2012 Candidates 2012 Tales from the Trail Political Punchlines Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Tech Tonic Social Pulse Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Bernd Debusmann Nader Mousavizadeh Lucy P. Marcus David Cay Johnston Bethany McLean Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Mohamed El-Erian Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Steven Brill Jack & Suzy Welch Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Breakingviews Video Money Money Home Tax Break Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik James Saft Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Money Clip Investing 201 Life Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Reuters TV Reuters News Article Comments (0) Full Focus Editor's choice Our best photos from the last 24 hours. Full Article Images of January Best photos of the year 2011 Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Twelve killed in protests across Afghanistan 10:00am EST Syrian rebels get arms from abroad: source | 11:09am EST Casino mogul Wynn dumps friend-turned-foe | 9:01am EST Chavez going to Cuba on Friday for cancer surgery 23 Feb 2012 Apple's China legal battle over iPad spreads to U.S. | 9:40am EST Discussed 179 Santorum says Obama agenda not ”based on Bible” 148 Romney’s struggles fuel talk of brokered convention 127 Iran stops oil sales to British, French companies Watched Jim Rogers: U.S. Presidential favorites clueless on economy Thu, Feb 23 2012 Video shows exact moment of train crash in Argentina Thu, Feb 23 2012 Mona Lisa double painted simultaneously Tue, Feb 21 2012 Prisoner of Zintan: Gaddafi son in Libyan limbo Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Exclusive: Algeria seizes missiles smuggled from Libya: source Sat, Feb 18 2012 Flags and hope on Libya's uneasy anniversary Fri, Feb 17 2012 A year on, Libyans enjoy freedoms but anxieties abound Wed, Feb 15 2012 Saif Gaddafi to be moved to Tripoli, then tried Sun, Feb 12 2012 Libya wants Gaddafi son extradited, Niger balks Sat, Feb 11 2012 Analysis & Opinion Goldman Sachs sparks debate over Western banks’ role in Islamic finance The downside of arming Syrian rebels Related Topics World » Libya » A still image taken from video shows Saif al-Islam Gaddafi speaking during an interview in Zintan November 20, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Zintan Media Council via Reuters TV By Marie-Louise Gumuchian ZINTAN, Libya | Fri Feb 24, 2012 10:13am EST ZINTAN, Libya (Reuters) - In a secret location, somewhere among the sandstone and concrete buildings of the straggling mountain town of Zintan, Libya's most prominent prisoner awaits his fate. Three months after he was captured far away in the Sahara desert dressed as a Bedouin tribesman, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son and one-time heir apparent of Libya's fallen leader, is being kept here, ostensibly to keep him safe from harm until the new Libyan government can organize a trial for him. But the ad hoc nature of his detention highlights just how little control that government yet has over the country and over rival local militias, like that from Zintan which captured him. "Zintan people must keep him for now because Tripoli is not ready to keep him safe. Outside Zintan, he could be kidnapped or killed," said one Zintan resident, chemistry teacher Bilgasim Abdallah, repeating the credo of the 35,000 townsfolk that he risks sharing his father's bloody fate if taken to the capital. "Here in Zintan, we can protect him but he needs to be handed over to face justice," Abdallah said as he checked out the wares at a local bakery in the town this week. "We treat him well. We feed him. It's our culture and the Islamic way." The ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) has accepted this state of affairs. Indeed, it has had little choice. The NTC head told Reuters two weeks ago that the 39-year-old, London-educated Saif al-Islam would be moved to a Tripoli prison within two months and then face trial. But though an investigation by the prosecutor-general's office is under way, many are skeptical that the interim leadership, with its hands full trying to impose itself on a host of fractious local groups as it tries to organize a first free election in June, truly has the means to hold and try him. The International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague indicted Saif al-Islam in June for crimes against humanity stemming from the crackdown on the Libyan revolt. But the NTC insists he will be tried at home and will be given a fair hearing. The ICC may yet insist that he be sent to The Hague. Saif al-Islam's supporters, including surviving siblings who found refuge abroad, say they doubt he will be given a fair trial in Libya. He faces the death penalty if found guilty by a Libyan court, a prison term if convicted by the ICC. LOYALTY PLEDGE In Zintan, a town that prides itself on a history of martial prowess far beyond its modest size and prosperity, the militia commanders holding him are keen to stress that they are loyal to the government in Tripoli and simply doing their national duty. "Everyone knows that we are treating him well, just like any other prisoner. He is in good health and in a secure place," Abdelhamid Abouderbala, head of Zintan's military council, told Reuters in the town - though he declined to offer specifics on exactly where his famous captive was being held. "He is fine," he said. "He doesn't have any problems. He is waiting for his trial. There is no place more secure. "When they ask us, he will be moved immediately. They didn't ask us yet. If they do, as a military council, as Zintani people, we will do as the government and the NTC say." In Zintan, people are quick to contrast their treatment of the son with the fate of his father after he was captured by fighters from the coastal city of Misrata. Muammar Gaddafi was abused and killed and his body put on public display for days. But their critics complain Zintanis may be holding onto Saif al-Islam as a bargaining chip to claim a favorable chunk of the expected spoils in the contest between rival groups for power. Within days of Saif al-Islam's capture, a Zintani was named defense minister in the new interim government. Zintani rebels fought all over the country during the war, including in the decisive push on Tripoli in August. Many are still based far from home, they say, to protect oilfields and other key sites. Among these, Zintani fighters control Tripoli's main airport. And, fired with ambition, they want to turn their own local dirt strip into another international gateway to Libya. But Abouderbala, speaking at his headquarters in Zintan, denied any ulterior motives: "When we started the revolution, we weren't looking for rewards. We aren't waiting for anything. "The revolution was about freeing Libya." CAPTIVE OR GUEST? Saif al-Islam, who was awarded a doctorate by the London School of Economics, was seen as the business-friendly face of Libya in the years after his father rapprochement with Western powers. But his image transformed from that of liberal reformer to a key figure in his father's fight against rebels seeking his overthrow. Having vowed to die fighting, he was wounded and later taken near the southern town of Obari, without a struggle. After flying him to Zintan on November 19, local fighters said Saif al-Islam told them he was relieved to find himself captured by them. The man who led the patrol that caught him in the desert said the prisoner had no reason to have changed his mind. "I don't communicate with Saif but I know he is in good health," Alajmi Ali Ahmed al-Atiri said. "Like other prisoners, he is getting food, he can pray, he can go out in the sun." Both the international Red Cross and Human Rights Watch have visited Saif al-Islam in detention in Zintan. HRW quoted him as having no complaints about the physical conditions - including medical treatment and surgery on a wounded hand - but that his main concern was the lack of access to family and a lawyer. In his first days in captivity, local media aired an interview with Saif al-Islam in which he called the townsfolk his "brothers." Recently, a picture of him sitting down for a substantial-looking meal emerged on the Internet. "We saw this and we thought - is he a prisoner or a guest?" 68-year-old Shaaban Ahmed said as he surveyed the street outside his son's grocery store - betraying some of the frustration that some Zintanis feel about their well-tended captive. Many, it seems, would like to see him moved to Tripoli and off their hands soon. Others, with painful memories of Gaddafi's rule and the war which ended it, are less accommodating: "They should kill him," said 17-year-old student and former rebel fighter Naji Mussa. "From the beginning they should have changed him, executed him. Why are they treating him well? "This isn't right. He's a criminal." RIVAL FORCES As the country, and notably the capital, remains in thrall to rival armed groups, colliding in a chaotic and sometimes violent free-for-all, the national government has looked on powerless to intervene. For it, Saif al-Islam's fate is a test. "The interim government and NTC perhaps lack the authority to be a legitimate entity to hand him over to on the one hand, but on the other the authorities do not have the coercive capability to take him, should they want to," Henry Smith, an analyst at consultancy Control Risks, said. "It is another example, albeit a symbolically significant one, of the weakness of central government." Smith said he would be surprised to see Saif al-Islam moved to Tripoli before June, when Libya will hold its first election under what most hope will be a new democratic system. "The government is transitional, the judicial system is not really functioning, and the NTC will be disbanded after the elections in June," Smith said. "I am not convinced the interim government nor the NTC would want to take him anyway. "It is another problem to deal with when they should be preoccupied with preparing for the elections." Gaddafi's forces did not make it into Zintan during a war in which local people summoned the spirit of forebears who had fought Turkish and Italian occupiers in previous centuries. The army pounded it with rockets from a distance and some houses on the broad plateau still have walls missing from the attack. "Lion of Zintan," the ubiquitous local slogan, is sprayed on the walls of the modest, single-storey buildings that line the central streets. Men drive past in pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns, stopping to buy freshly baked bread. Aside from truffles and hares that thrive in the mountains, local pride for Zintanis focuses on this warlike reputation, but they reject complaints from other Libyans that their forces are mounting a virtual occupation of the country further afield. "In Zintan, we are fighters. We are men of war," said one man, a 47-year-old who gave his name as Ali and who had, he said, fought against Gaddafi. "But we are ordinary people." However ordinary, though, many Zintanis do believe their leading role in the war - as highlighted by their capture of Saif al-Islam - does give them a bigger say in Libya's future than those who, in their eyes, kept out of harm's way: "When the revolution in Libya began, many jumped along, saying they would draw up Libya's future," said Atiri, the commander of the desert patrol which captured Gaddafi's son. "But the people who will draw the future of Libya are those who slept in the desert and not in five-star hotels." (Editing by Alastair Macdonald) World Libya Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Advertise With Us Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use Copyright Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Friday, 24 February 2012
Afghan laborer recalls rage as he tried to save charred Korans |
Chavez going to Cuba on Friday for cancer surgery |
Life grim in Somali camps that Kenya wants to shut |
Prosecutors target cruise ship captain, Costa executives |
Clinton threatens sanctions on Somali peace spoilers |
Apple ponders cash, caves on board-vote proposal |
WikiLeaks suspect Manning defers plea, court-martial begins |
Ex-McAfee execs start security firm, CrowdStrike |
Clooney, Pitt, Dujardin: It's an Oscar charm offensive |
Harry Potter author JK Rowling writing adult novel |
Michael Moore champions Oscar documentary makers |
Singer Gene Watson recalls route from cars to country |
Murdoch seeks new start with tamer Sunday tabloid |
Charlie Sheen escort scandal may lead to lawsuit |
Friends of Syria to demand ceasefire |
Afghanistan braces for fourth day of Koran protests |
Putin to win Russia presidential vote: last major poll |
Australia's Rudd to challenge Prime Minister Gillard |
Insight: Japan's nuclear crisis goes much further than Fukushima |
In Myanmar's Kachin hills, Suu Kyi stirs hopes of peace |
Australia hopes to close 32-year dingo baby case |
Former Salvadoran defense minister can be deported: U.S. judge |
Armed men attack Egypt's Islamist presidential hopeful |
Apple ponders cash, caves on board-vote proposal |
Dropbox heats up cloud battle with photo upload feature |
White House privacy push seeks cooperation |
Employees, leaders honor late Micron CEO |
WikiLeaks suspect Manning defers plea, court-martial begins |
Apple's China legal battle over iPad spreads to U.S. |
Former lawmaker named Google's top Washington lobbyist |
Miami officials investigating singer Chris Brown |
Wolfgang Puck plans greatest hits for Oscar menu |
On Oscar red carpet, fewer jewels make stars shine |
Pakistan urges Afghan Taliban to enter peace talks |
Iran wants more U.N. nuclear talks after Tehran stalemate |
Prisoner of Zintan: Gaddafi son in Libyan limbo |
Nervously, world powers eye greater Somalia action |
Southeast Libya clashes resume despite army intervention |
Dutch prince may not come out of coma: doctor |
Netflix: no plan to support BlackBerry, PlayBook |
Oscars bring foreign flair to animation race |
Christopher Plummer finally has Oscar within reach |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01