Reports: GADDAFI ESCAPES TO ZIMBABWE

Gaddafi may have escaped justice, for the moment. A cascade of reports from Zimbabwe say the Libyan dictator and internationally wanted criminal has been seen at an airport and mansion in Zimbabwe, a guest of president Robert Mugabe. 

TRIPOLI, LIBYA (Catholic Online) - If Gaddafi has escaped, rebels hope the bloodshed will quickly end, but recent loyalist atrocities suggest that may not happen. As rebels advance against pro-Gaddafi strongholds, they are uncovering the bodies of executed rebels. Often the victims are civilians. 

In a particularly grisly find, as many as 150 bodies were discovered outside Tripoli, all allegedly murdered by loyalists. In a nearby hospital, also filled with bodies, the wounded were left to die as loyalists fled. Journalists reported finding as many as 53 bodies in a burned warehouse next to the Khamis military base. From their remains, two of the victims appeared to be soldiers, and clearly had their hands bound behind their backs. Locals claimed they were executed for refusing to fire on the unarmed prisoners in the warehouse. 

As rebels gather outside Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, the last major loyalist stronghold in the country, they fear the discovery of more atrocities. Leaders claim the citizens of Sirte are being held in check by the threat of deadly violence if they join the rebellion. Rebels say they are hopeful that their success in Tripoli will be repeated in Sirte and they can quickly turn their attention to ruling the country. 

Gaddafi still has loyalist forces at his disposal throughout Libya. In addition to troops in Sirte, a well-stocked depot lies just 125 miles from the city and is expected to contain chemical weapons-which some rebels fear could be used as a last measure of desperation. The dictator also has loyalist elements still operating in the Sahara, which further complicate their efforts to secure the country.

African support

Reports from Zimbabwe suggest that Gaddhafi has landed there, transported by the Zimbabwe Air Force. People in the country claim seeing the dictator's female bodyguards securing and patrolling the grounds of a mansion in Harare, Zimbabwe. A spokesman for Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change announced that, "There's no doubt that Gaddafi is here as a unique guest of Mugabe." In what may be a related development, the Libyan ambassador in Zimbabwe and his staff were expelled from the country on Sunday after declaring allegence to the rebels last week.
Gaddafi has been popular within the African Union and still enjoys the support of several countries, many of whom still refuse to recognize the new government, despite UN and popular international recognition. It's this support that has made it possible for Gaddafi to escape Libya before the rebels can capture him. His presence in another country will complicate efforts to bring him to justice. 

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Humanitarian crisis

As rebels begin their attack in Sirte and Gaddafi may have escaped, many are concerned with the humanitarian situation in Tripoli. The intense fighting there has left thousands of people wounded and medical personnel and medicine are in short supply.  To address this critical need, the Red Cross announced financial support for their efforts in Libya. The money will be used to finance the rapid delivery of badly-needed medical supplies and to help reunite families separated by the fighting. 

In addition to financing Red Cross operations, Britain has promised to send food and other basic supplies to the Libyan people. 

The U.S. has also pledged support for Libya including the unfreezing of nearly 1.5 billion in Libyan assets which the UN has agreed to release.

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