Arab Spring to late Summer: Libyan Fall

I remember watching the Wall come down in Berlin. I remember on Christmas Day in 1989 watching the evidence of the end of the Romanian dictators. I was watching when the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled. Last night was another of those days.

For hours, into the small hours of this morning, I was engrossed on the rolling news. Not the BBC which seemed so far behind it may well have been reporting on England winning the World Cup, or Mr Chamberlain saying he had no concerns with Herr Hitler. Ibit the bullet and watched Sky News to get the most up to date news. For while Alex Crawford was a vehicle with the rebel forces surging towards the centre of Tripoli, the BBC correspondents were caught up in the Hotel Rixos which was under Gadaffi's government control and spewing out the sort of half truths via press conferences similar to those that were coming from Chemical Ali as Baghdad was falling.


The coverage was so different. The BBC were saying it is reported that the rebels are now here. Sky where saying they were, because they had the coverage of it live from Alex Crawford in bullet proof vest and helmet. As much to protect her from celebratory bullets in the air than any snipers. But that changed as they entered Green Square. There the driver of her vehicle did reverse for a km up the road when gun shot, the first of their advance, was aimed at them, not into the sky in celebration. The crowds that had surrounded them dispearses, but only brielfly as they all eventually returned.

Two of Muammar Gadaffi's sons have been detained, but there is no news of where the man himself is. He had been seen in Triopli on TV last night and had made a radio call for support from the rest of Libya late last night.

Gadaffi's flag has been being taken down at embassies around the world (in Valetta, Ankara) and replaced with the rebels flag of the new and pre-Gadaffi Libya.