Youngest son of Colonel Moammar Gaddafi Saif al-Arab Gaddafi died in an air strike, according to the Libyan government
Youngest son of Colonel Moammar Gaddafi Saif al-Arab Gaddafi died in an air strike, according to the Libyan government
A NATO airstrike killed Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi's youngest son and three of his young grandchildren yesterdayu00a0-- but the strongman, who was in the Tripoli house at the time, escaped without injury, a government spokesman claimed. "The leader himself is in good health," said Mussa Ibrahaim, who added that the elder Gaddafi's wife was also there, but was unharmed. The roof had completely caved in at the home in a residential area of Tripoli. At least three missiles struck the home. The victim, Saif Al-Arab (29) had studied in Germany. He was one of two sons named Saif and was less involved in government affairs. He was accused of smuggling an assault rifle, revolver and ammo from Munich to Paris in 2008, but wasn't prosecuted because of lack of evidence.
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To ashes: Moammar Gaddafi's house in Tripoli which was destroyed in
the air strike. Saif (inset) and Gaddafi's three grand children died. Pic/AFP
He had a reputation for partying when outside Libya and enjoyed fast cars. Gaddafi's other son named Saif is Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, who said at the early stages of the current crisis that there would be "rivers of blood" if people rebelled against his father's government. Saif Al-Islam also came under scrutiny for obtaining an apparently fake PhD from the London School of Economics. The names of the grandchildren, all under the age of 12, who died were not released. NATO officials said they did strike "command and control building" in the area but couldn't confirm that one of Gaddafi's sons was killed. They also insisted they have not been targeting the dictator's kin. A spokesman for the rebels said Gaddafi's regime could be playing a cruel trick in a desperate bid to garner sympathy.
"We don't believe this is true," Abdul Hafiz Ghoga, deputy chairman of the Transitional National Council in Benghazi. "In all honesty, we never heard of Saif Al-Arab until the start of the uprising," he said. "It is all fabrications by the regime in a desperate attempt to get sympathy . . . This regime constantly lies and keeps lying." Despite the rebellion leader's skepticism, the news was greeted with cheers and celebratory gunfire in Benghazi. This is the second time in less than a week that the dictator has survived a bombing. Last Monday, NATO attacked part of Gaddafi's compound and killed three workers but the despot was not wounded.u00a0
Condemns death
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is condemning the killing of one of Moammar Gaddafi's sons and three of his grandchildren in a NATO airstrike in Libya. Chavez asked how some European leaders such as those of Spain, France and Italy can continue to support the airstrikes in Libya.
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