The Libyan Interim National Council

Gaddafi forces have killed over 12,000 innocent people and have displaced well over 600,000. The number of those injured or detained by his forces is unknown. The NTC observed that such losses appear to be of no interest to Gaddafi, who is prepared to put even his family in harm’s way by keeping them in locations designated as legitimate military targets. Vice Chairman Mr. Abdul Hafeedh Ghoga commented:

“What type of person who calls himself a ruler, aware of the horrific suffering of so many innocent citizens, refuses to step down for the good of the people. What type of father is prepared to use even his sons and grandchildren as human shields? It is clear that Gaddafi either holds the whole world in contempt or is mentally unstable.”

The NTC refused to speculate on whether Saif al-Arab has really died. However, if this is a ruse by the Gaddafi regime, it would not be the first time. Past experience has taught Libyans that every claim Gaddafi makes should be the object of independently verified investigation.

The NTC today made an official statement thanking the efforts of all the youth who have been helping to fight the media war against the Gaddafi regime. Mr. Fathi Turbil, NTC representative for Youth, commented:

“We salute the brave men fighting at the front line against those Gaddafi forces who have no respect for the Libyan people. Our fighters are heroes who will be remembered forever. However, we must also acknowledge the wonderful efforts of those young members of our society who, through their articles and photos and music, are teaching the world about the culture and identity of the Libyan people”

The NTC would like to thank the government and people of Italy for recognizing the severity of the humanitarian crisis caused by the Gaddafi regime, and for agreeing to take further military action to end this crisis. Vice Chairman of the NTC, Mr. Abdul Hafeedh Ghoga stated:

“The people of Libya welcome the government of Italy’s decision to take part in strategic bombing raids against the Gaddafi regime. The Gaddafi regime has demonstrated time and again that it cannot be trusted. Its continued shelling of Misrata, despite claims of a withdrawal, makes that very clear. Italy’s help during Libya’s time of need is greatly appreciated.”

he National Transitional Council (NTC) welcomes Russia’s call to the Gaddafi regime to stop the bloodshed and suffering of the civilian population in Libya. The Vice Chairman of the NTC, Mr. Abdul Hafeez Ghoga, expressed his gratitude to the Russian Foreign Minister for his comments:

“Mr. Lavrov has shown clear support for the protection of the civilian population in Libya. We call on Mr. Lavrov to continue supporting a UN ‘blue helmets’ mission on the ground.”

The situation in Misrata continues to be a humanitarian disaster in every sense of the word. Reports shows that the city is in dire need of food and medicine, and the creation of a safe passage for the distribution of these goods.

Reporters Without Borders is shocked and saddened by the news that Tim Hetherington, a British photojournalist working for Vanity Fair, and Chris Hondros, a US photojournalist working for Getty Images, were killed by a mortar round yesterday in Misrata, in western Libya.

Two other photographers, Michael Brown of the Corbis Agency and British freelancer Guy Martin, were also wounded. All four were on Tripoli Street , the main road through Misrata, which was the scene of the fiercest fighting in an offensive by troops loyal to Col. Muammar Gaddafi.

“We offer our condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Journalism has lost two great professionals whose work gave us remarkable images of recent wars. This tragedy has yet again highlighted the dangers that journalists run when they cover wars. Their deaths bring the number of journalists killed in Libya since the start of the fighting to four.”

Hetherington, who was killed instantly by the mortar explosion, was best known for his full-length documentaries. Born in 1970, he lived and worked for eight years in West Africa and was the only photographer to live behind rebel lines during the civil war in Liberia in 2003. He contributed to the making of Liberia : an Uncivil War (2004) and The Devil Came on Horseback (2007), about the Darfur conflict.

He won leading international photojournalism prizes including the World Press Photo in 2007 for his photos of US soldiers in Afghanistan . They formed the basis of the documentary “Restrepo,” which he made with Sebastian Junger. It was nominated for an Oscar and won the Grand Jury Prize for best documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Hondros, who died few hours later from the head injuries he sustained in the blast, had covered most of the leading conflicts since the 1990s including Kosovo, Angola, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Kashmir, West Bank, Iraq and Liberia . Born in 1970, he had won many international prizes.

The first journalist to be killed during the fighting in Libya was Ali Hassan Al Jaber, a Qatari cameraman working for Al-Jazeera. He was shot in an ambush near Benghazi on 12 March, in which a colleague was also wounded. The second was Mohamed “Mo” Al-Nabous, a Libyan journalist and blogger who was one of the founders of the Libyan TV station Libya Al-Hurra. He was killed by a sniper in Benghazi on 19 March.

A number of journalists have been missing since the beginning of the conflict in Libya. Forces loyal to the Gaddafi regime have detained many of these. According to a number of sources, including Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists and members of the international media, there are at least eight members of the international media missing:

1. Clare Morgana Gillis
US freelancer covering events for The Atlantic magazine’s website, was arrested on 5 April.

2. James Wright Foley
US reporter working for GlobalPost.com, Stars and Stripes and Al-Jazeera, arrested on 5 April

3. Manu Brabo
Spanish freelance photographer, arrested on 5 April

4. Anton Lazarus Hammerl
South African freelance photographer, arrested on 5 April

5. Lotfi Ghars
Journalist with Tunisian and Canadian dual citizenship working for Al-Alam, detained on 16 March.

6. Rana Akbani: Syrian journalist detained on 28 March.

7. Kamel Ataloua: British journalist working for Al-Jazeera.

8. Matthew Van Dyke: American freelance journalist, detained near Brega on 12 March

A number of reporters have been reported missing but have been either located or released recently. These include:

Dmitry Steshin: Komsomolskaya Pravda

Aleksandr Kots: Komsomolskaya Pravda

Ahmed Vall Ould el-Dine: Al-Jazeera

Lotfi Messaoudi: Al-Jazeera

Ammar Al-Hamdane: Al-Jazeera

In addition to members of the international media, a number of Libyan journalists have been detained or have disappeared. A list is currently being updated and will be released shortly.

International Media Centre
National Transitional Council

Many thanks to all of those who have replied to emails asking you to confirm whether or not you are still in the country. Sadly, since the conflict began, a number of press members have gone missing and if you have not done so, we kindly request that you reply to this email indicating whether or not you are still here.

Head of the International Media Center

Transitional National Council

On Friday, Dr. Ali Tarhouni and a team of economic advisors flew to Qatar for follow up talks with the Libya Contact Group. The team will be focusing on initiatives to bolster the Libyan economy and stimulate future economic reconstruction. The flight, which left from Benghazi Benina Airport on Friday morning is the first Libyan flight to operate since hostilities began. Passengers also included 15 injured Libyans requiring urgent medical treatment in Qatar.

At 20.30 on Friday an IOM ship arrived in Benghazi carrying over 1000 passengers from Misrata. Passengers from a number of countries were aboard, including Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Nigerians, etc. Among those who returned were 25 Libyan families and a number of foreign reporters and journalists. Ambulances were present to receive an unconfirmed number of civilians wounded in the recent bombardment carried out by Gaddafi in and around the city of Misrata

At 17.30 on Thursday a seminar was held at the Arab Medical University to mark the official launch of the Public Engagement Unit (PEU). The seminar was the first in a series titled “Challenges to building a Democratic State in Libya”.

Guest speakers included: Ahmed El-Aber (NTC member for Benghazi), Dr. Ali Said (NTC General Secretary), Dr. Abdul Shamea (Member of the NTC Economic Committee), Marja Geth (Member of the NTC Economic Committee), Saleh al Gazel (Head of the Local Council for Benghazi) and Abdul Salam Mesmary (Organizer of the 17^th February Treaty).  The event was also attended by US representative Mr. Nathan Tek.

The seminar was run by Najla Mangoush (Head of the PEU) and represented a key step in building a closer relationship between the NTC and the local community. Many of those who attended praised the seminar for being the first opportunity in decades to have official dialogue with community leaders.

Mrs. Mangoush promised that the series would continue and thanked all of those who attended, asking that word be spread throughout the community.