to an end. libyan rebels made fast and furious advances over the weekend. they claim they now control a great majority of tripoli. it could be a mortal blow to leader moammar gadhafi's 42-year rule. some of his forces are still putting up a fight. there have been reports of tank fire near gadhafi's home. there was no sign of gadhafi yet himself. the rebels are saying they've got three of their sons and opposition leaders already are making plan to govern. [ crowd noise ] >> as you might expect, there are celebrations around the world. libyans living in manchester, england, took to the streets to celebrate the leader's push into tripoli. >> we've been suppressed for 42 years. now we're testing the freedom, the freedom of speech, the freedom of movement, the freedom of everything that mean libyan people are free, no longer suppressed, and gadhafi, the dictator, is out, his sons are being captured, and we are -- we can't describe the joy we're feeling right now. [ crowd noise ] and libyan natives went to the libyan consulate in alexandria in egypt to celebrate the news. egypt helped inspire the revolution in libya back in february, three days after the fall of the egyptian president, hosni mubarak, calls went out on facebook for peaceful protests against moammar gadhafi. cnn's sara seidner was with the rebels as they arrived at the heart of their grand prize, green square in tripoli. it was clear that the rebels' victory wasn't complete. here's sara's report. >> reporter: right now what's happening is everyone's -- [ gunfire]] >> we're in the middle of tripoli. there are rebels all over the square. there are really no civilians, mostly men with guns in the square. we're also seeing people running. there's a lot of gunfire. they say there are snipers. we had to pull back. the situation very tense here. but there is a lot of celebrating going on. some of this is just gunfire in the air. but people are very concerned because they say there were sniper posted at the top of some buildings. they're not sure exactly where some of the gunfire is coming from. every now and then you see people running to get out of the way. the rebels have green square, and it is a historic moment here in tripoli, in the capital. the real stronghold of moammar gadhafi has been taken over by the rebels. >> cnn's sara sidner joins us now. describe what's happening around you. >> reporter: i can barely hear you. i can tell you what's going on. in this area -- we are on the main drag that leads into green square, and we can hear lots of celebrating -- we can hear basically people shooting in the air a little bit. mostly what you're see regular just trucks full of men, armed men with rebel flags flying. they are -- [ inaudible ] moving into green square, yelling "god is great." this is a victory. everyone's saying you're seeing history, moammar gadhafi is gone. no more moammar gadhafi. but nobody has actually seen him. there are still some gadhafi troops in this city, the rebels are saying they have not been able to clear the city, but they say they have control of most of it. and they are very, very excited today. they believe that this is their final, final push to getting gadhafi forces completely out of the city. we do know they have engaged -- we see some people running around buildings and at the gas station where we're standing now. it's still tense but mostly the mood is one of relief. there's -- the strange sense here because we're seeing finally a few, just a few residents who are sticking their heads out windows, putting the victory sign out. obviously some of this city certainly did support the gadhafi regime. so unlike other cities where we've been like misrata and benghazi where there were more and more people who felt comfortable coming out against the regime, here you have a little bit different situation. we are seeing a few residents out and about and cheering the rebels on. >> sara, do the rebels you're with believe that they may still have to engage loyalist gadhafi forces even now? >> reporter: we came into the city -- and this is significant -- without any escort. we came into the city, we had hardly any trouble getting in. there were no checkpoint up until we got relatively close to the city square. yes, there is a certain amount of caution. we are being told that there are snipers in some areas still. we're going told that they have not been able to completely clear out certain sections of the city. this is, you know -- this is tripoli, the capital. there are a lot of buildings here, there's a lot of space. but mostly in the street, all we're seeing are rebel cars filled with men holding guns, celebrating, waving the flag, and a few resident around watching them as they go about trying to go street by street looking to try and push out or find any of gadhafi's remaining support and remaining troops. >> sara, this is carol. i was just wondering -- everybody's wondering where moammar gadhafi is. is it possible that he could slip out of tripoli? >> reporter: anything's possible. but, you know, the problem here is that the speculation goes wildly one way and then another. for a long time there were rumors that he had left, then there were rumors that he was holed up in his compound, under his compound. the rumors are really rampant, and i think nobody really knows except for his inner circle exactly what is going on with him, where he is, what he's doing, what state he's in, what state his family is in. again, after hearing of the arrest of his sons, this place just went absolutely wild overnight. but nobody yet has any solid information as to exactly where moammar gadhafi is. >> and just in looking forward, say tripoli is completely taken by these rebels, what happens then? who's in control? >> reporter: well, that's a great question. what we're seeing is something very interesting because we thought that they would be really wildly celebrating and shooting as they have been in every single city and doing doughnuts in the street and just being a bit wild. and that's not what's happening here. it's almost a sense, these rebels did not expect it to come so soon. they're looking around and trying to assess. i think they're as surprised as anyone that they made it to the city so quickly. as for going forward, what political mechanism will be put in place? the national political council that was being put together in benghazi with people from different tribal councils trying to make up the group, they have had issue, they had to get rid of their executive committee because of the killing of one of the commanders of the rebel forces. but what we're seeing is a slow process of trying to figure out who is going to lead. the council has said what they will do is try to facilitate. they will be an interim government, but those who are members of that council will not try and run for office. they want to have a free and fair election with a solid constitutional that allows freedom for their people. so this is going to be quite a process, but it's a good question as to who will lead this country if indeed moammar gadhafi is captured, caught, or leaves the area. >> carol, we're just receiving new information right now. according to one rebel spokesman, moammar gadhafi's forces in one tripoli neighborhood are negotiating their surrender. the name of the neighborhood negotiations are said to be occurring is the tajura neighborhood, one of three areas in the libyan capital where gadhafi's forces are still believed to be in control. it's also the neighborhood that's home to a hospital, and gadhafi forces are asking to surrender according to the rebel spokesperson right now. carol? >> things still very fluid. thank you. the rebels say they have detained three of gadhafi's son, we've been telling but. that one could end up in the netherlands. today the international criminal court is working to bring saifal islam to the hague. muhammad has been restricted at his home. one offal jazeera's -- one of al jazeera's reporter gave a statement -- >> translator: there's gunfire outside my house. they're outside my house. good-bye, good-bye, good-bye. >> al jazeera reported that they were not harmed but movements were under the control of rebel forces. the european union is urging gadhafi to step down without delay, and nato says the sooner gadhafi realizes he can't win the better it will be for the people. the alliance has conducted about 7,500 strikes on libya since the end of march to protect civilians from gadhafi. here's what a nato spokeswoman said. >> those responsible for starting the bloodshed in libya are the gadhafi regime. as the united nations security council resolution made clear, the mandate of nato is to continue protecting civilians and civilian-populated areas against the threat of attacks, and what we've seen consistently, systematically and brutally are attacks by the gadhafi regime, ever since february. and nato has consistently implemented that mandate, and we have saved countless lives since we started this mission. >> nato, as you know, has been enforcing a no-fly zones and an arms embargo as part of its libya mission. >> could the end be near in the case against against dominique strauss-kahn? 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[ woman announcing ] new beneful healthy fiesta. another healthful, flavorful beneful. 112 -- 12 minutes past the hour. it could be a pivotal day for dominique stroou-cannes. there are reports the case will be dropped. the accuser's attorney wants the d.a. taken off the case and a special prosecutor assigned. gunfire after an nfl pregame on saturday night. it happened in san francisco after the 49ers beat the oakland raiders. two shootings in the parking lot left two men injured. another man was beaten. more protest expected today in san francisco targeting the bay area rapid transit system known as bart. similar protests last week closed a number of bart stations. and imarine is a hurricane crossing -- irene is a hurricane crossing over puerto rico. people in the southeastern united states should keep an eye on the storm. the man really keeping an eye on the storm is reynolds wolf live in atlanta. what's up with irene? >> the latest is the storm is beginning to gain strength. as we look at enhanced radar, satellite imagery, you'll see we've got deep convection north of puerto rico. outflow looks good at the top. one thing about the system, it chugs to the west, obviously getting closer to the u.s. the latest forecast that we have from the national hurricane center bring it past the turks and caicos as we get into wednesday at 2:00 a.m. winds of 85 miles per hour. as we fast forward into thursday, if you were to follow that line, it will take you right into the bahamas by 2:00 a.m. thursday. winds of 90 miles per hour, strong category-one storm. keep in mind if you look at the cone of uncertainty, there's the chance the storm could move farther south, staying over land, which would cause it to weaken considerably. or it could stay more to the east, and that, of course, keep it closer to sea. however, this is the time of the year where we're going to be seeing these systems develop in the atlantic. it's one of the situations, you have to be prepared along the eastern seaboard, certainly the gulf of mexico, all the way through november. the flight delays, through the day, new york metro -- the afternoon wind could keep you grounded up to an hour. same situation in boston with morning rain, low clouds. thunder boomers in kansas city could keep you delayed for just under an hour on the tarmac. in san francisco, yep, fog is going to be back. major delays over an hour. wrapping it up in seattle after a dry weekend. the rain is back and with it so will the delays be back at sea-tac airport. that's the latest. we'll touch base a bit more this hour with the very latest on irene. again, the first named hurricane of the season. back to you in new york. >> knew it was coming sooner or later. reynolds wolf live in atlanta. thank you. they are celebrating in libya this morning. is it the end of gadhafi? and where the heck is he? we'll hear from residents and reporters on the grounds. [ gunfire ] [ cheering ] celebrations on the streets of benghazi, libya. moammar gadhafi may be gone, may be running. i'm carol costello live in new york. >> nobody knows where exactly he is. that is the big question right now. i'm zain verjee. there are celebrations erupting across libya as rebels capture tripoli. earlier there was a young resident in tripoli. we talked to our reporter about what she was hearing in the city. let's just listen. >> reporter: all the men of our area downtown went out for the first time in 42 years. finally they feel like they're free. they have some freedom of speech. right now we hear gunshots, not sure where they're coming from. everyone went out, all of the men were outside on the streets, the women were outside on the balconies screaming, chanting anti-gadhafi slogans, and we feel like it's so close, we're winning, it's the end. >> it's so close. so let's switch gears just a tad. how are the world markets reacting to the fall of trichly, and what -- tripoli, and what does this mean to oil prices? so how what's happening in libya affecting the world markets? >> well, oil producers are trading higher. in fact, in europe we're seeing gains from companies like bp, petrofac, and total after rebel forces entered the libyan capital and seized much of tripoli. the thinking is that the possible end of the government would allow companies to access oil fields that have been closed by the ongoing civil war. overall, the markets in europe with the exception of the dax appear to be on the rise. but it's a different story in asia. the nikkei closed down 1%. the seoul kospi closed down 2%. asia remains focused on the risks of growth in the global market turmoil. >> i know the united states doesn't directly get oil from libya, but how might what's happening in libya affect oil prices? >> well, right now oil prices are falling. and analysts expect prices to fall even further as the civil war looks to be coming to an end. libya's economy is heavily dependent on oil. it's a key revenue stream that's been cut off during this months' long conflict. libya was producing more than 1.5 million barrels per day. that means it supplied 2% of the energy the world consumed on a daily base i. libya clearly has -- basis. libya clearly has an impact on the global oil supply. you can expect the price to fall as the supply increases. carol, back to you in new york. >> reporting live from hong kong, many thanks. president obama watching developments in libya closely. ahead, his strongly worded statement about moammar gadhafi as the dictator's 42-year rule crumbles around him. puppy food brand? ca's numbere with dha and essential nutrients also found in mother's milk. purina puppy chow. announcer: when life's this hard, it's no wonder 7,000 students drop out every school day. visit boostup.org and help kids in your community stay in school. good morning to you. i'm carol costello in new york. >> and i'm zain verjee in london. carol, today could be going down in history as the day a dictator's long, tight grip came to an end. the speed that it's happening at is so astonishing. moammar gadhafi has controlled libya for 42 years. and it appears to be on the brink of collapse. right now at this moment, everyone asking where is he, is he even in tripoli? his compound has been surrounded. there's a lot of fighting around it. we don't even know if he is in the city. there have been mass defections, three of his son have been captured by rebels, they're in custody. the rebels have marcheded on tripoli, carol. >> yeah. we also have word that moammar gadhafi's forces in one tripoli neighborhood are actually negotiating their surrender with rebels, certainly a good sign. as you said, three of gadhafi's sons in custody. but the mystery today, as you said, where is moammar gadhafi? some people believe he escaped the country or maybe he could be hiding inside of tripoli. anything is possible at this point. >> it really is. we're going to keep a close eye on it. we're also taking a look at some of the great video and sound coming in from libya and around the world of so many people celebrating as rebels appear to be on the brink of toppling gadhafi's regime. a few minutes ago we talked to cnn's sara sidner who says rebels may be celebrating in green square now but they've not cleared tripoli yet. watch this. after 42 years it seems that gadhafi might, might just go where he belongs. to hell. >> this is video from the eastern part of the country in benghazi, a rebel stronghold. ireporters sent in video. thousands gathering, as you see, to show support for the rebel advance on the capital tripoli. they were amazed, carol, moments ago, sara sidner reporting that they murderly met any resistance -- hardly met any resistance as they came into zawiya and tripoli. [ crowd noise ] >> that question remains up in the air h. is video of -- air. this is video of libyans that gathered outside the consulate in egypt. one man climbed to the top of the consulate and replaced the libyan flag with the independence flag. egyptians are no stranger to revolution having recently toppled its crushing rule of w hosni mubarak. >> men, women, and children waving libyan flags and holding signs, carol, that read "finally." there were chants of "usa, usa," "soifd -- "gadhafi is gone today, libya free." >> we'll check with sara sidner in triply after the break, in the thick of things. discover aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals. give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on to even skin tone in four weeks. aveeno tinted moisturizers. ♪ for a snack like you ♪ to come into my life [ female announcer ] lean cuisine has snacks! like creamy cheesy spinach artichoke dip with warm pita. new from lean cuisine®. good morning to you, it's monday, august 22, this is your "a.m. wake-up call," i'm carol costello live in new york. it's 29 minutes past the hour. i'm zain verjee live in london. friday we hardly mentioned libya. now we're talking about the end of a 42-year regime. so how did things seem to turn so quickly in the rebels' favor? >> it did go along at lightning speed. first of all, the rebels, they captured the city of zawiya, about 30 miles from the capital. one it went down, tripoli could not be far behind. sara sidner rode with the rebels as they approached their biggest prize. gadhafi finished, finished. gadhafi finished, very, very happy. >> reporter: what you're seeing behind me are a few people saying there's going to be a massive battle here. they do not have full control of the city. >> at the moment, we are not fully control of tripoli because you can see that. >> reporter: what does this make -- how do you feel about this day? are you from tripoli? >> yeah. >> reporter: why is this day important? >> it's historic day because we had to leave from here -- now we had to fight. i'm not a fighter. it at my first time. -- it's my first time. >> reporter: the civilians are leaving, and now we also have to leave. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: what's happening is everyone is running. [ inaudible ] >> we're in the middle of tripoli. we're seeing rebels all over the square. there are really no civilians, mostly men with guns in the square. we're also seeing people running. there's a lot of gunfire. they say they are snipers. we had to pull back. the situation is very tense. but there's a lot of celebrating going on. some of this is just gunfire in the air. but people are concerned because they say there were snipers posted atop some of the buildings. they're not sure exactly where some of the gunfire is coming from. every now and then you see people running, trying to get out of the way. right now the rebels have green square, and it is a historic moment here in tripoli, in the capital. the real stronghold of moammar gadhafi has now been taken over by the rebels. sara sidner, cnn, tripoli. >> sara sidner joins us now from tripoli. what information do you have about what's going on outside gadhafi's compound right now? your sources? >> reporter: we are in -- closer in toward green square. we're not at the square yet. there are celebrations, small groups of families, as you can hear behind me. women yelling at the top of their lungs saying "libya is free." they are putting on hats with rebel flags. there are people yelling from balconies. they're small groups. in other words, i'm looking at one family in one area, another family this another area. people are celebrating here. but mostly the streets are quiet. you can drive through this town without stopping. there are -- there is no traffic other than the rebel trucks going back and forth. most of all of the building are shuttered. people are in the streets, but in very small numbers. most of them that are in the street are fighters, people who will are looking around. we're being told there are snipers still in some neighbors. again, you're hearing the horns of some of the rebel trucks that are going down this main thoroughfare into green square. >> do the rebels believe it 's over, or there's still a fight ahead? >> reporter: i'm having trouble hearing you. we know oftentimes when the satellite fails us that nato is perhaps in the area. we're hearing that also from rebels saying nato is in the area. we're not hearing any loud blasts or booms. the only gunshots are up in the air at this point. but it certainly is an odd scene because what you have is for several kilometer ys you can dre and see nothing, it's clear. suddenly you'll come upon a neighborhood where a few people have decided to come out and celebrate on the tops of the buildings. they've come to street level. mostly we have rebels in their trucks and waiting around. some of them, some of them driving through the city, trying to root out any gadhafi forces that may be left behind. >> sara sidner with the rebels in trip to. >> and talk and no sign of gadhafi. we know his compound has been mostly destroyed -- actually prerebels moving into tripoli. pretty unlikely he's there, but at this time no one knows where moammar gadhafi s. you remember nato started operation unified protector march 31. since then, nato planes have flown more than 19,000 missions, including more than 7,000 air strike missions. nato says it's enforcing a united nations-mandated arms embargo and a no-fly zones, as well as protecting civilians in libya. so what will nato's role be in a post gadhafi regime? here's part of the answer from nato's spokeswoman. >> those responsible for starting the bloodshed in libya are the gadhafi regime as the united nations security council resolution made clear. the mandate for nato is to continue protecting civilians and civilian populated areas against the attack and threat of attacks, and what we've seen brutal reattacks by the gadhafi regime ever since february. and nato has consistently implemented that mandate, and we have saved countless lives since we started this mission. >> let's bring in our pentagon correspondent, barbara starr. when the celebrations stop and everyone comes home, how can nato including with help from the united states, rebuild a new libya? we don't even know who's going to be in charge quite. >> that's exactsly the problem, isn't it, carol? how do you rebuild the country and help establish political, government, economic, and security structures? right now, nato is indicating that it will stay and finish the job in libya to deal with the gadhafi regime. as my colleague sara sidner on the streets of tripoli was pointing out, look, already this morning you're seeing interrupted communications. if that is nato, the goal is to cut off any communications between gadhafi, gadhafi loyalists, and any troops out and about in the countryside. so you're still seeing operations unfold even as the celebrations go on. the -- the decision now for nato is how does it continue to we'll do the gadhafi regime until he is gone, until some of the civilian structures are established, and it becomes clear to any of us who is really in charge in that country. carol? >> the other big question looming is unlike egypt, libya doesn't have a huge middle class, so you're dealing with a population who doesn't have very much. there's more than one editorial this morning calling for american boots on the grounds to help with humanitarian issues and rebuilding libya because they don't have the wherewithal to do it themselves. how possible do you think that is that u.s. boots on the ground will be in libya for some houston mission? >> look, as recently as last week, secretary of state panetta said no to boots on the ground. i think most obama administration officials want the libya operation to continue the way it has, to be a coalition, a nato-led operation, not to put a u.s. military face on it. they feel very much the sting of iraq and afghanistan, not looking for a third country to become significantly involved in with u.s. troops. now, that is not to say that the u.s. could not help fly in supplies, that the u.s. could not assist international aid organizations, even assist the u.s. state department which has a growing contingent of involvement in libya. but u.s. boots on the ground, not very likely, carol. >> barbara starr live at the pentagon. many thanks. from the european union to world leaders, the sentiment is the same. gadhafi must go. we take you to martha's vineyard where president obama is weighing in. moammar gadhafi's options are growing limited. one possibility for gadhafi is exile. a rebel spokesman says colonel gadhafi has asked the governments of neighboring countries for refuge for family members. but apparently not for himself. outside of libya, gadhafi has had a strong supporter in the venezuelan president, haug oh chavez. the international -- hugo chaz ever. the international criminal court want gadhafi to answer for crimes of humanity. gadhafi seems determined to stay in libya until the end. >> leaders are weighing in on the development in libya. britain is one of the pillars of nato'smation there. prime minister cameron has released this stoimt -- statement. "it is clear from the scenes we are seen that gadhafi must go now to avoid any further suffering for his people." france took the early lead when nato began military operations against libya back in march. and now as rebels begin taking control of tripoli, french president nicolas sarkozy is urging moammar gadhafi to give up immediately what power he has left. in a statement from paris, mr. sarkozy said mr. gadhafi should avoid having the people endure more suffering unnecessarily. the french president also condemned the courage -- commended, rather, the courage of the rebel fighters as they fight for control of that country. president obama also says it's time for gadhafi to go. he's been watching the developments closely from martha's vineyard where he's vacationing with his family. our white house correspondent joins us live from there by phone. dan, what's the white house saying this morning? >> reporter: well, four, this is still very -- well, of course, this is still very early. we're told the president will be briefed sometime this morning on the latest development in libya. this has been a dramatic turn of events for a president that while on vacation had been focusing on the whole issue of jobs domestically. and this new plan that he plans to roll out once he returns. now the president dealing with libya. he has been briefed throughout his stay so far by his counterterrorism adviser, john brennan. they've also brought in other advisers via conference call, the president last night holding a conference call with his senior national security team, including his chief of staff. his secretary of defense and national security adviser tom donlin upon others, as well. so the president very much staying on top of the situation. we've don't know if we'll hear or see the president today. that's always a possibility. but nothing on the schedule so far. what we did hear from the president overnight, though, was a written statement in which the president had very strong words for moammar gadhafi, saying that "the momentum against gadhafi's regime has reached a tipping point, tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant," the president saying the regime is showing signs of collapsing. that the people of libya are showing the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron fist of a dictator. that was president obama in a written statement given to the press last night. >> white house correspondent dan lothian reporting. thanks, dan. other news we're following -- could the end be near in the case against the former imf chief, dominique strauss-kahn? details of an important meeting on tap today. developing a short time ago, tropical storm irene is now a hurricane. the story leaving a wet wake-up call on puerto rico. why the u.s. should be on guard, too. eauty could be flawless too? discover aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals. give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on to even skin tone in four weeks. aveeno tinted moisturizers. announcer: when life's this hard, it's no wonder 7,000 students drop out every school day. visit boostup.org and help kids in your community stay in school. 45 minutes past the hour. looking at other top stories, it could be a pivotal day in the case of former imf chief dominique strauss-kahn. meetings scheduled between prosecutors in new york and the hotel maid who accused him of sexually attacking her. there are reports the case will be dropped. the accuser's attorney wants the d.a. taken off the case and a special prosecutor assigned. gunfire after an nfl preseason game on saturday night. it happened in san francisco after the 49ers beat the oakland raiders. two shootings in the parking lot left two men injured. another man was beaten. more protests expected today in san francisco targeting the bay area rapid transit system known as bart. similar protests last week closed a number of stations. irene is a hurricane and crossing over puerto rico with heavy rain and high winds. people in the southeastern united states should keep an eye on this storm. amid the battles and the last push in tripoli, residents are voicing pride in their newfound freedom. we'll hear from one woman who can barely contain her excitement, next. ♪ sing polly wolly doodle all the day ♪ ♪ hah good morning to you. it is monday, august 22. this is your "a.m. wake-up call." i'm carol costello live from new york. it's 49 minutes past the hour. >> hi, i'm zain verjee live in london. today could go down in history as the day a dictator's long, tight grip came to an end. rebels made fast advances over the weekend. they claim they control a great majority of tripoli, the capital of libya. it could be a mortal blow to leader moammar gadhafi's 42-year-long rule. some of his forces are still putting up a fight. rebels claim gadhafi forces in one tripoli neighborhood are negotiating their surrender and that others forces are trying to keep the last of his forces from escaping into tunisia. gadhafi's whereabouts unknown. but rebels say they have three of his sons in custody. and opposition leaders already are making plans to govern. moment ago we spoke to our correspondent on the ground in tripoli who described the scene in green square there, saying there's so much celebrating. rebels are flying flag, they're chanting "god is great." they also are aware that they have not fully cleared the city, that there could be snipers in their midst, as well. and that pro-gadhafi forces may still put up a fight. we're getting new information from al arabia-tv citing a source saying that one of gadhafi's sons is leading forces toward central tripoli right now. three of moammar gadhafi's sons are in rebel custody. this is a fourth son set to be leading a battalion toward central tripoli. our senior correspondent matthew chance is in tripoli. what can you tell you about the pro-gadhafi forces that are still out there, and how much of a threat they could still be to rebels? >> reporter: well, it's a duf l difficult one to answer. clearly tripoli is a patchwork of different areas of control at the moment. yes, we've seen huge advances by the rebels. in many places they come up in unopposed which has been surprising to many observers because, you know, the gadhafi loyalists, colonel gadhafi himself said even right up until last night that, you know, he had tens of thousands of soldiers who had prepared to resist and defend the city. i can tell you that's not quite how it's happened, although there are certain areas like the area around gadhafi's compound a short distance from here and around this hotel, the rixus hotel -- hold on -- in the center of tripoli. and they're saying that, you know, obviously around here there are still a lot of gadhafi loyalists in the area, and there's still fighting underway between the various groups. i mean, just a few minutes ago, before i came on air, there were fierce gunshots taking place right behind me. >> the million-dollar question, matthew, is where is moammar gadhafi right now? nobody knows, right? >> reporter: no, there are rumors circulate being where he's located. obviously he's made addresses over the course of the past several nights, apparently from tripoli. that's certainly what foichs have told us last time we told us, he remains in tripoli and intends to lead this fight from the front. but we haven't seen colonel gadhafi for some time. so i think very much now as the rebels sort of consolidate their hold on various areas of tripoli they'll be searching high and low for colonel gadhafi. but his exact whereabouts, that's the pig question for the rebels. -- the big question for the rebels. >> this is carol. we hear gunfire behind you, is that celebratory or the sound of fighting between the rebel forces and gadhafi forces? >> reporter: it's not celebratory gunfire. as i was mentioning earlier, tripoli is made up of a sort of patchwork of areas of control, maybe 10%, 20% is in the control of gadhafi loyalists' hands. the area where i'm sitting in the rixus hotel in the sort of gadhafi compound a short distance from here and other installations, that's one of those pockets that is still under the control of gadhafi forces. so we're not with the rebels still. we're with the gadhafi forces in this small part of central tripoli. it's not clear how long that will last. we've heard rumor that some kind of, you know, counteroffensive may be being planned by gadhafi forces. but at the moment, you know, what we're hearing is sporadic clashes between opposition fighters and the government loyalists who are still very much in control of this area around the hotel in this part of central tripoli. >> and i know something you were grappling with or have been, used to be you'd have government minders all around you. you don't have those minders anymore. yesterday, i was watching your live report, and i -- i kind of felt you were in danger. what are things like now? >> reporter: well, certainly. the whole problem with being in this situation is that we're -- you know, we're facing a transition which could be quite hazardous for us. at the moment, to say it's still government controlled. all the minders that were here have left, that's true. but what's come back in their place is a kind of armed men, loyal to colonel gadhafi. they're patrolling the outskirts of the hotel. they're in the lobby of the hotel, as well. and, you know, the expectation is that at some point and already this morning there have been fierce battles around the compound of colonel gadhafi behind me. at some point, the expectation is that they're going to come to the hotel and try and take the hotel over. >> well, are we back? i lost -- i lost aufd yo with matthew. could you hear him, zain? >> he cut out a little bit. but i think the focus now is on what the situation is outside that compound he was talking about and whether moammar gadhafi is in his compound or not or has left tripoli. carol, the first -- carol, the first hurricane of the season bearing down on puerto rico, right? [ no audio ] >> we'll be right back.