Page 2 - Inside Tripoli News Today

After six weeks of prodemocracy protests across the middle east in north africa, human rights officials say more than 450 people have been killed. today european leaders are telling syrias ambassadors to demand president bashar assad stop gunning down his own people. and in libya, state tv broadcast video showing the aftermath of nato strikes amid speculation that gadhafi may be losing control of his country. nbcs chief foreign correspondent richard engel is covering all of this from benghazi, l...

Those reports, however, are difficult to confirm. they may be the rebels wishful thinking. they are making some gains militarily and there was just a press conference a short while ago and a spokesperson for the rebel movement here said that the introduction of american predator drones has helped significantly and made the -- made their advances -- given them a marked improvement was the word he used. there is a sense of momentum and progress. also, we have started to see tv we heard this from t...

Administration was days not weeks, or weeks not months. and admiral mike mullen on the sunday talk shows. he said one outcome could be that gadhafi stays. would it be a successful mission in your mind if gadhafi ends up staying in power? >> well, i think it depends on the circumstances. if gadhafi is boxed in inside tripoli, if the bulk of the country is in the hands of the rebels. if his air force is grounded, if his capabilities to operate are fully eliminated, i dont think its the end of the ...

Hes about to meet to wait to meet him in a nearby tent. government officials told us no one was injured in this strike. they did tell us that many families live in this large palace complex area. government officials also said what is happening here? because this is what they said -- they were quoting a spokesman saying his compound wouldnt be targeted. and here theyre saying it clearly has been targeted. so what we were hearing from officials here is -- is surprise it had been targeted and assu...

Evacuated. officials do not know what is causing the smoke this time. his air defenses are crippled and a four-story building in his compound is in ruins but where is moammar gadhafi? thats one of the big questions in libya this morning after the co coalition launched more than 100 cruise missiles. nic robertson is live for us in tripoli. any indication where gadhafi is right now? >> reporter: at this moment we dont. the compound that we were taken to last night where there was the damaged bui...

System is all but crippled this morning. a four-story building in his compound is also severely damaged. since saturday, a barrage of cruise missiles have hit libya, more than 120 of them. live on the front lines in tripoli, a place that has been subject to a lot of missiles this weekend. good morning, nic. whats the situation on the ground as you know it? >> reporter: ali, its been pretty quiet here for the last 12 hours or so. occasional bursts of anti-aircraft gunfire. but the huge explosions...

Teenager. he and his grandmother were trapped in their kitchen after the earthquake. they survived by wrapping themselves in towels, eating yogurt, and drinking water. >> amazing. well, now to the latest in libya where coalition forces are bombarding gadhafis forces. the weekend assault so fierce that moammar gadhafis air defense system is all but crippled this morning. since saturday, a barrage of cruise missiles have pounded libya hitting key gadhafi defense installations as well as the resi...

Inside tripoli and i can tell you, it is largely dead quiet except for pro gadhafi protestors, this due to largely strenuous efforts by government security forces, they set up checkpoints, using armored personnel carriers, secret police, a real intense of intimidation here. there were hopes from the rebels in the east that the people would come out en mass to protest, were not seeing that. for access to journalists, this hotel largely blocked, journalists not allowed to leave, internet phone lin...

Uprising against the system. i think things were calmed down and the city became quiet during the night. we dont hear today much about the cities around tripoli of the uprising. things are in order and i think everything is calming down at the moment. not like the night before, where the people gathered in the -- clashed with supporters of the government. [ unintelligible ]

To say -- to say im still in libya. denying reports that claim he fled the country. libya is another arab nation on the brink of revolution. enormously dangerous. uncon tpoeurped -- unconfirmed reports say hundreds have been gunned down in the streets. reporter for global radio news joins us on the phone from tripoli. tell me what you know and what youve seen today? >> reporter: i think today it is very quiet during the day. the people were busy with shopping and -- [ unintelligible ] the night ...