>> i'm wolf blitzer. we are watching breaking news, history unfolding in libya. >> we are following breaking news. we will be in the hours ahead as developments continue. it is early monday morning there in libya. moammar gadhafi is under siege from rebel forces. the rebels say they have two of moammar gadhafi's sons captured. we have pictures of saif. the international criminal court at the hague has an arrest warrant for him. now we are told in the heart of tripoli's green square which they have renamed martyr's square. we heard moments ago that some of them are pushing back with word that gadhafi forces may be going to reenter that part of the city. the government has been saying 1,300 people have been killed over the past 12 hours. our people on the ground have seen no evidence of that though. one of our reporters with the rebels say there are no signs of pro government forces on the streets of tripoli at the moment. >> our colleague matthew chance is holed up in a hotel in the middle of tripoli. with him other journalists and a skeleton security staff. last time we spoke, matthew, we could hear machine gun fire behind you. are we still hearing gun fire? >> not at the moment, wolf. it's pretty quiet outside. it's strange. the ferocious clashes we have been witnessing and hearing a couple hours ago have diminished now. as we speak now i'm not hearing anything at all. maybe the occasional gunshot here and there. it seems the rebels -- i haven't been reporting for the rebels so i don't know what they are doing but they have been in control of large areas of the city. as we get into the middle of the night, it's 4:00 in the morning, early morning almost, waiting for day break there is still a good deal of confusion there. confusion about who runs this capital. i can hear machine guns going on behind me now having said it's all quiet in tripoli it all starts to break loose as i make the point. but, yes, the confusion about who controls which areas of tripoli at the moment. it's a very confusing picture in the libyan capital. wolf? >> we have a lot of viewers in the united states and around the world just joining us now at the top of the hour. set the scene for us. tell us what happened over the past six hours, shall we say, at this hotel where you are based. >> well, there have been absolutely intensive gunfights between various armed groups. the gadhafi sprorupporters on o side. many have driven into zawiyah. when they have driven in we have had reports of people welcoming them rather than resisting them as had been called for by gadhafi troops. people were celebrating in the streets. there were fireworks set off. scenes of celebration. the rebels reached green square which is the central square in the middle of tripoli. and there were celebrations as well. none of the fierce clashes. none of the fierce, ferocious resistance that was promised by the government. in fact, just a few hours ago when we last spoke to the gadhafi government's information spokesperson, information minister mussah ibrahim he said there were tens of thousands of professional troops ready to defend tripoli, but we haven't seen anything of them. there have been clashes but nothing like the staunch resistance promised by the gadhafi supporters in the run up to this. >> dick robertsson is with us in washington. as you know, he spent a lot of time with gadhafi's troops as officials at the same hotel where you are now. i know, nick, you are worried about security at the hotel and elsewhere. we are obviously always worried about our correspondents and camera crews and producers on the scene for us. nick. go ahead and talk to matthew and ask whatever you want. >> i remember when we were there. it's good to talk to you. when we were there, people like ibrahim had an office down stairs and all the other people we later came to know as government security thugs who beat up the woman who came into the hotel who was raped. really showed their hand of what their role was. really menaced the floors, occupied the building. are they absolutely no longer in presence there? >> no. i think the hotel if you came tonight would be very different from the hotel you remember. i was lucky. i have been here for a couple of weeks. so i have experienced exactly the scene you just painted. the grim government minders, you know, hostile to the international media. basically categorizing us as spies for nato is how they often refer to us to our faces in a hostile way. they wouldn't let us go anywhere. when you were here at least they were taking you on trips. in the last few weeks the trips have dried up. we're not committed out of the hotel at all. what happened earlier on this evening was a sea change in the atmosphere. there were ferocious gun fights just outside the hotel. we were hearing rocket-propelled grenades exploding. sending shock waves through the corridors and rooms in the hotel. there was a rumor that the manager of the hotel was a foreign national and received a message from the rebels that they were going to attack. within minutes of the rumor being circulated the hotel virtually empties of the government minders and other hanger-onners who moved here after their offices were struck and the critical ultra western media officials that were in the hotel kind of using us as cover. they disappeared and left us essentially alone with the exception of a few gunmen who have been circling around the hotel, moving through the corridors and basically, you know, making themselves known to be there on the lower floors of the hotel. it's not entirely abandoned. there are still gunmen inside the hotel. but you could count them on one hand. >> that area you're in, matthew, if i remember correctly, there are other government buildings that we would be taken to where gadhafi would show up, where saif al-islam would show up. i know sadi gadhafi, his offices were right across the road from the hotel there. says a lot in that area that the government would normally want to keep protected. it gives the impression right now, and it's hard for you where you are now to get a sense of this. but it gives the impression if you have only light security on the perimeter of the hotel, the rebels know the importance of the building and would want absolutely to secure journalists like yourself. i know they would want to make you and others there safe. they would want to get there and secure the building. it gives the impression that some distance from you, perhaps there is a perimeter of stronger government forces and perhaps controlling perhaps the area of the city that you're in. these other buildings that we know have been used by government loyalists and his family. do you get the sense there may be another perimeter not far away? >> i get the sense that this is an area that government forces loyal to gadhafi want to hold onto. it's patchwork in tripoli tonight. some areas under rebel control, some under government control. the rebels say this is a hot area around this hotel. the rebels do not control it. they are expecting resistance when they come to approach the area. you're right in saying, yes, the rebels want to come here. there are many important installations here. colonel gadhafi's compound, not the least of them we mentioned. also the fact that, you know, i heard earlier on the word from the rebels that they want to come to the hotel, be here so they can use the international media's facilities to make press conferences and address the world with the satellite technology in house in the hotel. there is a strategic holding for whichever side holds it. they have the advantage of having access to the international media here. you might be able to hear what's behind me. it's been quiet for an hour or so. clearly there are snipers around. there are government forces in key areas outside these important installations. i get the impression this is not an area the governments are going to let go quickly, but i thought they wouldn't let tripoli go quickly but look what happened to many parts of the city. >> it's been breathtaking how quickly it's been going. i want everyone to stand by. we are getting in a statement from the white house. the deputy press secretary josh ernest is traveling with the president on vacation in martha's vineyard. that's being interrupted because of the developments in libya. the statement says this from the white house. since this morning the president has received regular updates from john brennan, his counter terrorism adviser, about the situation in libya. shoort shortly after 9:00 p.m. eastern time, a little bit more than an hour ago the president conducted a conference call with senior members of the national security team who briefed him on dramatic developments there. the president asked that he continue to be updated as necessary and is scheduled to be briefed on this topic again tomorrow morning. the statement also lists some of the individuals who were on the president's conference call including bill daly, the national security adviser, the secretary of defense, the chairman of the joint chiefs, admiral mike mullen and others. obviously the president interrupting his location to be on top of what's going on in libya. michael holmes is watching what's going on. this is one of the moments that the president obviously has all of the communications equipment at martha's vineyard in order to deal with an urgent national security crisis as is the situation in libya now. >> right, wolf. absolutely. the u.s. state department as well watching developments in libya. i understand dan lothian is on martha's vineyard where the president is vacationing. we heard the statement from the white house from wolf. we heard brief comments from the president as well. so this is happening during the president's holiday. what happens in a situation like this when a major foreign policy development occurs, what happens in the president's inner circle, dan? dan, can you hear me? you're on the air. >> reporter: okay. sorry, i didn't hear you. can you ask the question again? >> what happens when the president is on holiday and a major foreign policy development unfolds like that? what goes into motion? >> reporter: well, this is something we have been reporting on over the last several days. the president, when he 'cause come on vacation, while he's away from the white house, he's very much on the job surrounded by advisers, if you will. either in person or via conference call. he's had his counter terrorism adviser john brennan here giving him updates throughout the day. and the white house as wolf pointed out telling us that the president after 9:00 tonight held a conference call with senior members of his national security team. i should point out we received a statement from the white house. this is a statement from president obama. i will read it to you now. tonight the momentum against gadhafi's regime reached a tripping point. tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant. the people of libya are showing that the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron fist of a dictator. the surest way for bloodshed to end is simple. moammar gadhafi and his regime need to recognize their rule has come to an end. gadhafi needs to acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls libya. he needs to relinquish power once and for all. meanwhile the united states has recognized the transitional council as the governing authority in libya. at this pivotal and historic time the tnc should continue to demonstrate that the leadership that is necessary to steer the country through a transition by respecting the rights of the people of libya, avoiding civilian casualties, protecting institutions of the libyan state and pursuing a transition to democracy that is just and inclusive for the people of libya. a season of conflict must lead to one of peace. the president goes on to say in a statement the future of libya is now in the hands of the libyan people. going forward the united states will continue to stay in close coordination with tnc. we'll continue to insist that the basic rights of the libyan people are respected and we will continue to work with our allies and partners in the international community to protect the people of libya and support libya and to support a peaceful transition to democracy. so that's a statement coming from president obama tonight. again, repeating that i said earlier, wolf, the president has been getting briefed on the situation in libya throughout the day. he did conduct that conference call shortly after 9:00 p.m. tonight. he's asked that his national security team continue to give him briefings as necessary and is expected to receive another briefing tomorrow morning. wolf? >> dan, moammar gadhafi needs to, quote, relinquish power according to the statement by the white house. of course the question is to go where, to do what? what would the u.s. administration like to see going forward as far as gadhafi is concerned? >> right. well, you know, that is always the big question. critics of the administration have said when the president calls on a leader to step aside, and we heard this most recently on the situation in syria, what happens next? and the call from the president came back in february. that's when the president first came out and said that moammar gadhafi had to go. but that remains very much up in the air. i mean, will there be stability and this democracy and peaceful transition that the white house wants to see there, will that actually happen? we don't know. right now what we know is the situation going on at the ground, the statement that the president put out, the situation is fluid and that's why i think you have seen the administration, the white house being cautious about moving the ball any further because they are still trying to get a grasp on what's happening there on the ground. >> all right. dan lothian, our white house correspondent there on martha's vineyard covering the president. of course this is working holiday. this is new video coming in, michael, of the road from zawiyah to tripoli. this is from our team who's been traveling with our reporter there on the ground sara side ner. this is video of what looks like deserted streets. >> so much for the resistance everyone was counting would happen once the rebels got into the libyan capital. sara has moved back from where she was. she got up to green square. now she's backed away. the rebels said they were anticipating gadhafi forces moving back into that area. but a lot of that was supposition. sara saw no sign of that. pulled back out of concern for safety. but, you know, there was no sign of that. but there are rumors spiralling around. >> you call it green square. i hate to remind you that according to the rebels it is now called martyr square. >> they backed out, so it might be green square again. >> there maib may be another name change in the future. it's a fluid situation. very important to underline the fact that nothing is a done deal yet in tripoli. there is speculation and perhaps expectation that this was all just a little bit too easy. >> the rebels have made amazing advances over the last three weeks, three and a half weeks when it all started when they swept down off the western mountains and took half a dozen towns in a day including takut. they moved farther down to the coast taking other towns and then up the coast. we have been with the crew as they moved up from the key town zawiyah through tripoli. >> that's new video. we'll let the viewers look at it. the road to tripoli. the road the rebels took today to reach the libyan capital. we'll continue to follow this developing story from libya. breaking news on cnn next. introducing the schwab mobile app. it's schwab at your fingertips wherever, whenever you want. one log in lets you monitor all of your balances and transfer between accounts, so your money can move as fast as you do. check out your portfolio, track the market with live updates. and execute trades anywhere and anytime the inspiration hits you. even deposit checks right from your phone. just take a picture, hit deposit and you're done. open an account today and put schwab mobile to work for you. but for some of us with overactive bladder, our pipes just don't work as well as they should. sometimes, i worry my pipes might leak. but i learned there's something more i can do. now, i take care with vesicare. once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to treat overactive bladder with symptoms of frequent urges and leaks day and night. if you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder, do not take vesicare. vesicare may cause allergic reactions that may be serious. if you experience swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue, stop taking vesicare and get emergency help. tell your doctor right away if you have severe abdominal pain, or become constipated for three or more days. vesicare may cause blurred vision, so use caution while driving or doing unsafe tasks. common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. so why wait ? 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[ male announcer ] it's the at&t network. and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. these are pictures we are getting in from sara and her team in tripoli now. you can see the video. you can see the streets around what's called green square. it used to be called green square. now the rebels call it martyr square. not crowded. the rebels went in and pulled out concerned about security. sara joins us on the phone now. the images are powerful from tripoli. you were right there in green square, now martyr square. give us a sense of what you're seeing and hearing. >> reporter: we are outside the city. we had to turn and run. we were following the rebels in. one of the gentleman with us in the car said get out, get out now. we have information that gadhafi's troops are headed this way. they say they have it from intelligence. we didn't see any of gadhafi's forces in the area. we certainly felt the tension. we got quite a scare when they said there were snipers. we didn't see them. often you wouldn't see them but you would see people shot. we didn't see that. however when we were told to leave there was definitely fear in the eyes and the rebels said they meant business. they were taking their positions, so we moved out of the square. i can tell you the square picture is very empty for the most part. what we were seeing is perhaps 30, 40 rebels who were there, most of them armed and ready to fight. we were not seeing civilians really. we saw maybe a few people who were milling about. but, again, most of them seemed to be people who were intent on fighting and staking their claim. >> am i right in assuming that all of the rebel forces who were at the green square area have all left or did some remain behind? >> reporter: no, no. the rebels, 90% of them stayed behind. they were taking positions, preparing for a fight with what they thought were gadhafi's forces pushing into the square. on our way out of town, we saw dozens upon dozens, the most number of cars we have seen so far with rebels inside all headed toward tripoli with their gun