Stephen Lendman
"How many times was Khamis (Gaddafi) killed?" Still believed to be alive, he's now a legend. "Killed by NATO five times, and resurrected," he symbolizes loyalist resistance.
Whenever major media Libya reports appear, truth is distorted, manipulated and falsified. For seven months, despite daily terror bombing and ground attacks, courageous loyalists bested the ferocity of NATO and its rebel army.
As a result, they control most of Tripoli, Benghazi and other cities across the country. Fighting, however, still rages. Loyalists are holding their own. They're determined to liberate Libya, live free and rebuild.
NATO ravaged widespread areas, willfully targeting civilians and sites unrelated to military necessity. They include hospitals, schools, residential neighborhoods, and at times anything that moves.
Loyalist victories are called NATO ones. On October 17, bogus reports again said Bani Walid fell. New York Times writer Rick Gladstone headlined, "Pro-Qaddafi Enclave in Desert Is Said to Fall After a Battle," saying:
"Libyan forces (read cutthroat mercenaries) fighting the vestiges of (Gaddadi's) toppled government said Monday that (they) were in control of Bani Walid," south of Tripoli.
Claiming it and Sirte are "the last holdouts of pro-Qaddafi resistance," completely ignores reality as loyalists control most of Libya.
Despite years of more credible reporting, Al Jazeera now functions mainly as Qatar's propaganda arm. On October 18, it headlined, "Libyan fighters claim capture of Bani Walid," saying,
"NTC military commanders....said they captured about 95 per cent of" the city."
Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley is a notorious liar, saying:
"We are very much in the center of Bani Walid. (Rebels) came through here just over an hour ago and they are saying this is an almost complete liberation of the town." "The gunfire of celebration is ringing out and they are going completely crazy here because they know this (will) send a very clear message to those pro-Gaddafi elements who are still holding out in Sirte. Basically, there is nowhere left to go."
At least Times reporter Gladstone explained that other claimed TNC victories "proved overly optimistic." In fact, they were willfully falsified. Media scoundrels, including The Times and Al Jazeera, reported them like gospel.