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Rebels Capture Gadhafi's Compound; Live Footage of Gadhafi's Compound; Rebels Take Gadhafi's Guns as Compound Is Entered
Aired August 23, 2011 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. This is Randi Kaye here watching the live events unfold in Libya here along with Michael Holmes. It is 7:00 p.m. in Tripoli, where the fight to oust Moammar Gadhafi just took a potentially momentous turn. Within the past 90 minutes, Libyan rebels penetrated Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound which NATO war planes have bombed off and on now for months.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: (INAUDIBLE) the rebels now have the run of the place. We have seen them celebrating, confiscating files and weapons and ammunition as they go room by room through what is a large compound with multiple buildings. We are hearing about pockets of fire, in fact, we've actually seen that.
And you can see now a fire that appears to have broken out in one part of the compound there. Until he pulls out, it's difficult to know what part this is. We've been seeing that domed building which has been to the left and to the right of that domed building is the famous Gadhafi tents, where he would meet with people.
Now, Sara Sidner is there.
I believe you're still in the vicinity or inside the compound. Sara, where are you and what are you seeing?
SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm inside the compound of Bab al-Aziziya. An historic day. The rebels feel like this is a massive victory psychologically and bid (ph) over Gadhafi. They are yelling and screaming that Libya is free. They've been coming, running into this compound. Just over my right shoulder, that is the second gate, we have passed through the first gate.
Let me move just a tiny bit here with my photographer, Sanjay Tel Raga (ph) getting these amazing pictures. That is the east gate there where rebels were able to blast through. You'll see cars coming through with these massive guns. There's a fire that is now burning in another part of Bab al-Aziziya, the Gadhafi compound. People are running in and what you see coming out, when they run out of the compound, we have seen a police car come out, we have seen huge cannons come out.
(VIDEO GAP)
HOLMES: We appear to have lost Sara.
Sara, we've lost your audio there. We'll try to reconnect with you right there at the compound itself. We can see people going in and out. Let's see if we can get one of those other pictures up while we get Sara back on cams (ph). It's certainly dramatic stuff -- Randi.
KAYE: Oh, yes, absolutely. I mean, you see the people running. What's remarkable is how they were able to get inside that compound. We don't know if Moammar Gadhafi was inside. We've heard, as you know Michael, rumors that there -- that there tent -- that there are tunnels underneath which may be used as an escape route by the leader there in Libya. But it is remarkable given the fact that you have even traveled with these rebels and you've seen what they're made of, who they are. Does it surprise you that they've been able to get this far into the compound without much resistance?
HOLMES: Well, yes, there obviously was some resistance but one imagines that there would have been more. These guys have boundless enthusiasm and boundless momentum, too, over the last two to three weeks as they swept down from the western mountains and gone into Tripoli and now into the compound. They are heavily armed. They are still ragtag. The discipline's not there. But what they have achieved has been remarkable. Apparently Sara is back with us now. Pick up where you left off, Sara. We're seeing these rebels and presumably civilians scurrying around in there and taking what they can, but still gunfire.
SIDNER: They are absolutely going nuts. That gunfire is celebratory gunfire. We've been listening to it all day. It's actually quite dangerous. But we've gotten close enough, now you're hearing a large blast. What we have been hearing ever since they said that they've taken this compound are gunfire everywhere and the celebratory gunfire is now becoming extremely dangerous because it's coming from all parts of this massive compound. What they have not found are Gadhafi and his family. What they have found is lots and lots of guns.
Again, celebratory gunfire going on just over behind me. What we are seeing that's different in this hour that we didn't see an hour ago when we first rolled into this compound is that there's now smoke coming from another section of the compound over my left shoulder. There was smoke coming from a section when we first drove in and also smoke coming from deep inside of the compound. This is a day when the rebels feel like they have made sure the world knows and Libya knows that Moammar Gadhafi no longer has a grip on this country and no longer even rules Tripoli with an iron fist.
KAYE: And Sara, if you can, give us an idea of just how many rebel forces there are that have made it inside that compound and are they gathering, does there seem to be any type of uniformity to what they're trying to do here, or are they just running around celebrating?
SIDNER: There's a lot of running around celebrating. We're not only just seeing rebel fighters, we are actually starting to see residents of surrounding neighborhoods run in and grab things, mostly ammunition. There are a lot of what we're seeing of clothes that the Gadhafi forces left behind, uniforms and that sort of thing. It doesn't seem as organized here, but we know that inside, they're trying to go house by house or building by building to try and find anyone who might be left over from the Gadhafi regime inside. We earlier today saw loads of folders that were obviously taken from inside of one of the Gadhafi buildings. It had his son's name on it, his son's wife's name on it, and it was their medical files, so very personal information they are now taking from the Gadhafi regime to prove that they have completely crippled this regime.
A lot of celebrations going on here in Tripoli and they say, actually the city is now almost 100 percent safe. But I have to tell you, with the gunfire going on around us, very tense situation still here in the capital.
HOLMES: Yes, Sarah, as we were saying earlier, those bullets come down somewhere. It's always a bit of a mystery why more people aren't hurt by that celebratory gunfire. And that was anti-aircraft celebratory gunfire we heard before.
One thing I'm curious about, I watched the civilians in particular scurrying in, scurrying out, taking stuff with them. Obviously take cover if you need to, Sara, but it's reminiscent in some small way of Baghdad. This is a tipping point in terms of law and order as well. Are you getting a sense of chaos there on the civilian side?
SIDNER: Yes, there is a bit of chaos in the streets. But let me explain to you what happened in our neighborhood and the brazen (ph) neighborhood where we were just near this area. When people started firing in the air and there were children about, people had come out of their home, they were trying to celebrate. When that happened, we actually saw some of the people in the neighborhood and some of the rebels, the older commanders, telling people to stop this shooting in the air, to stop firing, to stop being crazy with their guns, and they actually did stop.
So in some places, they're recognizing that they have to start creating some order in this city. With Bab al-Aziziya no longer in place, people will feel free to do whatever they want. You are definitely seeing -- I guess we can call it looting. They are inside of a compound and they are pulling out items and taking them out of this compound, although we have not seen any sort of stuff, we're just seeing ammunition and guns being taken out. Most of those being taken out by the rebels -- Michael and Randi.
HOLMES: And what about elsewhere in the city? You've been in and out for the last couple days, Sara, have you seen any other evidence of law and order issues or is it just the sort of chaos of post-battle at the moment?
SIDNER: We are definitely seeing a few other issues of law and order, but today, that changed. Yesterday, we did see looting in at least two buildings and what we were told when we first came up with our camera was that one of those buildings belonged to one of the Gadhafi regime officers and they were going in and they were taking chandeliers out of the building, clothes, whatever they could find, but they swept our cameras down because nobody wants to be looked upon as a criminal. But certainly, we were seeing those issues over the last day or so but now, in the last few hours, people are just celebrating.
I think there is a general relief from those who supported the rebels and who felt that the Gadhafi regime should fall. They never thought this day would happen in the next -- in a matter of hours as opposed to a matter of weeks. People thought this was going to be an extremely fierce battle. It is a battle where people are getting injured, we know that, but this battle did not go on as everyone thought it would. And this is a significant debt (ph) by the rebels. However, Moammar Gadhafi, his sons and his family, have still not been found by the rebels.
KAYE: Sarah, we know this is obviously historic as we watch the rebel forces, the opposition forces, make their way into Tripoli, many people never expected that would happen, but why is this compound, would you say in particular, so significant for these people?
SIDNER: This would be equivalent to breaking into someone's home, that's how people see it. They feel like they have now busted through this iron fist of Moammar Gadhafi, they have broken through his home -- that is more celebratory gunfire. But they feel they have literally broken into his personal place. And so, they feel the sense that if this man really had a clinch, a grasp on the city like he said he did, why can they break into his personal space, get his personal items, get his most personal details of (INAUDIBLE) and his family lives. And that is why this is psychologically significant and it will also help the rebels in any other fight, because you should see the weapons they are pulling out of these buildings.
HOLMES: Sarah, I don't know if Raja is still shooting for you, if she's still with you behind the camera, but could you get her to pan around -- I want you to paint a picture of where you are. We're just seeing the wall and people. Just take us on a little tour here, will you?
SIDNER: OK. I'm going to try but I want to warn you -- some detail rages (ph) behind the camera right now. There you see the rebels. We're going to have to be careful here because they're on a (INAUDIBLE) and it breaks up when we move a little bit. So, we're going to do the best we can for trying to give you a scene.
That is the eastern, the first part of the eastern gate. There are large blast holes in that gate. The sun is setting in this area just behind us. It's starting to become darker.
Over here you're seeing them -- these are cars that belong to the Gadhafi regime. They were sitting on -- they were blowing off rounds on the top of them. That's obviously a security -- low security --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: I'm going to try not to get hit by any of those rounds.
And then if you go just over here, you see the people streaming through the main --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: -- the main gate. Now, that's all the way into the compound. So you see people --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: -- streaming into the main gate of the compound. A lot of smoke coming from the compound. You see these huge walls. These were supposed to be protective walls. This also --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: It gives you a sense of the power of the Gadhafi regime.
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: This, honestly, is the nicest part of the city. You're seeing these large, nicely painted --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: All right, I'm going to --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: I'm going to back up. Let pull back a little bit. Let's just pull back. I'm getting hit by some of the shells.
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: Yes. It's getting a little bit too loud for you to hear me. And a little bit too much celebrating. We're trying to get away -- I got hit a little bit with one of the shells from one of those guns.
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: We don't want to --
(GUNFIRE)
KAYE: Sara, don't -- Sara, we can hear you just fine but maybe you should take some cover here. Go back to the wall where it's safe possibly.
SIDNER: Yes, we are -- we are -- we are -- we are back behind a wall, we're between two walls right now. What I can tell you is -- Raja would you mind going picking up some of those? There's some uniforms back there, there are --
HOLMES: Sara -- Sara, yes Sara.
SIDNER: Yes, we're between two walls. HOLMES: Yes, I think we've -- I think we've lost your audio again, Sara, let's see if we can reconnect the audio because what you're telling us is great. We still have the picture and Sanji obviously showing us a -- showing us one of the uniforms that has been left behind., That's a Gadhafi uniform, I believe. Gadhafi soldier may have shed that on the way out.
Sara, are you back? Carry on -- carry on.
SIDNER: Can you hear my audio now? Are you guys hearing me?
HOLMES: Yes, we've got you, Sara. You carry on. You're the best judge of your own safety there. So carry on.
SIDNER: OK. So this is one of the uniforms -- yes, we're OK. Please don't shoot, sir.
We are in between two walls, so we're fine. But, you know, as people drive by in their trucks, they're so excited. And this is something that has become a bit of a problem in the city as they blast these guns through the city. We don't know where they're going to land. And it is surrounded by a neighborhood.
We're going to put this down. There's a bunch of more of these in the back. There were even guns that are back there that we are seeing some of the rebels pick up.
So do you want me to move out a little bit? I'll let you see the scene just behind me of some of the rebels. Now you're seeing some of the other media come into this area to show what this is -- what is happening to this (INAUDIBLE) compound.
This is just -- I have to tell you, it's one of those moments where you realize you are watching history being made right before your eyes. I know both of you have been in these situations throughout your many years of reporting and it gives you a sense that you're seeing things up close and personal. It is an astonishing and amazing day here in the capital, Tripoli.
KAYE: Sara, as you mentioned, they're taking souvenirs. You're watching them right now roll out what appears to be possibly one of Gadhafi's cars. But give us an idea there, though. I mean does it appear to you, as far as you can tell, that the rebel forces, the opposition forces, are setting up camp there, or are they just taking what they can and leaving? Or are they making this compound their own?
SIDNER: It sounds like they're still trying to go through the city. And it really seems like a city inside this compound. It's a very large area, a large encampment. If you'll look behind me, they're setting up their trucks. Their trucks are just also outside of the city, where they've got a lot of their weapons kind of strewn around the gate. And now they're starting to set up a bit of security. They almost stopped us from coming in, but then they knew that we were CNN. They said, we've seen you. Go in. Show the world what we've done.
KAYE: And have you seen any type of security for Gadhafi at all? Have you seen --
SIDNER: I've lost -- I can't hear them anymore, guys.
KAYE: All right. Sara, if you can hear me now, have you seen any --
SIDNER: I can't hear them anymore.
HOLMES: All right.
KAYE: All right.
HOLMES: That's Sanji (ph) putting the camera down there.
Unbelievable atmospherics there from Sara and Sanji there behind the camera. And I have over 25 years of covering the Middle East, heard celebratory gunfire all over the place. I have never heard that volume of celebratory gunfire and I have never heard anti-aircraft guns being used as celebratory gunfire as well.
KAYE: Yes. Well, let's get back to Sara.
Sara, I hope you can hear us once again. If so, I was just asking you a moment ago -- and if you need to take cover, let us know -- but I was just asking you a moment ago if you've seen any type of security for Moammar Gadhafi there at all? Or are these rebels -- have they taken anyone captive, if you will?
SIDNER: Very good question, Randi. Yes, they have taken some of Gadhafi's forces captive we are told. We have not seen them ourselves, but we know that they were telling us just as they broke in this area that they took some of Gadhafi's forces captives.
And I want to mention something. Michael, you had a very good observation. It's very rare that you see anti-aircraft missiles being used as celebratory. But we have actually seen that in the streets of Tripoli.
This gunfire is just -- it's becoming completely out of control with the gunfire because people are just going off -- they're got so much ammunition that they've taken from the Gadhafi regime, they feel like they can waste it now. They feel like he is completely (INAUDIBLE).
Let's get back. Let's get back, Sanji. Let's get back. Let's get back. Let's get back. (INAUDIBLE), there, come on. Let's pull back. Let's go. Just a little bit. Just a little bit. OK. All right. All right.
Yes, so -- all right, I got you -- I got you guys. I got you guys.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) some light. It's getting dark.
SIDNER: One second. One second. All right, let's pull back, Sanji. Let's pull back. All right. We're all right. OK, I still have you guys on the line, right?
HOLMES: Yes, Sara, Sara, get -- that's fine. Back up between those two walls.
SIDNER: I still have you guys, right? Are you still there?
HOLMES: Yes, yes, we've still got you, Sara. Just back up between those two walls.
SIDNER: Yes, we're in between the walls.
HOLMES: With Raja (ph) and do carry on.
SIDNER: We're in between. We're here.
HOLMES: I mean these are extraordinary pictures but let's keep away from the street.
SIDNER: Yes, we're here.
HOMES: I was talking earlier that, you know, the thing is, with this celebratory gunfire, it does come down and people do get hurt. And, you know, I saw this at Yasser Arafat's funeral. Sixteen people were wounded by falling bullets. It's crazy in some senses.
SIDNER: Yes. OK. OK, we're behind the wall. We're behind the wall. Both of us. We are behind the wall. We are behind the wall. OK.
KAYE: Sara, walk us through, if you can, why you're -- just stay put where you are, but walk us through -- I know you've had --
SIDNER: Are you guys hearing that?
KAYE: You've had a chance to talk to some of these rebel forces. What were they telling you today?
SIDNER: They were telling us that this was the end. That if we ever wanted to prove that we had control of the city, this is the end. What you're seeing in front of you right now are cars coming out of the Gadhafi compound. They are loaded with men holding guns, holding ammunition. People are celebrating.
And, Sanji, if you can just show to the left here, there's a great group of people who are pulling out guns from a large cache of weapons that they were able to get from Gadhafi forces. They are completely excited about the fact that they have gone into this man's personal area, a place where people were not allowed to easily go unless they were a close friend or a close ally of Gadhafi, and get into this compound.
To them, this is like going into his personal house. And people were saying, you know what, we're going to go swimming in Gadhafi's swimming pool. We can do whatever we want. We can do whatever we want in this compound. And they are doing whatever they want. They are blasting off more rounds than I've ever seen in my life. KAYE: And, Sara, I know that one of the rebel -- one of the rebels had told you earlier that they had burned one of Gadhafi's historic buildings. Can you talk about it? Do you have any idea which building that was and what made it so historic and so significant?
SIDNER: This was supposed to be his personal building. One that represented him. And I think sometimes it was shown on state TV. And so, for them, it's symbolic.
All of this is really symbolic. If they have gotten into this compound, what they're saying to the rest of Libya and to the world is that Gadhafi is finished. His regime is over. We were even able to get into his most personal space and area and tear it apart.
There are still fires burning in this compound right now. Some of these fires may have well been started by blasts. It might not just be that the fires were started by throwing in, for example, lighters and that sort of thing and blowing things up. A lot of these, I think, were started by blasts.
HOLMES: Yes, Sara, tell Sanji to keep the picture going. We're going to leave you for a moment and come back. If you could get Raja to perhaps grab someone you can talk to for us when we get back to you.
But right now we've got Matthew Chance on the line. He's been at the Rixos Hotel, where international journalists have essentially been held prisoner in many ways.
Matthew, you take it away. Tell us what you're seeing, hearing, what you know.
CHANCE (via telephone): Well, I'm hearing what's been going on at the compound. I haven't come to hear about what Sara has been reporting.
But I can tell you what the situation is around this hotel, which is, of course, a short distance from the compound. And I can tell you there's a lot of gunfire around the perimeter of the hotel. Inside the perimeter of the hotel, as well. Some of the windows have been smashed by bullets in the hotel.
All of the journalists that have been basically kept here under supposed government supervision have moved on to the upper floors of the hotel. We've hung banners with TV written on them, television. We've got white flags. We've all kind of put ourselves in one room without any windows to try and find a safe place, because the expectation is, remember, we haven't got a very -- we've only got a very narrow perspective on what's going on outside the hotel in the rest of Tripoli here. The information flow has been virtually cut off from us here.
But what we do know is that there is fighting outside the hotel now. We still have the forces or at least some gunmen loyal to Colonel Gadhafi in the hotel, in the lobby, and there are exchanges of gunfire with opposition fighters outside and near the hotel and on its perimeter.
I have to stress that the fighting hasn't come into the lobby itself yet. But the expectation is, is that it may be very shortly and that's certainly the point of view of all the 35 journalists or so that have been corralled in this hotel for the past four days under this very tight lockdown and, of course, have been here, many of us, for several weeks.
HOLMES: Indeed. It's a very concerning situation, obviously, Matt, and for you and the team there and the other journalists.
Have you -- not right now, obviously, because there are exchanges going on, but in the last 24 hours or so, have you been able to communicate with those who are essentially holding you there as to why and what they are up to?
CHANCE: Well, for the most part, we've been -- we've been trying to avoid the Gadhafi loyalists that are kind of policing the lobby of the hotel. At some point we felt a lot of hostility from them towards the international media in the Rixos.
Briefly yesterday, when we spoke to Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, when he showed his face at the hotel to prove (INAUDIBLE) in the hotel (INAUDIBLE) also amongst the Gadhafi loyal (INAUDIBLE). There was a lot of tension that was defused over that.
But this morning, with the fierce fighting that's been taking place around Colonel Gadhafi's compound, with the gunfights that have been breaking out outside the perimeter of the hotel, the mood has turned very ugly again. And, you know, we're basically trying to avoid those Gadhafi loyalists who are just walking around at the lobby of the hotel with their Kalashnikov assault rifles.
Michael.
HOLMES: Yes, Matt, and I've got to ask you, too, that was some great reporting last night when I was on air with you and you reported on Saif al-Islam. I think you went up and knocked on the window of his vehicle to check that it was him. Describe that mood. He seemed, you know, effusively comfortable. You describe it.
CHANCE: Well, yes, in fairness, looking back on it, he seemed like he was a man in a hurry. He didn't want to stick around. He didn't want to come into the lobby of the hotel. He just, you know, has to knock on his door of his car and he opened it up briefly, gave me a few comments, you know, saying it was all a trick and we've broken the backbone of the rebellion.
And then he drove off. And so, you know, he wasn't, you know, he was looking pretty relaxed, but he obviously wasn't comfortable enough to stay around. He did also say when he was asked about where his father was located, he said that all of his family was still in Tripoli. Again, trying to put pay (ph) to some of the rumors that Colonel Gadhafi and his sons may have fled to other countries in the region or elsewhere further afield.
HOLMES: Yes. And in terms of the mood of you guys there, I mean it obviously just anticipatory, I imagine.
CHANCE: It's -- yes, we're pretty frightened, to be honest, Michael. You know we're all kind of like in -- sort of a silence has come over us. We're upstairs. It's very hot in the hotel. We've all got our body armor on. We don't even know what to expect.
We've -- again, we've hung these white flags and the balastray (ph) with TV written on them. You know, we're kind of like the few people, you know, sort of talking to each other, talking about this experience compared to other experiences they've had.
You know, there's a real sense that we've kind of been, I don't know, it's difficult to say, there's a sense that we feel that we've kind of been used. That we're stuck here. We're not able to go out. We don't want to be here. We want to get out of here. But we aren't being permitted to do that. And so, you know, it's almost like a situation where we feel we're being kept here against our will. All the government says is that they're taking care of us. What the Gadhafi loyalists say is that they're here to protect us. But, you know, it just doesn't feel like that sometimes up here.
HOLMES: Yes, I can imagine. Yes, I mean it's superfluous to say take care, but good to hear from you, my friend.
Yes, Matthew Chance is -- he's one of our more experienced guys. I've worked with him in Afghanistan and Iraq. He's been around. And that is the worst situation than being on the front line, because you are trapped.
KAYE: Oh, yes.
HOLMES: And you're -- they're basically prisoners. And that has got to be a worse feeling than being out there, you know, being shot at.
KAYE: Sure. And there's a lot of concern. I mean Wolf Blitzer was on our air earlier asking the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Susan Rice, about the 35 journalists or so, including our Matthew Chance, that are trapped in that hotel.
HOLMES: There's nothing the U.S. can do.
KAYE: No. But she said they're, of course, they're concerned, just like the rest of us. We're all concerned when we hear -- I mean yesterday we spoke with him at -- on this show and he was saying that they were running out of water, there were a lot of people there to try and feed and keep hydrated and they were, at that point they didn't have electricity. It's a very concerning situation.
HOLMES: Yes, it is concerning. And like I say, I know at least half of a dozen of the people who are in that hotel at the moment pretty well, having seen them in various field situations. It's a very experienced crew there. Our producer there has spent more time in Baghdad over the years than just about anyone else. And these are guys who know what they're doing. And, in fact, we've had viewers calling in concerned for the safety of our people, as well, including Sara there outside the Gadhafi compound and others. And, of course, you know, precautions are being taken and from experience, you know, on the spot, you've got the best sense of what your security is like.
KAYE: Sure.
HOLMES: And speaking of Sara, I think we've got her back.
Sara, I don't know if you were able to, in that break while we were talking to Matthew, grab someone to have a chat -- looks like you have.
Let's hand it over to you to speak with, what is clearly a rebel.
SIDNER: This is Habob (ph). We have been with coming into the city of Tripoli. We were with him just 48 hours ago when we got into the city.
Can you tell me what you're seeing inside of this -- hold on -- of this compound. Tell me exactly what you're seeing inside this compound.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) a lot of soldiers --
SIDNER: You shot a lot of Gadhafi soldiers.
Now you're telling me that you are inside of Bab al-Aziziya, this is Gadhafi's compound, that you have control of the entire compound.
Have you taken any of his soldiers and detained them?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes we did. Yes, we did.
SIDNER: How many -- what was this fight like inside this compound where the Gadhafi regime has kept people out? What was it like inside? Was it difficult?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
SIDNER: Nothing inside?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They all run away. I don't know where. So --
SIDNER: They left their weapons?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
SIDNER: They left their cars, their weapons. What else? What are you seeing inside? What does it look like? Are you seeing any people, any of the Gadhafi family members?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, there is no family. Only group of soldiers and they all run away from here. SIDNER: OK. So you're seeing just soldiers. The soldiers are running away. You didn't see any Gadhafi family members. What do the buildings look like, inside the buildings, are they filled with things like chandeliers and clothes and --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It look like they (INAUDIBLE) -- just run from here.
SIDNER: OK. So it looks like they've left things behind, they've run away as soon as you came to the gate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)
SIDNER: You can actually see tea still on the fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the stove.
SIDNER: So obviously when you are coming up to this gate, they could hear you and they ran away, whoever was inside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They run away. All of them.
SIDNER: Do you believe that Gadhafi and his family is or was inside this compound when you first came in?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). They said (INAUDIBLE) so we didn't see anything. We didn't find anything.
SIDNER: So you were told that Gadhafi and his close special forces, the people that protect him, were inside this compound, but you did not ever see him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe they are under the ground.
SIDNER: You think that they might be in tunnels under the ground. OK, so that's the latest.
Hobab, thank you so much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. Thank you.
SIDNER: And what do you think about this day?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. We control Tripoli. The center of Tripoli now. (INAUDIBLE) a little bit of militias and we cleared them. It's OK (INAUDIBLE).
SIDNER: Thank you. Thank you so much, sir.
So there you heard it from one of the rebels who was in and around the compound (AUDIO GAP)
HOLMES: All right. Locked up there. Extraordinary. I'm glad we got that interview in, though. I was going to ask Sara to ask him what he did before this war, because he was probably a school teacher or something. That's my experience, many of them were. KAYE: Amazing though when he said there was still tea on the fire. So think about how close they were. We don't know who was inside there, of course, but how close they were when they actually heard the rebels coming through that front gate.
HOLMES: I'd be stunned if Gadhafi was in that compound from the moment the rebels got to the outskirts of Tripoli. It would not have been the smart place to be.
KAYE: Yes. Although there are those who say that maybe his ego might have gotten in his way and allowed this to happen.
HOLMES: OK. We'll be right back after a short break and continue to cover these absolutely extraordinary scenes live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back to our live coverage of Tripoli and the events as they unfold in Libya. We want to get right to the airport there in Tripoli where our Arwa Damon is.
Arwa, can you help us, set the scene for us there?
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There's actually a fair amount of dark smoke that is rising over to the eastern part of the airport. There have been clashes ongoing here for just about the last five hours and the battle is still ongoing between rebel forces that have been occupying, holding this airport since they took it over around midday Monday, and Gadhafi's forces, especially from the east.
There are two military bases the rebel fighters are telling us to the east, and they say they have been coming under constant assault from that location. And they have been doing all that they can to try to drive Gadhafi's forces further back. They want to, on the one hand, continue to protect the airport, protect the infrastructure they say, but they also want to keep control over this vital and strategic location.
The airport is located just to the south around 22 kilometers, 15 miles to the south of Bab al-Aziziya, a compound that Sara has been reporting from. And while the rebel fighters that are here have been rejoicing at the news that they have been able to breach the Bab al- Aziziya, they are fully aware that the battle here still continues. In fact, some of them have been going so far as to say that this could be the final battle between Gadhafi's forces and these rebel fighters.
KAYE: And do you get the sense that they feel as though this is the victory, because some of the rebel fighters, at least just hours ago, were saying that until they actually find and possibly even kill Moammar Gadhafi, this is not a victory.
DAMON: There is the sense that victory is very, very close. We also have to remember that there is still fighting on a number of front lines. There are still areas around this airport compound, for example, where rebel fighters say that they still do not have control. Gadhafi and his family's whereabouts still remain unknown. So they will say that victory is most certainly incredibly close.
This is a historic moment, especially given the intensity of the fighting that has taken place over the last five, six months and they know that it is so close and yet, there still could be a number of intense battles lying ahead.
Most certainly what we are hearing around this compound, this fighting that has been lasting for hours now, there is one young commander who appears to have been one of the youngest commanders leading this fighting force, he's just 26-years-old and his father was killed early on in the fighting in this uprising. And he was describing just what it meant for him to continue to go to battle every single day because he said he felt as if his father was standing right next to him, as if he could see his father every single time he risked his own life to go to the front line. He was saying that he was carrying this out because he felt that he had to move in his father's footsteps and take this all the way to the very end.
HOLMES: Right. Arwa, Michael here. I just want to explain to viewers, stay there, we're seeing on the right side of the picture, Sanjiv's (ph) shot. He's with Sara Sidner and producer Raja (ph), there on the field. They're just heading in, it looks like, to the main part of the compound, cautiously, of course.
Arwa, I wanted to ask you this. And it's obviously way too premature at the moment, but have there been any suggestion that the -- well, first of all, is the airport, have you been able to tell if that airport is functional? Is the runway in order and has there been any suggestion of folks from Benghazi, the TNC, actually trying to make a move up there, to start to run things?
DAMON: You know, Michael, this airport is still very much a full-blown battle zone. A lot of the shooting that you're hearing much is outgoing, but the incoming artillery from the Gadhafi forces is actually landing right around the runway where there are a number of planes that look like they have been grounded for quite some time now.
Rebels fighters say that this airport really hasn't been functioning ever since the no-fly zone went into effect. The terminal's completely abandoned. They did find a significant number of weapons buried underground in massive containers --
HOLMES: OK. Arwa, sorry to interrupt. I appreciate that. Sorry about that.
We're just going to go back to Sara Sidner. No, they're resetting. Oh, no. She's back again. This is live. We just have to explain a bit, this is dramatic, it's live.
Let's listen in.
SIDNER: They're telling us OK, OK, we can go inside to the compound.
Gunfire going off. They feel very, very excited. Very excited. We're going to go in a little bit further. If you look over here to the right, you are seeing the fire inside of Gadhafi's compound.
We're trying to go in to see -- we are told that the whole place has been secured by the rebels and there are cars driving in and out easily but there is still quite a bit of gunfire. That gunfire, celebratory gunfire. We see another large fire burning now inside of the compound. But this is, this is an historic day.
Psychologically speaking, this is an important day, especially for the rebels who Gadhafi said would never be able to break his spirit, would never be able to take the city. But they have taken Bab al-Aziziya, Gadhafi's compound.
And you can see now some of the press coming out. So clearly, they have it. Clearly, they've taken this over and clearly there is extreme excitement here in Tripoli.
Hi, how are you? Your face is familiar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you?
SIDNER: I'm fine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you?
SIDNER: Hello.
Walking into the compound. OK. I can -- (AUDIO GAP).
I can hear you. I can hear you.
HOLMES: All right. Just to clarify for viewers, this is tape that Sara and the team fed in just moments ago as they're walking into the compound, Bab al-Aziziya, compound headquarters of Moammar Gadhafi, his official residence. And really a complex that's at the heart of his 42-year rule. Absolutely extraordinary pictures. History in the making, Randi.
KAYE: And you can see that Sara's been traveling with these opposition forces so they recognize her, they're letting our team in there.
Let's listen just a little bit more.
SIDNER: Yes, I can hear you loud and clear.
HOLMES: All right.
KAYE: Amazing.
HOLMES: Amazing stuff indeed, yes.
Whether -- Gadhafi is obviously not there. He probably hasn't been there for some time because this is a compound that's been bombed by NATO since the start of all of this. And, of course, once the rebels got to the outskirts it would have been the last place he'd want to be anyway. There are bunkers there underground. Some say they're three or four stories deep. But it still would not be the place to be because NATO got bunker-busting bombs, as well.
KAYE: Right. I mean, certainly his family has been saying, his son has been saying he is in Tripoli still, Moammar Gadhafi, of course, but not saying exactly where in Tripoli.
But that compound is really a sight to be seen. Certainly we're seeing it here on TV, but there is quite a bit of history there. We were talking about bombing, it was bombed back in, what, 1986 or so and that's that famous clenched fist statue that is still there that some of the rebels were hanging on earlier. That was a monument to the U.S. bombing that took place there, that fist around the U.S. aircraft. So quite a bit of history there.
But let's continue to listen in here.
SIDNER: -- green and cream and light brown.
We are walking through the area. I'm looking at what appears to be damage right now inside of the compound. I see a lot of smoke coming from one of the buildings. I see people running out of the building with lots of ammunition. I see tanks. I see people grabbing at Gadhafi force's vehicles. They have massive guns on those vehicles. People are extremely excited. It looks like they're taking out whatever weapons and ammunition that were inside that they were able to secure.
It is safe to say there is no longer fighting that we can see from our vantage point. We do know, though, that people have been injured. We are hearing right now an ambulance that is rushing out of the compound.
We are hearing celebratory gunfire very close to us but we are not hearing those huge blasts and booms. There is fire not only in one portion of the compound, but fire in other parts of the compound.
We are still holding back a little bit as we walk around and not to go too far in, because it's a dangerous situation still.
OK. OK. I'm going to stay with you. Sorry. I just needed to go -- .
So as everybody runs into this compound, you're seeing people go in and take out weapons. Look just over there behind you is a huge box. This box -- can I look? Some of the weapons inside of the Gadhafi compound, a handgun and a rifle. This is more guns, more guns these guys have found, and so they have been taking some of these things out.
We are seeing regular people, look to your right, you're seeing regular people just run into the compound.
(AUDIO AND VIDEO GAP)
SIDNER: We have seen already looting going on inside of those buildings. We have seen that happen already. People, very happy that this has gone on and also, the weapons that are coming out of this compound are just massive. There are so many of them. Boxes of them. Just people carrying them, carrying them out. They're even taking some of the trucks that belong to Gadhafi forces. If anything, this is definitely a psychological win.
Of course, we still don't know at this point where Moammar Gadhafi and his family, where they are. Nobody has seen him. We have seen his son Saif in the past 24 hours when he visited the hotel but we have not seen Moammar Gadhafi or any sign of him at this point.
I want to just get you beyond this wall here.
Seeing ammunition coming through. This part of the compound -- we are inside -- you see what looks like an unfinished building that's been hit pretty hard in this complex.
You see a police car there. You see there, they've got a police car that's been wrecked.
(AUDIO AND VIDEO GAP)
(SHOUTING)
KAYE: You've been watching this video just taken moments ago. That was Sara Sidner who we have been talking live to here as well here on CNN. But that was her pushing her way, making her way into the compound belonging to or certainly did belong to at one point Moammar Gadhafi. Now it seems as though, as Sara has been reporting, that the rebels have taken over.
She said they've been taking Moammar Gadhafi's cars, guns. We could see as she was making her way in, even looking at some of the guns, even still in the boxes.
HOLMES: Yes, a lot of guns. I don't know if you caught it, last hour, I think, we saw inside the compound one rebel holding up a -- what looked like a gold-plated AK-47 that he had obviously souvenired from one of the buildings.
Yes, most of them AK-47s, there were some handguns, there were some Belgium-made automatic weapons as well.
And what I'm noticing here, too, is that some of the guys are clearly rebels, some of them are equally clearly civilians. You've got guys running around in T-shirts and shorts who are obviously not part of the rebel movement itself. So that -- that comes down to, well, looting, I guess.
KAYE: Yes, I think you would call it that. I know it's hard to pull away from this video, we're not going to do that for too long. We do just have to get a quick break in. Then, we'll be right back with these live pictures as it all unfolds in Tripoli.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back everyone to the Battle for Tripoli. I'm Randi Kaye here along with Michael Holmes.
Right now it is coming up on 2:00 p.m. here on the East Coast in the U.S. We want to welcome our viewers from around the world as well. That makes it about 8:00 p.m. in Libya.
HOLMES: And what's interesting is, and it's going to be interesting watching the pictures we've seen throughout the last few hours, 8 p.m. it is Ramadan, of course, in the Muslim world and there will be the call to prayer for the breaking fast, the daytime fast, Iftar as it's known. It will be interesting to see how many people get off the street to break the fast, to eat, to drink.
It was remarkable to me when I was with the rebels, 120 degrees in the desert. Under Islamic law, if you like, you are allowed to break the fast during the day in a time of battle, drink, eat and the like, but so many of these guys were not. They were fighting through the heat, through the day.
So it's going to be interesting to see what happens. It probably is almost time for the official, you'll hear it on the -- through the minarets, the call.
These are pictures by the way from the airport. Live pictures where Arwa Damon has been.
No, we were saying during the break, Randi, I have been in countless places where I've heard celebratory gunfire, I have never heard anything like we were hearing with Sara Sidner a little earlier.
KAYE: Yes. She was trying to tell us exactly what was going on at Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli, and at times it was hard to hear her over the gunfire. So we want to show you that once again, because it was some amazing television.
HOLMES: Incredible. Just listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: That is the eastern, the first part of the eastern gate. There are large blast holes in that gate. The sun is setting in this area just behind us. It's starting to become darker.
Over here you're seeing them -- these are cars that belong to the Gadhafi regime. They were sitting on -- they were blowing off rounds on the top of them. That's obviously a security -- low security --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: I'm going to try not to get hit by any of those rounds.
And then if you go just over here, you see the people streaming through the main --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: -- the main gate. Now, that's all the way into the compound. So you see people --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: -- streaming into the main gate of the compound. A lot of smoke coming from the compound. You see these huge walls. These were supposed to be protective walls. This also --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: It gives you a sense of the power of the Gadhafi regime.
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: This, honestly, is the nicest part of the city. You're seeing these large, nicely painted --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: All right, I'm going to --
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: I'm going to back up. Let pull back a little bit. Let's just pull back. I'm getting hit by some of the shells.
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: Yes. It's getting a little bit too loud for you to hear me. And a little bit too much celebrating. We're trying to get away -- I got hit a little bit with one of the shells from one of those guns.
(GUNFIRE)
SIDNER: We don't want to --
(GUNFIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Absolutely amazing stuff. Wasn't that amazing?
