GADDIFI TOPPLED!!!!!TRIPOLI CELEBRATING!!!!!!!!

bb1 wrote:Thing is, LL, it is a fact of life, however unpalatable, that governments and diplomats do have to deal with despots and tyrants, in the real world.

They don't have to enjoy it, though....

First name terms between Bliar and Ghadaffi - that nauseates me. And I don't believe for one minute that Bliar didn't know what was going on in Libya - let alone that the US were sending prisoners to Libya for interrogation. He lost all credibility when he backed GW Bush on WMD, knowing it was just a con. LL

Al Jazeera:

Cuba does not recognise NTC 7 hours 10 minutes ago

Cuba has announced the withdrawal of its ambassador and diplomatic mission in Libya and reiterated that it does not recognise the transitional government.

It also has denounced the NATO military intervention that helped drive fugitive Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi into hiding, saying the bombing killed "thousands" of civilians, and said it "will only recognise a government established in Libya in a legitimate manner, without foreign intervention, through the free, sovereign, and common will of the brother people of Libya."

The announcement from the Cuban foreign ministry on Saturday continued:

"Under the grotesque pretense of protecting civilians, the NATO has murdered thousands of them, disregarded the constructive initiatives of the African Union and other countries, and even violated the questionable resolutions imposed at the Security Council, in particular by its attacks on civilian targets, by its financing and arming of one side, and by its deployment of diplomatic and operational personnel on the ground."

It warned that NATO's conduct could create similar conditions for an outside military intervention in Syria, which has been roiled by popular protests as well.

"Cuba calls upon the international community to prevent a new war, urges the United Nations to abide by its duty to safeguard peace, and supports the right of the Syrian people to full sovereignty and self-determination."

Cuba is a longtime ally of Libya, and former President Fidel Castro was outspoken in his criticism of the uprising against Gaddafi in the early days of the conflict. He has not commented publicly on Gaddafi's fall.

Al Jazeera Live Blog:

7 hours 18 min ago

Al Jazeera's James Bays reports on the NTC negotiations and encroachment on Gaddafi stronghold Bani Walid.

He says that fighters are trying to take control in whatever way possible, and are hopeful for non-violent negotiations.

Al Jazeera:

Negotiations collapse over Gaddafi stronghold
Libyan fighters claim to have Bani Walid surrounded but are counting on local residents to rise up against loyalists.
04 Sep 2011 18:14

Libya's revolutionary leaders say that negotiations over a peaceful handover in the loyalist town of Bani Walid, 150km southeast of the capital Tripoli, have collapsed and fighters have surrounded the city.

Al Jazeera's Sue Turton, reporting from near Bani Walid on Sunday, said that negotiations have collapsed and the revolutionary fighters are hoping the people in the town will rise up against supporters of Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed Libyan leader.

"The negotiations are dead and buried," she said.

Our correspondent said fighters belonging to the National Transitional Council (NTC) outside Bani Walid estimate the number of Gaddafi troops remaining in the town at less than 100.

"This is aside from the Gaddafi loyalists who we've heard have come out, who are manning checkpoints ... civilians who have weapons," she said.

"But as for actual Gaddafi troops, they're saying no more than 100."

Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, reporting from As Saddadah, southeast of Tripoi, said he had heard reports of fighting within Bani Walid.

"This could be that that there are sleeper groups in that town [of Bani Walid] who are very much supporting the revolution and have started to rise in some parts of the town," he said.

'Fighters in control'

Earlier on Sunday, speaking in the eastern city of Benghazi, Ahmed Bani, the NTC's military spokesman, said that revolutionaries were in control of key strategic points around Bani Walid.

"There was fighting in Bani Walid, now I can say our revolutionaries have control of some important points around Bani Walid. And they are raising the independence flag over there," he said.

Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports on divisions within Libya's Warfalla tribe

"Soon Bani Walid will be liberated completely."

Speaking later to Al Jazeera, Bani confirmed reports of the deaths of Gaddafi's sons, Khamis, and a son of the former spy chief Abdullah Senussi, Muhammad.

Khamis had died in flighting close to Tripoli and was buried near Bani Walid, he said.

Bani Walid has been speculated to be a possible refuge for Gaddafi and other members of his family.

Abdulrazzak Naduri, an NTC military commander in nearby Tarhuna, told the Reuters news agency that one of Gaddafi son's, Saadi, was in the town while another, Saif al-Islam, had recently fled.

Asked if Gaddafi was in the town, as claimed by NTC military commanders, Ali Tarhouni, the NTC's oil minister said: "As for Gaddafi himself ... we know where he is."

The city, along with Sirte on the Mediterranean coast and Sabha deep in the Sahara desert, are the last pockets of Gaddafi support.

"What the NTC are hoping for Bani Walid, if they manage to get a settlement there, [is] that it will be the model for the other two [cities]," Al Jazeera's Turton said.

Spokesman's claims

Gaddafi's spokesman has dismissed suggestions that Bani Walid was about to surrender and insisted that tribal leaders there were still loyal to the deposed leader.

"Bani Walid is a major city hosting one of the biggest tribes in Libya who have declared their allegiance to the leader and they refused all approaches for negotiation with the Transitional Council," Moussa Ibrahim told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Ibrahim said Gaddafi was "in a safe place surrounded by many people who are prepared to protect him".

A special envoy for Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, arrived in Tripoli on Saturday to deliver a message that the world body was ready to assist in re-establishing security.

Ian Martin, the UN special adviser, told Reuters on Sunday that Libya's election process needs to begin soon and the proliferation of weapons is a "major concern".

"I am here now to discuss with the National Transitional Council how the United Nations can be most helpful in the future," he said on arrival.

Martin arrived amid questions about the UN's future role in the country, particularly about whether a peacekeeping mission will be necessary.

"I think the future leaders of Libya face a very big challenge, they have already shown the ways in which they are ready to tackle that challenge and it will be the commitment of the United Nations to assist them in any way they ask."

Oh well, Saif is probably on the phone to Blair, hoping he remembers all those kind wishes over Ph.ds...And it would seem Khamis really was killed by that rather large rocket?

bb1 wrote:Oh well, Saif is probably on the phone to Blair, hoping he remembers all those kind wishes over Ph.ds...And it would seem Khamis really was killed by that rather large rocket?

Be wasting his time, Bliar is hiding under a very large rock, I would think! And yes, looks like that kid was telling the truth, Khamis is dead. As I said when we last discussed Khamis being dead, I would expect his body was squirrelled away so as to make it seem that the rebels were making it up again that he was dead. LL

I think Blair is going to need a bigger rock..

ETA full story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2033751/Britain-handed-rebel-Gaddafi-torturers-Devastating-secret-files-Libya-reveal-UK-crossed-line-prop-tyrant.html

If this gets much worse, it's Blair who is going to end up on trial at the Hague.

Good morening!

Al Jazeera Live Blog:

1 hour 31 min ago

Migrants from across sub-Saharan Africa are scattered around Tripoli, hiding where they believe they won't be spotted by rebel fighters who suspect them of being Gaddafi mercenaries.

In parts of the capital, Libyan authorities have even set up holding centres for migrants they believe are affiliated to the embattled leader, and they do not want the media speaking to them.

The tensions in Libya's relationship with its African migrants is not new, but the war with Gaddafi has made everything far worse.

Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports from Tripoli.



................................................................................

2 hours 48 min ago

Al Jazeera's Sue Turton reports from the frontline near Bani Walid:

Al Jazeera Live Blog:

4 hours 5 min ago

REUTERS - Chinese arms firms offered to sell weapons worth about $200m to Muammar Gaddafi's beleaguered forces in July, two newspapers reported.

Following an earlier report in the Globe and Mail, the New York Times reported on Monday that documents found abandoned in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, indicated that Chinese companies offered to sell rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles and other arms to Gaddafi's forces, despite bans on such sales.

"We have hard evidence of deals going on between China and Gaddafi, and we have all the documents to prove it," a rebel military spokesman, Abdulrahman Busin, told the Times.

Reuters could not verify the reports or the documents cited, and some officials told the Times report they were sceptical or uncertain. A "senior NATO diplomat in Brussels discounted the report as highly unlikely", and members of a United Nations overseeing sanctions on Libya said "nothing about arms dealings with China had been brought to their attention", said the Times report.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has not publicly commented on the reports.

4 hours 17 min ago

AFP - Saadi Gaddafi, a son of Muammar Gaddafi, blamed his high-profile brother for the collapse of talks with Libya's new rulers on abandoning one of the last remaining loyalist bastions, CNN television reported late on Sunday.

Saadi told CNN in a telephone interview that an "aggressive" speech broadcast by his brother, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, a few days ago had led to the breakdown in negotiations, paving the way for an attack. The town southeast of Tripoli is one of the last strongholds of pro-Gaddafi fighters where at least one of the ousted despot's sons is reputed to be hiding.

Asked about his location, Saadi said he is "a little bit outside" of Bani Walid but had been moving around, CNN reported. He said he had not seen his father or brother for two months.

Saadi said he is "neutral" but remains "ready to help negotiate a cease-fire," CNN said.

Al Jazeera: The YOUtube link seems to buffer every few minutes, I will see if I can get a better copy. LL

Al Jazeera Live Blog:

2 hours 10 min ago

As the battles raged across Libya, Muammar Gaddafi's tanks and munitions were targeted by NATO forces and he urgently needed new weapons to keep a check on the uprising seeking to ends his 4 decade rule.

Now, newly discovered documents by a reporter in a pile of trash, suggest that he turned to China with a $200 million purse to negotiate the sale of pistols, small arms, night vision, equipment missiles and more.

China says this was done without the government's knowledge and no contracts were signed.

The revelations, will however definitely affect the National Transitional Council's relationship with China and how contracts may be awarded in the future says its oil and finance minister.

Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from Tripoli.

China says this was done without the government's knowledge and no contracts were signed.


'Scuse me, but the last time I looked, China was still a communist one party state, allbeit with bling and Coca-cola.

So, do they have hitherto-unknown capitalist running dog arms dealers who have $200 million-worth of goods just lying around?

bb1 wrote:
China says this was done without the government's knowledge and no contracts were signed.


'Scuse me, but the last time I looked, China was still a communist one party state, allbeit with bling and Coca-cola.

So, do they have hitherto-unknown capitalist running dog arms dealers who have $200 million-worth of goods just lying around?

So it would seem; and Algeria and Saudi Arabia were also named in the documents found. I think there are going to be some very unhappy governments when their tenders for various items are refused; heads will roll, I expect. And for the Chinese, this will be a bitter pill to swallow as they have been shown to be back-stabbers. I hope the minister and the government do keep their word that these countries will get nowt from Libya. LL

Good afternoon!

Al Jazeera:

Fighters mass outside Gaddafi stronghold

As Bani Walid braces for attack, reports emerge of a large convoy of Libyan armoured vehicles crossing into Niger.
Last Modified: 06 Sep 2011 00:39

Negotiations over the surrender of Muammar Gaddafi's stronghold, Bani Walid, appear to have failed and an attack on the Libyan town seems likely.

Two deadlines have passed and thousands of National Transitional Council fighters were on Monday massing outside the town, about 150km southeast of the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

There were also reports of a large convoy of Libyan armoured vehicles crossing into Niger.

A French military source and a Niger military source told the Reuters news agency that the convoy, escorted by the Nigerien military, arrived in the northern desert town of Agadez.

The convoy contained between 200 and 250 Libyan military vehicles and included officers from Libya's southern army battalions, and likely crossed from Libya into Algeria before entering Niger, the sources said.

The French military source said he had been told Gaddafi and his son Saif al-Islam might be considering joining the convoy en route to Burkina Faso, a landlocked West African state which has offered Gaddafi and his family asylum and has a border with Niger.

A Nigerien government source earlier said prominent regime officials had fled across the border.

They included Gaddafi's internal security chief Mansour Daw, who was earlier reported to be in Bani Walid with at least two of the toppled leader's sons.

Daw and some 10 others were brought across the border to Agadez by a top Tuareg leader allied to Gaddafi, Tuareg sources said.

It was not clear if they were part of the large military convoy.

As for the deposed leader, he is reportedly still in Libya. His spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said that Gaddafi "is in a place that will not be reached by those fractious groups, and he is in Libya."

Gaddafi is in good health and in good spirits, Ibrahim said in remarks broadcast on Monday. He said Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, was also in Libya, moving around from one place to another.

Conflicting messages

Meanwhile, despite the lack of progress so far, negotiators for the NTC have not entirely given up hope for a bloodless resolution to the Bani Walid stand-off.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, reporting from near the town, spoke to some of those who have tried to seal a deal with the Gaddafi loyalists inside.

"They say they want to go step by step, and negotiate with the various tribes around Bani Walid before moving in. They want to end this peacefully," he said.

"But the chances of this happening remain unclear, as Gaddafi forces remain inside the town. They have many civilians around them."

The message varies widely from negotiator to negotiator, with some sounding more optimistic than others.

At a military checkpoint about 60km north of the town on the road to the capital, Abdallah Kanshil, who is conducting talks for the interim government, said a peaceful handover of Bani Walid was imminent.

A day earlier, he had said peace talks broke down after Gaddafi loyalists insisted the fighters put down their weapons before entering Bani Walid.

But on Monday, Kanshil said: "The surrender of the city is imminent. It is a matter of avoiding civilian casualties. Some snipers have surrendered their weapons ... Our forces are ready."

Similar statements have been made for days, however. In any case, 20km closer to Bani Walid, NTC forces have built a field hospital and installed 10 volunteer doctors to prepare for the possibility that Gaddafi loyalists will not give up without a fight.

Reporting from near Bani Walid earlier on Monday, Al Jazeera's Sue Turton said: "Fighters pushed to within seven kilometres of the centre of the town and exchanged fire with some of Gaddafi's forces.

"But they have since retreated a little bit instead of setting up a defensive position there."

Negotiations also continued for the surrender of Sirte, Gaddafi's hometown in the east of the country.

UK to examine spy ties

Against this backdrop of continued conflict, David Cameron, the British prime minister, said an inquiry into his country's pursuit of terrorism suspects will examine new allegations about cozy ties between UK intelligence officials and the Gaddafi regime.

Security documents discovered after the fall of Tripoli have offered embarrassing examples of the warm relationships that British and American spies had developed with their Libyan counterparts.

Files discovered among tens of thousands of papers collected from an External Security building in Tripoli show how Abdel-Hakim Belhaj, now Libya's rebel military commander, was targeted for rendition.

Belhaj, who was seized in Bangkok in 2004 and delivered to Tripoli, alleges that US and British intelligence planned his capture and were later involved in his interrogation.

Cameron said his country's special representative to Libya was moving to Tripoli on Monday to re-establish full diplomatic presence.

"Today the UK's Special Representative [John Jenkins] is deploying to Tripoli to re-establish our full diplomatic presence," he told parliament.

He said Britain and its NATO allies would continue to implement UN Security Council resolutions for as long as they were needed to protect civilians. Britain was ready to extend the NATO mandate for as long as necessary, he said.

"We will not let up until the job is done," he said.

In another development, media reports on Monday suggested that Chinese arms firms had offered to sell weapons worth about $200m to Gaddafi's forces in July. While China's foreign ministry acknowledged that talks had taken place, it denied prior knowledge.

Links:

Al Jazeera: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/

Al Jazeera live blog: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/Libya

http://feb17.info/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/

See you in a week! LL

Enjoy - will try not to break the thread

bb1 wrote:Enjoy - will try not to break the thread

You'll be fine, just look on it as a sabbatical from the sh!t posted by bennett etc. LL

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16065000

Gaddafi Phone Threat As Home Video Emerges
148Comments
6:49pm UK, Thursday September 08, 2011
Deposed Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has phoned a TV station vowing to defeat opposition forces and Nato - as a home video emerged of him playing with his family.


Col Gaddafi said he was not giving up and that "resistance against the rats" would be escalated.
His defiant battle cry came as anti-Gaddafi forces claimed they had surrounded the former Libyan dictator and it was only a matter of time before he was captured.
The deposed dictator's call to arms came as a video from the family archive emerged showing him playing with his granddaughter, along with son Saadi and his family.
The whereabouts of Col Gaddafi is unknown, but the live phone call was apparently made from Libya to the Syrian Al Orouba TV channel.
He said: "The youths are now ready to escalate the resistance against the 'rats' (anti-Gaddafi forces) in Tripoli and to finish off the mercenaries.
"We will defeat Nato... and Nato is rejected by the Libyan people."
Nato has since confirmed that it attacked 25 targets in the Libyan towns of Sirte and Waddan on September 7.
Col Gaddafi, his son Saif al Islam and his intelligence chief are wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.

But with no police force, the ICC has now asked Interpol to help in arresting the men by issuing "red notices".
The notices allow warrants to be circulated worldwide with a request that the wanted suspect be arrested.
Meanwhile, UN officials have voiced concern about looted military arms caches across the troubled country.
Although rebel forces liberated significant quantities of weaponry, there are fears Gaddafi loyalists have taken explosives and anti-aircraft heat-seeking missiles.
Ammunition looted from Iraqi warehouses after the US-led invasion in 2003 later proved lethal when used as improvised explosive devices to undermine security.
Sky security editor Sam Kiley, reporting from Ras Lanuf, said there is a risk of Gaddafi-backed insurgency developing in a security vacuum.

"They have the capacity to set off explosions and disrupt oil pipelines," Kiley said.
"And there is still certain tribal support for Gaddafi."
Col Gaddafi also dismissed claims of having fled Libya during his phone call to the TV station.
He said the Libyan military convoy, which French and Niger military sources said showed up in the northern Niger city of Agadez this week, was nothing exceptional.
"Columns of convoys drive into and out of Niger carrying goods and people inside and outside (of Libya) say Gaddafi is going to Niger," he said.
"This is not the first time that convoys drive in and out of Niger."

Col Gaddafi's spokesman has repeatedly said he is in Libya and remains in high spirits. Niger said he was not in the convoy.
Pictures: Anti-Gaddafi Forces Close In On Bani Walid
Libya's ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) has sent envoys to Niger to try to stop Col Gaddafi and his entourage from evading justice by fleeing across a desert frontier.
US officials also confirmed they have contacted the governments of Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Chad and Burkina Faso - a swathe of poor former French colonies which benefited from Col Gaddafi's oil-fuelled largesse in Africa.
The US state department has urged them to secure their borders and to detain and disarm Gaddafi-regime officials.
A spokesman for Tripoli's new military council said it was only a matter of time until the wanted dictator was captured or killed

Anis Sharif said: "He can't get out. We are just playing games with him."
He added that Col Gaddafi was still believed by the NTC to be in Libya and had been tracked using advanced technology and human intelligence.
Nato has signal intelligence capabilities to monitor phone calls in the region.
Opposition forces have taken up positions on all sides of his presumed location, with none more than 40 miles away, Mr Sharif claimed.
But deputy defence minister Mohammad Taynaz said the fugitive leader could still be hiding in tunnels under the capital Tripoli.
Meanwhile, the British Government has authorised replacement of bomb stockpiles used during the Nato-led air campaign to oust the Libyan leader.
Defence Secretary Liam Fox said: "Based upon current consumption rates, we estimate the cost of replenishing munitions may be up to £140m."

ARGHHH!!! That toad Blair is trying to wheedle his way out of blame for his friendship with Gaddafi;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8753644/PIC-and-PUB-Tony-Blair-I-tried-to-make-Colonel-Gaddafi-quit-power.html

Tony Blair: I tried to make Gaddafi quit power

Former British Prime MInister Tony Blair has made an impassioned defence of his close ties with the Gaddafi regime and confirmed that he had tried to persuade the Libyan leader to give up power after the start of the revolt against his regime.
By Richard Spencer, Tripoli7:17PM BST 09 Sep 2011 11 Comments
Mr Blair said he had no regrets about setting aside decades of hostility between Britain and Libya and holding out an olive branch in 2004. In return, Col Gaddafi agreed to give up his programme of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
"No," he said in an interview with the Reuters news agency to mark the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. "I always say to people it is absolutely simple – the external policy of Libya changed."
New details of the close relationship forged between the Blair government and Libya after MI6 negotiated the scrapping of the WMD programme in 2003 have emerged in Tripoli since the fall of the Gaddafi regime.
MI6 helped arrange the extradition to Libya of regime opponents as they passed through Hong Kong and Bangkok airports.
One document found in the former British embassy showed Mr Blair had even advised Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the leader's son, on his PhD thesis at the London School of Economics. On Thursday, Khaled Kaim, the former deputy foreign minister, told The Daily Telegraph that Saif's relationship with Mr Blair had indirectly fuelled his obsession with succeeding his father.
But Mr Blair said it was a "great thing for the world" that Col Gaddafi had agreed to give up the weapons programme and, in addition, co-operate against terrorism.
He added that in February as the uprising began he attempted to persuade Col Gaddafi to step down.
"The trouble was in the end they weren't prepared to reform internally," he said. "They were less of a threat to the outside world, but inside they were a threat to their people and then when the uprising happened, again, there was a big choice.
"I remember actually speaking to Colonel Gaddafi at the time it happened and saying this is the moment to realise you are going to have to go and be the person that gives it up."
Instead Col Gaddafi insisted that those wanting him to go were "rats" who had to be hunted down "house by house, alley by alley", and the uprising turned into a civil war.

Anti-Gaddafi Fighters 'Storm Besieged Town'

Anti-Gaddafi fighters say they have entered the town of Bani Walid, one of the former Libyan leader's few remaining strongholds, and street battles are taking place.

The heaviest fighting for days broke out following a week of attempts at negotiating with tribal leaders, who are thought to be largely in support of the deposed dictator.
Rocket, mortar and tank fire have also been exchanged outside Sirte, Col Gaddafi's home town, according to witnesses.
Gaddafi loyalists had faced demands to surrender both towns this weekend or face attack.
Sky's Emma Hurd, who is near Bani Walid, said anti-Gaddafi fighters met stiff resistance shortly after they began a pincer attack from the north and east of the town as soon as darkness fell on Friday.
"Originally they expected to encounter between 100 and 150 fighters, but now they're saying 600 pro-Gaddafi fighters may be inside Bani Walid," she said.

Abdullah Kenshil, the opposition fighters' chief negotiator, said the attack on Bani Walid, 95 miles (150km) southeast of Tripoli, was provoked by Gaddafi forces firing rockets at former rebel fighters in the area.
He said several Gaddafi loyalists and NTC fighters had been killed and wounded.
Sky's Lisa Holland, in Tripoli, said: "There's a developing humanitarian situation, no movement in or out of these places - the siege of Bani Walid and Sirte cannot continue much longer.

Also from:

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16066371

Interpol Issues Gaddafi Arrest Warrants
Interpol has issued arrest warrants for Col Gaddafi, his son Saif, and intelligence chief Abdullah al Senussi.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) made the request to the international police organisation, which is based in Lyon, France.

A happier story:

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16066190

World Rushes To Help Tripoli Zoo Animals


A large international aid effort is being mobilised to help the remaining animals at Tripoli Zoo.



Injured tiger at Tripoli Zoo: Four Paws International Animal Welfare Foundation

Crucial funds have been sent by the International Fund for Animal Welfare over recent days to buy much-needed food at the attraction.
The animals were left in a desperate state when intense fighting last month led to food and water shortages. Many of the staff also abandoned the zoo as gun battles raged nearby.
Without water, the animals became both dehydrated and were in danger of overheating as daily temperatures reached 35C.
Their cages soon became squalid and conditions deteriorated as food stocks ran low, medications were destroyed and the power went out.
The plight of the 1,000 remaining animals sparked Facebook groups and Twitter discussions about how to help the vast array of species.
Initial contact with animal aid organisations showed an unwillingness to help given the on-going conflict.
But several large organisations are now working to raise funds for the zoo and send whatever aid is needed.

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the American Zoo Association, the North Carolina Zoo, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Humane Society International are all working to send money to the zoo for food and medicine.
Water has now returned to Tripoli and there is enough food available in the city for the animals, although the estimated cost of feeding the zoo's residents is around $2,000 (£1,253) a day.
It is thought up to $100,000 (£62,600) will be needed to supply the zoo with food and water over the next six weeks.
The executive director of WAZA, Gerald Dick, told Sky News: "As far as food is concerned, this week is fine, there is enough stored for the coming week and money has been raised to help the zoo staff to get food locally."
The issue of getting medicines to the zoo is more difficult, as there is no pharmaceutical supplier in Libya for animal medications.
Preparations are instead being made to bring in medicines from neighbouring countries Tunisia and Egypt, both of which have already been through their own uprisings.
It is hoped Libya's newly-formed Government will take over Tripoli Zoo's funding within weeks.
No long-term plans are being made by the organisations helping the zoo, as it is still too dangerous to send staff in to Tripoli.
But they will be hoping that, as with the Baghdad Zoo, Tripoli Zoo can be reopened and once again bring joy to a city that has lived through war.

It's all happening, isn't it, Bonny?

Well done to Interpol for issuing the arrest warrants.

That is a beautiful tiger in the photo - I hope the animals will be well really soon.

Good evening, I am back!

Al Jazeera:

French and UK leaders welcomed in Tripoli
Nicolas Sarkozy and David Cameron offer continued help to NTC leaders as fighting continues for pro-Gaddafi strongholds.
Last Modified: 15 Sep 2011 15:16

French and British leaders have travelled to Libya to congratulate the country's new rulers, the first visit by Western leaders since Muammar Gaddafi was ousted from power last month.

Thursday's joint visit to Tripoli by Nicolas Sarkozy and David Cameron came as Libyan fighters continued their battle for control over Bani Walid.

The two leaders met with National Transitional Council (NTC) leaders in Tripoli and are to fly to Benghazi, where the council is still based.

The French president and UK prime minister had defied many doubters at home to help bring about a NATO- bombing campaign that succeeded in helping to end Gaddafi's 42-year rule.

At a news conference held under heavy security, the men offered continued military support against Gaddafi loyalists holding substantial parts of the country, as well as in the hunt for the former leader and others wanted for crimes against humanity.

Mahmoud Jibril, the NTC interim premier, spoke of "our thanks for this historic stance" taken by the two European leaders, whose backing for the February uprising drew a hesitant US and some Arab governments into a war that did not always look set to end well for the rebels.

"This is not done. This is not over," Cameron said in pledging further aid. "There are still parts of Libya that are under Gaddafi's control. Gaddafi is still at large and we must make sure that this work is completed."

He said a Franco-British move at the UN on Friday could mean London alone unfreezing $19bn of assets, while also offering help with disarmament and healthcare for the injured.

With a clear eye on public opinion at home, Cameron drew attention to the case of a boy wounded by a grenade at his school who would be treated by British specialists, while Sarkozy rebuffed suggestions of self-interest in the war, declaring: "We did what we did because we thought it was just".

Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Tripoli, said that the leaders' visit was "all about building confidence".

"Of course, France and Britain took leading roles in the intervention in Libya, but it's much more important now, in this post-Gaddafi period, that France and Britain be also seen to be leading the recovery," she said.

"Right now, some of the mistakes made in Iraq and Afghanistan are not being made here."

Laurence Lee, reporting from London, said Cameron was happy to add the Libyan "foreign policy success to his resume ... Clearly it's very easy compared to Tony Blair's [experience] in Iraq."

And Al Jazeera's Jackie Rowland, reporting from Paris, said, "Sarkozy is seeing this as the mother of all photo opportunities, as he's running extremely low in opinion polls in France".

'Merci Sarkozy'

The visiting leaders appear to be popular on the streets of Libya, where "Merci Sarkozy" and "Thank you Britain" are common graffiti slogans.

Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the NTC, strongly denied talk of "under the table deals for Libya's riches", though he did say key allies could expect preferential treatment in the future.

While insisting no deals had been cut in advance of France and Britain backing the rebellion against a ruler with whom both had been improving relations, Abdel Jalil said: "As a faithful Muslim people ... we will appreciate these efforts and they will have priority within a framework of transparency".

At the press conference following Thursday's meeting, Sarkozy said that there were no closed-door business deals and that France was not expecting preferential treatment.

Other states which did business with Gaddafi, notably China and Russia, have been concerned that their lukewarm attitude to the NTC may cost them economically.

While Abdel Jalil stressed a desire to allocate contracts on the best terms for Libya, and to honour existing contracts, he said some could be reviewed.

Those deals signed by Gaddafi which were skewed by personal corruption could be cancelled, he said - noting he had served as a minister under the old regime and knew its secrets.

McNaught said Libyans were not opposed to Western or other business interests.

"One of the most crucial things that the NTC has said again and again is that we will honour existing contracts," she said.

"Because, in truth, the pause button was hit. What Libya needs most of all right now is for those countries that had ongoing business here to pick up where they left off."

Western countries and North African neighbours are anxious to welcome Libya into the international community, not least so it can restart lucrative oil production frozen by six months of war.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, is expected in Libya on Friday. Mohammed Kamel Amr, Egypt's foreign minister, is also due to visit.

'Proved the sceptics wrong'

Libya fighters seized Tripoli more than three weeks ago but the NTC has not yet been able to safely establish a government in a capital still bristling with armed men from disparate groups.

Cameron offered Jibril and Abdel Jalil a personal vote of confidence, saying they had "continually proved the sceptics wrong", and urging them to continue a "generous" policy of trying to include different groups in government and avoiding reprisals against those who took Gaddafi's side.

But the country is deeply divided, as many of its new rulers hail from Benghazi in the east, while the fighters who won the battle for Tripoli mostly come the west.

The NTC has promised to name a more inclusive government lineup within days.

Abdel Jalil said he would only declare "liberation" - and hence set the clock ticking on a 20-month timetable to free elections - once the NTC controlled all Libya's territory.

A senior US envoy visited Tripoli on Wednesday to show support for Libya's new leaders, saying the NTC was getting the country's many armed groups under control and that the aftermath of Libya's uprising would not be dominated by one faction.

Jeffrey Feltman, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, met Abdel Jalil, on Wednesday, becoming the first official of the Obama administration to visit Tripoli since Gaddafi's government fell last month.

'Inching towards Sirte'

Interim government forces are besieging one of those last bastions, Bani Walid, 180km south of the capital, along with Gaddafi's hometown, Sirte, on the Mediterranean coast and Sabha, deep in the southern desert.

"The fighters have been steadily, but slowly, inching towards Sirte," Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid reported from Ajdabiya, as rebels pushed into Gaddafi's hometown from the south and west.

"But there is growing concern about the fate of civilians," our correspondent said, referring to the continuing "crackdown by Gaddafi loyalists on the rest of the population".

And, after a week of fighting, NTC forces at Bani Walid have been urging people to leave before rebel fighters try to storm the town.

Scores of cars packed with families left Bani Walid on Wednesday as NTC forces broadcast messages telling them to go and handed out free petrol to help them evacuate.