Colonel Muammar Qaddafi doesn’t trust anyone, and that’s why he’s calling on his irregular security forces and mercenary soldiers to support his stronghold in Tripoli. No longer trustful of his military forces, Qaddafi’s’s secret support is “made up of special brigades headed by his sons, segments of the military loyal to his native tribe and its allies, and legions of African mercenaries he has helped train and equip.” They’ve set up checkpoints along the roads leading in and out of Tripoli. “You are trying to convince them you are a loyalist,” said one resident who encountered the checkpoints, “and the second they realize that you are not, you are done for.” Still, on Wednesday night, word began spreading via text message about a major anti-government protest planned in Tripoli on Friday.
Libya Revolt Spreads as Qaddafi Tightens Grip in Capital [NYT]
