Rebels agree that Gaddafi can stay

Looming on the horizon in Benghazi and other Libyan cities controlled by revolutionaries is a political crisis. The President of the Libyan Transitional National Council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, has reiterated what he stated earlier about allowing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and his family to survive and to stay in Libya. In the case of a political settlement, Gaddafi would be required to renounce his power. The rebels have said that they will reject any dialogue based power sharing, and the question of the departure of Colonel Gaddafi has now been resolved. Abdul Jalil said in an interview with the newspaper "The Wall Street Journal" that this agreement took place during an unannounced visit to Jabil Al-Gharabi, which is controlled by the rebels, where it was said that: "Gaddafi can stay in Libya, but there will be conditions. We will decide where he will live and he will be monitored. The same will apply to his family." Earlier this month Abdul Jalil denied his previous statements, in which he pointed to the possibility of Gaddafi staying in Libya after giving up power. On the ground, the rebels who are surrounding Brega from all angles say that they are determined to extend their control over the city, which is strategically located by an oil harbour, before continuing to edge towards the rest of the Western parts of the country.