Libyan general joins rebels in Zawiya

[bemildred]

Source: LAT

Reporting from Tripoli, Libya

A Libyan general has switched sides in one of two fiercely contested western cities that have been strongholds of the opposition to Moammar Kadafi, state television said Tuesday.

Fierce fighting continued in the city of Zawiya, which has emerged as one of two key battlegrounds in the area around the capital, Tripoli. Although Kadafi controls the capital, his opponents have seized much of the eastern part of the country and are working on forming a competing government.

In an "urgent" on-screen caption, a state-controlled television station reported that Maj. Gen. Khalid Shahmah had joined the rebels in Zawiya. It did not further identify the general or clarify his role in the military.

Droves of officials have defected from Kadafi's regime. On Tuesday, Musa Kuni, former consul general to the nearby country of Mali, appealed to Libyans of ethnic Tuareg descent like him to join the opposition.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-kadafi-20110309,0,4041461.story

[Ghost Dog]

1. Why would State TV want to reveal this information?

...Or, was this "urgent" on-screen caption unauthorised?

[bemildred]

2. Well, the situation does appear messy. That question occurred to me too. nt

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, bemildred.