Civilians and rebels rejoiced in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Tuesday, reacting to news that opposition leader Moammar al Gadhafi’s compound was overrun, according to an article published by CNN on Tuesday. 

The victory for anti-Gadhafi forces arrives two days after the rebels gained strategic positioning in the capital. Rebels exchanged gunfire with Gadhafi loyalists Sunday in the city of two million, in what was described by CNN as ‘urban warfare.’ 

After the rebels overwhelmed Gadhafi’s forces, residents began looting the former dictator’s compound. The whereabouts of Gadhafi and his family are unknown, according to the CNN article.

Gadhafi is thought to have had a hand in perpetrating the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. Libyan Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted in the bombing that killed all 259 passengers on board the plane and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie. Thirty-five of the victims were Syracuse University students flying back to the United States from studying abroad in Florence, Italy. 

In 2009, al-Megrahi was released eight years into his life sentence on compassionate grounds. Doctors determined al-Megrahi had terminal prostate cancer and was given approximately three months to live, according to an Associated Press article published Friday. 

Al-Megrahi is taking a cutting edge hormone treatment and could live several more years because of the drug said Roger Kirby, a London prostate cancer specialist, in the AP article. Al-Megrahi was seen televised at a pro-Gadhafi rally last month, according to a July 27 MSNBC article.

Talk of establishing a new government in Libya is raising hopes that both Gadhafi and al-Megrahi will stand trial for the bombing.

Judith O’Rourke, director of undergraduate studies and member of the Remembrance Scholarship selection committee at SU, said though she cannot speak on behalf of the victims’ families, the general feeling is that, if the two were tried, there would be a ‘happy’ feeling among those affected.

Personally, she feels the pair should be held accountable for their actions. O’Rourke also said al-Megrahi should return to jail and complete his life sentence.

‘In my mind, it would be appropriate to bring them to trial for that crime and probably many other crimes, ‘ O’Rourke said.

As the uprising occurred Sunday, rebels closed in on Tripoli by boat and coordinated a flotilla from the town of Misurata, according to an article published by The New York Times on Monday. Weapons, fuel, medicine and food supplied by British, French and Qatari troops also contributed to the effort.

Gadhafi loyalists countered with offenses of their own on Monday, leaving open the possibility of continued fighting in the city, according to The New York Times article.

Reports of two of Gadhafi’s sons, Saif al-Islam and Mohammad Gadhafi, being captured also surfaced shortly after the takeover, according to an article published by Reuters. It was later reported Mohammad escaped rebel custody while questions were raised over whether al-Islam was ever held captive, according to an article published Tuesday by The Washington Post.

Further doubt over the rebels’ success was cast when al-Islam was seen flashing ‘V’ for victory signs in public space Tuesday, according to a Time magazine article published Tuesday.

Despite the takeover of Gadhafi’s compound, the search for the fallen dictator will continue. 

dbtruong@syr.edu

Published on August 22, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Debbie: dbtruong@syr.edu | @debbietruong