Erstellt am: 2. 9. 2011 - 14:40 Uhr

Diehard 3-The Libyan Edition

Today on Reality Check: While a third Arab uprising starts a transitional phase, there are some who don't want to let go of Gaddafi.

When totalitarian regimes collapse it's sometimes more interesting to look at the reaction of the die-hard supporters of a dictator. Whilst there's widespread relief and rejoicing on the streets from the masses as a despot falls, there is the parallel world of the brain-washed who cannot imagine what life could be like without their beloved leader. The world they knew is over, the object of the devotion is no more, the universe that had been created for them around the regime is gone and their minds appear crushed under the weight of this new reality.

APA

Take for example last week when several international journalists were held captive at the Hotel Rixos in the centre of Tripoli. The gunman holding them were absolutely convinced that Gaddafi forces would rise up within a matter of hours to drive the rebels out of the city. When that clearly wasn't going to happen, the journalists witnessed many of these gunmen breaking down in tears at the thought of a future without their beloved Gaddafi.

Back to today and the last confrontation for the rebels is the town of Sirte. It's Gaddafi's home town and where his die-hard followers have headed to and it looks like they are not going to give up without a fight. In his most recent broadcast Gaddafi promised a fight to the death and the question is could his brain-washed forces set up some kind of enclave in Sirte with that purpose in mind?

The problem for the rebels and the new National Transitional Council is that they have little desire to begin the foundation of a new Libya with a bloodbath in Sirte. This could happen as the mindset of Gaddafi's soldiers here appears transfixed on victory for them or martyrdom. Our reporter Tony Cheng is in Tripoli and he told us that one of the rumours buzzing round the capital is that Gaddafi is close to a border town with Algeria. This would give him an easier passage into Algeria should he choose to follow his family over the border. If he went to Algeria that would probably signal to the die-hards in Sirte that the Libya they knew under Gaddafi was lost forever. If he stays hidden, Gaddafi's forces in Sirte could become a significant problem in the coming days and weeks.

Listen to FM4 correspondent in Tripoli Tony Cheng's impressions PLUS: Said Hirsh, of Capital Economics, a London-based independent macroeconomic research consultancy organisation, gives us his views on the current money trail - to and from Libya.

Telekom Austria

The company has called an extraordinary meeting of its supervisory board, as it seeks to get to the bottom of allegations of corruption and share price manipulation. Why are we still debating whether or not to have a parliamentary investigation? Dr. Thomas Hofer of H&P Public Affairs
gives us his take on the Telekom scandal.

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