The death of longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi helped solidify the National Transitional Council's power in Libya, but there is still a large amount of uncertainty about the circumstances surrounding how he was killed, what happened during the last battle in Sirte and what it all means for the future of Libya.
When Gadhafi's death was first reported, it came with a large amount of uncertainty.
Multiple scenarios emerged as to how the last minutes of his life played out, thanks to cell phone pictures and videos, many later uploaded to YouTube. Then, there were statements from officials from NATO, from within Libya and from the National Transitional Council about what happened.
And as the country prepares to move on, the international community searches for answers as to exactly what happened in the minutes after Gadhafi was captured.
What exactly do we know about how Gadhafi was captured?
We know that the events leading to Gadhafi's death began about 8:30 a.m. Thursday in Libya, according to a NATO official, when a convoy of loyalists made a break from a part of Sirte and headed west, trying to get out of the city.
Gadhafi had long been suspected of being holed up in his hometown, which was one of the only remaining regime strongholds.
U.S. drones and French fighter jets struck the convoy, splitting it up and forcing the loyalists to scurry away on foot. A NATO official said Gadhafi was in that convoy, though he was not hit.
Gadhafi fled with a handful of his men. The revolutionaries found him hiding in a drainage pipe.
Mahmoud Jibril, Executive Chairman of Libya's National Transitional Council, said that after Gadhafi was found, a gunbattle erupted between transitional council fighters and Gadhafi's supporters. His captors attempted to load him into a vehicle, leaving Gadhafi with a wound to his right arm.
Video out of Sirte showed what appeared to be a heavily wounded and bloodied Gadhafi being held up by NTC fighters as they took him toward a vehicle.
What happened after that is more murky.
What do we know about how Gadhafi died?
When Gadhafi was captured, he was, by all accounts, alive.
Several videos from the scene showed Gadhafi looking wounded and confused but alive and even walking as he was pulled toward a vehicle.
Jibril said Gadhafi was shot in the arm as he was dragged into a vehicle headed to Misrata, a two-and-a-half-hour trip.
But the autopsy report from the chief pathologist said Gadhafi died of a gunshot wound to the head.
So how did Gadhafi go from being captured to being shot in the head?
It depends on whom you ask, and there are many details that simply are not confirmed.
Leaders of Libya's interim government have said Gadhafi was killed in that crossfire after fighters captured him in Sirte.
But videos and pictures coming out of Libya lead to more questions about what shot may have killed the leader.
Some members of the international community had hoped there would be some more clarity from the autopsy report. But the doctor who conducted the examination would not disclose whether findings revealed that he suffered the wound in crossfire or at close range, a key question that has prompted the United Nations and international human rights groups to call for an investigation into the final moments of Gadhafi's life.
Jibril, the transitional prime minister, said that as the vehicle carrying the wounded Gadhafi drove away, more shooting erupted, and that was when Gadhafi was shot in the head.
Mohammed Sayeh, a senior member of the council, said that in the hail of gunfire, Gadhafi was shot in the feet and then in his head.
"I cannot tell you whether it was from far or near, but it was unintentional," he said. "No one decided to kill him or slaughter him. It would have been much better for us Libyans and the whole universe to capture him and take him to a court."
But in a new video from Reuters, a man standing next to an ambulance claims he killed the ousted leader, and another man claims he saw it happen. The group surrounding him applauds and hugs the self-described gunman.
There were no more specifics given about the fatal shot.
All that seems to be clear is that Gadhafi did not have a head wound when he was taken from the drainage pipe.
But when his body showed up at a hospital in Misrata, videos and photos showed a clear bullet wound.
And it is that disparity that has prompted calls for an investigation into the death. However, for some Libyans, how he died isn't so much the issue, Time.com reports. For them, knowing that he is gone is all that matters.
What was NATO's involvement in Gadhafi's death?
We know that NATO had eyes on Sirte, including aerial surveillance in areas where it had seen an uptick in conflict. Gadhafi's forces had been boxed into a particular area in Sirte, NATO said. When a large convoy left that area, the drones and fighter jets struck. It's also the moment when Gadhafi is believed to have fled.
For weeks, the revolutionaries had been on the forefront of the battle for Sirte, struggling to wrest control of the coastal city from the last vestiges of the old regime in brutal urban warfare. Thursday, when the fight was finally won, they could finally claim liberation for their nation.
In the wake of the death, and because of the strike on the convoy, NATO re-emphasized what it has been saying since the mission in Libya began: There was a mission to take out Gadhafi's regime and forces but not to assassinate him.
NATO launched an air and missile campaign in March, when pro-Gadhafi forces were advancing on a rebel stronghold in Libya, under a U.N. mandate to protect civilians. NATO's efforts have included strike sorties and airstrikes targeting Gadhafi's military resources.
NATO began to scale back operations in Libya after Gadhafi's death, with the preliminary end date of October 31, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Friday.
"We did what we said we would do, and now is the time for the Libyan people to take their destiny into their own hands," Rasmussen said.
So, what's next for Libya?
A long road stretches ahead for the Libyan people.
In addition to the investigation into Gadhafi's own death, human rights groups are calling for investigations after they discovered the bodies of 53 people, believed to be Gadhafi supporters, in a hotel that was under the control of anti-Gadhafi fighters.
"We found 53 decomposing bodies, apparently (Gadhafi) supporters, at an abandoned hotel in Sirte, and some had their hands bound behind their backs when they were shot," said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director of Human Rights Watch.
Officials with the National Transitional Council were not immediately available for comment. The report comes amid growing concerns about extrajudicial killings under Libya's new leadership.
As Libya closes one chapter in their storied history, it will now begin to try to shore up its future, including answering the concerns about extrajudicial killings.
It will also have to make the transition from a war-torn country into a new society and building or creating all of the foundations to do so.
"The formal timetable laid down by the NTC begins with the declaration of liberation," said Ian Martin, the U.N. special representative for Libya. "The clock begins ticking, and we'll be working with them to try to make their commitments feasible in practice."
That will begin with elections, which leaders have said will take place in the current months. The first vote will be for a National Congress that will draft a constitution. After that, parliamentary and presidential elections will be held, National Transitional Council leaders said.
There will also be the issue of what will happen with what some analysts believe to be as much as $150 billion in frozen assets that had been available to the Gadhafi regime around the world. Even before Gadhafi's death, the U.S. Treasury Department had started thawing $37 billion worth such assets to make them available to the new government in Tripoli.
And then there will be the state of Libya's oil production. It is estimated that 350,000 barrels of oil per day are being produced by Libya.
World leaders offered the new Libya words of encouragement tempered with caution.
"In the coming days, we will witness scenes of celebration, as well as grief for those who lost so much," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. "Yet let us recognize, immediately, that this is only the end of the beginning. The road ahead for Libya and its people will be difficult and full of challenges."
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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I'll never get over Macho Grande
When you find a dead rat in your garage, do you typically perform an autopsy to determine what killed it? I'm not in favor of extra-judicial killings, but 90% of the world isn't going to lose sleep when it was Moammar Ghadhafi, and I'm sure the NTC realized this and told fighters that if they found him or any of his high-profile entourage, they could dispose of them and not worry about the consequences. The reasons are simple; the ICC is too warm and fuzzy for executions – they wouldn't do it to Miloschevich or Rutaganda. The NTC would have liked to have him sentenced to death by a Libyan jury, but they are too weak for a showdown over handing him over to the ICC. Any sort of trial and especially such a showdown would grant Ghadhafi a global celebrity status that the NTC – rightfully – didn't think he deserved. Most importantly, regardless of what the suit-monkeys in NATO and the UN claim, Libya is a clusterf* of tribal/regional/sectarian divides, and as long as Ghadhafi was alive he was dangerous – not because anybody liked him but because disputes over what to do with him and information revealed in a trial would lead to internal hostilities inside Libya that would be difficult to control, and he may have been able to exploit these as well. NATO is trying to save face now by condemning the extra-judicial killing, but thinking the NTC would behave any other way (and not just toward Ghadhafi himself) was simply wishful thinking. Nationbuilding is an oxymoron and any country truly ready for democracy and self-government does not need NATO assistance to oust a widely despised, psychotic tyrant. They couldn't do it themselves because even with such a common enemy, the various forces in Libya could not reach any sort of workable consensus, as illustrated by the first head of the NTC being assassinated by an internal rival when still in Benghazi. The idea that Libya will move on to democracy now is a sad joke – it will fractionate into violence and chaos that make Iraq look tame and most likely culminate in the rise of a new dictator. Ghadhafi got what he deserved, but NATO's involvement has made Libya less safe and the resulting instability will cost more lives and resources than his purported "massacre" would have. NATO claiming ignorance of the likelihood of this resulting scenario is not an excuse – they are supposed to be professionals and this illustrates they are at best incompetent and at worst murderers for profit. The voters in member countries need to remember this at the next election.
90% of the world isn't bothered about Libya. I am not sure why NATO had to interfere.
In such a country, with so many political factions, it would be hard to keep that fellow alive, simply because so many wanted him dead. Plus, if he was taken to court and was given a charge by "friends" many would feel like nothing enough was done. So, if he is dead, more information cannot but add to the present problems. Just seeing how happy the people are since, let's you know that many wanted Gadaffi dead. Not only for personal deeds, but what his sons dis to many people who just were horribly treated.
NATO = North Atlantic TERRORIST Organization - It's so great that these civil, normal people are now in charge in Libya! NOT! You can't win when there are whacked out idiots on BOTH sides
I'm not aware that NATO is now the government of Libya.
I was in the military 20 years. I still don't understand why we are sending our troops and resources to these countries. This was an internal Libyan issue. I don't care how bad people say Gaddafi was, I dont think we had any business going in to Libya to help the rebels. I think we shouldn't even be in the middle east. What's going to happen if we leave. Are they not going to sell us oil? I think not. It should be like Klatuu said to the leaders of Earth in "The Day the Earth Stood Still"..... if you threaten to extend your violence (outside your country), this land of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder. IF they aren't threatening my country we should leave them to their own affairs plan and simple.
so Gadhalfi ordering the bombing of Pan AM 103 is ok with you?
It doesn't matter to you that the people selling the oil and making billions might be using that money to build long-range thermonuclear weapons and researching advanced germ warfare? Maybe you forgot that Gaddafi ordered the bombing of the Pan Am flight, among other acts.
@ trex...How idiotic thou art. So, NATO supporting the rebels was a revenge for the Pan AM bombing? You moron
This question is SO stupid that it could have come straight out of Michelle Bachmanns mouth.
The rebels who pulled him out of the drainage ditch shot him in the temple and then in both legs. At least that's what they say and I tend to believe them. Give all of them medals!!
I'm guessing it was the bullet in the head.
7. Reality of Fact: They all have a major hand in it as co-conspirators. French fighter jets and by their fire breathing deadly drone dragon flying far overhead, U.S. satanist-racists mass murdering human beings on the run, in a convoy fleeing for safety and escape to save their lives?!. Including possible hostages as civilians!?
....
8. Plus + y'all remember and dutifully NOTE vs Vote: That at the time of these air assaults, by psychotic cowards, these boldly brave brothers and sisters, female bodyguards and loyalist, posed no direct nor indirect threat to the so called "Libyan Civilians"; citizens and no other society of persons. This a concisely crystal clear Legal Cause of Classified Action; by the truer Africa Africoid Libyans; of LOVE PEACE & HARMONY. Updated today 10-23-11... Sunday 11:20 am.
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9. Predatory Parasites Plaguing Populations of People: Especially afflicting Africa Libya. Apparently terrorizing those trying to avoid being captured by insane psychopath pirates; propped up by white western countries attempting to rule, control and dominate our GlobalWorldNations!!!
Your father's dead. Time to get off the internet.
Instead of HOW Daffy got killed we should be more concerned with WHO Daffy killed and get info to the families who do not know what happened to their loved ones. THAT should fill volumes of files but it's worth it. No one cares about Kadaffi least of all the people who were ruled by him for 42 years.
Who cares how he died. I'm ready to dig him up and kill him again.
my guess is that the bullet probably killed him
So, NATO and the other nations wanted an uprising, a ground war, rebels fighting the regime, etc, etc ... but once Ghaddafi was captured, whoa, hold-on, let's take him alive and have him stand trial.
So...once Ghaddafi was captured, it was no longer a war, and killing him was considered murder? Who made that rule up? It was a war. The Libyan rebels caught him. They executed him. Would it have been better to have him alive to stand trial for his crimes? Sure. But, the Libyan rebels are showing us that nothing has really changed over there. It's still dog-eat-dog, and the law of the land is to take by force and execute those who oppose you. Nothing has changed. Were you expecting some miraculous, up-standing country to arise from all of this? Give me a break.
did they find any hair dye supplies on his person
Rats were / are Cowards.