Libya - Can You Trust The News?

The conflict in Libya is dominating the news media at the moment. But can you trust what is being said?

In a situation of civil war it is obvious that the pronoucements of both sides is likely to be subject to at best an element of propaganda. Many independant journalists are reduced to impotence by the heavy fighting in Tripoli (keeping them in their hotel basement), the phone and power networks being at least partially down, and the general fog of war.

I mean:

• was Saif Gaddafi really captured by Transitional Council forces? 
• Was it his double that that was captured, or was it a double that was seen around the compound or on TV last night? 
• Was he rescued? 
• Are special forces on the ground (possibly only in an advisory capacity) in Libya? 
• Have rebel forces taken Gaddafi's compound? 
• Have the Gaddafi forces gone into insurgency mode?

Until we have credible independently verified reports from the country, I feel that we should take all the news from Libya with a pinch of salt (the size of which should be determined by the reader's good sense).

 By e-mail from mobile (hence no spell check).

But tarted up later!