CAIRO: The interior minister of Moammar Gaddafi's government Nasr al-Mabrouk Abdullah, has flown into Cairo with 9 other family members in what many believe could be the latest possible defection from the Libyan government. According to Egyptian airport officials, the minister and his family arrived early Monday morning on a private jet from the resort island of Djerba in Tunisia. Apparently, the minister entered Egypt under a tourist visa and did not establish contact with the Libyan embassy, which is run by Gaddafi's government. According to published reports, sources in Djerba have been quoted saying that talks between Gaddafi aids and Libyan rebels have been held under a tight security grid in a local hotel on Sunday. Broadcasts aired early Monday by Libyan television had Gaddafi urging the people to fight against what he has repeatedly called “rebel traitors.” Conflicting with the ‘official' reports put out by the Gaddafi government, opposition fighters have claimed to be getting nearer and nearer to his power base in Tripoli, the nation's capital. They claimed also to have taken control of parts of the strategic city of Zawiya, a city located a mere 50 kilometers west of the capital. Control of the city would mean control of the supply lines which feed Tripoli, making it a key strategic area of conflict for both sides. Rebel forces flew pre-Gaddafi-era flags all over the city and fired celebratory shots after claiming to have pushed farther into western districts of the coastal city on Sunday, despite ferocious clashes with Gaddafi loyalists. According to the Libyan Minister of Information and official spokesman for Gaddafi, loyalists encountered a small band of rebel fighters and were in the process of defeating them. Zawiya has been a major site of conflict, as it was one of the first cities to rebel against the government since the uprising began in February, and has since changed hands many times Since the beginning of the uprising there have been many notable defections such as Justice Minister Mustafa Muhamed Abud Al Jeleil, the interior Minister Major General Abdul Fatah Younis and Minister for Foreign Affairs Moussa Koussa to name a few. Many diplomats have also resigned from their posts. BM
