Gaddafi era over, rebels claim amid world recognition

Rebels on the other hand claim taking over Moamer Gaddafi Tripoli compound.Egypt recognises the new regime in Libya and the National Transitional Council that represents it, Egypts Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr said at a news conference.Libyan rebel chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil on Monday hailed the end of the four-decade Gaddafi era, after his fighters took control of most of Tripoli.But Abdel Jalil also warned that he could quit as head of the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) if he loses control of the revolution, amid possible revenge acts by insurgents.The Gaddafi era is over, he told a news conference in Benghazi, eastern Libya, referring to Libyas veteran leader Moamer Gaddafi.Abdel Jalil said he hoped Gaddafi, who faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, would be captured alive so that he will be given a fair trial.He congratulated the Libyan people for this historic victory and thanked NATO for its military support, while cautioning that the real moment of victory is when Gaddafi is captured.He acknowledged the whole of Tripoli was not under rebel control and that Gaddafi whereabouts remained a mystery.On the other hand, world leaders hailed the rebel takeover of Tripoli, urging Moamer Gaddafi to admit defeat, as Libyans around the world celebrated the veteran leaders imminent demise.The dramatic push to wrest full control of the Libyan capital from Gaddafi loyalists was seen as the end-game in the six-month uprising against Gaddafi 42-year-old rule.Tonight, the momentum against the Gaddafi regime has reached a tipping point. Tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant, US President Barack Obama said in a statement issued from his holiday in Marthas Vineyard.The Libyan leaders son, Seif al-Islam, was captured but Gaddafi himself, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1969, has vowed to fight to the death.He needs to relinquish power once and for all, Obama said, the first voice in a barrage of calls for Gaddafi to cut his losses.French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country spearheaded support for the uprising and was the first to recognise their interim administration, condemned Gaddafi irresponsible and desperate calls for the combat to continue.Sarkozy urged forces still loyal to the regime to turn away from the criminal and cynical blindness of their leader, to cease fire.His office said he had invited the rebel governments number two to meet him in Paris on Wednesday.Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who signed a 2008 friendship treaty that made the former colonial power Libyas top trading partner, urged Gaddafi to put an end to every pointless resistance and to save, in this way, his people from further suffering.European countries such as France and Italy had until early this year spearheaded the return of Gaddafi oil-rich Libya -- long considered a rogue state by the West over terror links -- into the international fold.British Prime Minister David Cameron also said that Gaddafi must stop fighting, without conditions, and clearly show that he has given up any claim to control Libya.Cameron warned against complacency, saying the situation in Tripoli was very fluid and promising to work closely with the rebel National Transitional Council in the post-Gaddafi era.NATO, whose aerial bombing played a key role in weakening Gaddafi military infrastructure, urged Gaddafi to step aside and give his country a chance to rebuild.It is time to create a new Libya -- a state based on freedom, not fear; democracy, not dictatorship; the will of the many, not the whims of a few, Atlantic alliance head Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashtons spokesman said the onus was now on the rebels to honour the aspirations expressed by the revolution for the establishment of a democratic, just and prosperous Libya.Current EU president Poland welcomed the end of Gaddafi regime and vowed bloc support for the process of transition which Libya now faces.