Gaddafi buried in secret, Nato stays on

On the other hand, the new regime asked NATO to extend its mission.US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, on a visit to Japan, said meanwhile that a future US military role in the new Libya will hinge on decisions by NATO, whose ambassadors were meeting Wednesday to make a formal decision on plans to end Libya air operations on October 31.And the United Nations urged Libyas new rulers to respect the rights of all detainees, amid raging controversy over the circumstances of the death of Gaddafi.Meanwhile the last top figures of his ousted regime, Gaddafis son Seif al-Islam and former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi were poised to cross the border into Niger, a Tuareg official said.Seif al-Islam was near the Niger border, he hasnt entered Niger yet but hes close, a local official from the northern Niger Agadez region told AFP on condition of anonymity.In June, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Gaddafi, Seif and Senussi for crimes against humanity allegedly committed by troops under their command as they quelled the uprising against his regime.A Misrata military council member said Gaddafi was buried overnight Monday in a religious ceremony, along with another of his sons, Mutassim, and former defence minister Abu Bakr Yunis Jaber.The bodies had been put on display in a market freezer on the outskirts of Misrata, a city 215 kilometres (132 miles) east of Tripoli, with thousands of Libyans queuing up since Friday to view and photograph them.In Benghazi, a senior official of the National Transitional Council said the burial took some time to organise due to a disconnect between the local (Misrata) council and the NTC.According to guards at the entrance to the market, a convoy of four or five military vehicles took the bodies away to an unknown location, being kept secret to avoid the site turning into a rallying point for Gaddafi supporters.The two sons of the former defence minister, brought straight from prison, and his father were present to witness the bodies being picked up from the market, the source said.The burials come as the circumstances of Gaddafis death after he was taken alive last Thursday during the fall of his hometown Sirte -- the last holdout after an eight-month armed revolt -- continues to fuel controversy.A UN human rights team set up to investigate rights violations in Libya said the NTC and armed groups in Libya should ensure that all prisoners are treated in line with international norms.In particular, I call on all the armed forces to avoid any act of reprisal and arbitrary repression against both Libyans and foreigners, Philippe Kirsch, the head of the International Commission of Inquiry on Libya, said in a statement.The commission also welcomed decisions by the new rulers to probe the deaths of certain detainees -- an apparent reference to Gaddafi.Libyas interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Monday that a commission of inquiry will probe the strongmans killing.Disquiet has grown internationally over how Gaddafi met his end after NTC fighters hauled him out of a culvert where he was hiding following NATO air strikes on the convoy in which he had been trying to flee his falling hometown.Mobile phone videos show him still alive at that point.Libyas interim premier Mahmud Jibril has said an autopsy report showed Gaddafi was killed in crossfire from both sides.US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Gaddafis death sent a message to dictators around the world that people long to be free.He said on NBCs Tonight Show with Jay Leno that Gaddafi, someone who for 40 years terrorized his country and supported terrorism, had been given ample opportunity to leave power and transition his nation towards democracy.He wouldnt do it and obviously, you never like to see anybody come to the kind of end that he did, Obama said, according to excerpts of the interview released by NBC.But I think it obviously sends a strong message around the world to dictators that people long to be free, and they need to respect the human rights and the universal aspirations of people.On the political and military front, the NTC said it wants NATO to extend its mission in the north African country.I ask NATO to remain at least for another month, said interim oil and finance minister Ali Tarhuni, four days after the military alliance announced plans to end its seven-month mission on October 31.The US defence secretary said all decisions concerning Libya should rest with NATO.About looking to the future, I think a lot of that at this point still rests with NATO, Panetta said. The decision as to a future security involvement (should be) in the hands of NATO, (which) will give us a basis to determine any future US role in Libya, he added.Meanwhile a fuel tank exploded in Sirte late on Monday killing more than 100 people and wounding 50, NTC military commander Leith Mohammed said.