Libya's interim rulers ended the public display of the bodies of Muammar Qadhafi, his son and army chief on Monday after four days in which thousands of Libyans came to see for themselves that the dictator was really dead. Guards locked the gates to the compound surrounding the cold storage container where the grim parody of the lying in state typically accorded to deceased leaders had been played out.
That may signal a decision is near over how and where to bury the bodies or simply that they are seen as a health hazard. Two National Transitional Council (NTC) officials confirmed the decision to shut off the area to the public, giving no reason. "That's enough," said one of the guards. "He's been causing us as much trouble dead as he did alive." A steady stream of visitors filed in to view the spectacle on Monday before the closure, but far fewer than on previous days when crowds flocked to the container where the three rotting bodies were laid out on filthy mattresses.
There were still a handful disappointed however. "Can I just bring my son in?" one old man pleaded. "No, we're closed," the guard replied angrily. Later, fresh guards came on duty and allowed about 100 people to see the bodies then shut the gates once again.
Fighters guarding Qadhafi's darkening body and that of his son Mo'tassim and his former army chief had placed plastic sheeting under them as fluids leaked into the market cold store in Misrata where they had been taken after their capture and killing near Qadhafi's home town of Sirte on Thursday.
With the door constantly opening to allow a procession of onlookers, the refrigeration unit failed to stop rapid decomposition. Guards handed out surgical face masks against the stench and had sprayed disinfectant over the corpses overnight. Qadhafi and his son died after being captured, wounded but alive - some of their final moments captured on video. The official Egyptian news agency said Libya's office for fatwas, or religious decrees, had declared Qadhafi was not a Muslim as he had denied the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and so should not be given an Islamic funeral.
Comments
Comments are closed.