Other Libyan sources said 19 people have been arrested in the regime
crackdown. They said the arrests appeared to reflect a power struggle
between the two sons of the aging Ghadafi.
Libya Press was part of a media group founded by Ghadafi's son, Seif Al
Islam. Seif, who has called for reform, has been opposed by his
younger brother, Motassim, said to control the security services.
"This [arrests] was carried out by the Internal Security Agency on Nov.
5, violating the law on the promotion of freedom and all international norms
and conventions signed by Libya," Libya Press said on Nov. 7.
Seif and his media outlets, called the Al Ghad Group, have become
increasingly critical of the regime, particularly Prime Minister Al Baghdadi
Ali Al Mahmoudi. One of Seif's newspapers has called for a "final assault"
on what was termed a corrupt government.
"There is no state in Libya," Seif said in September 2010.
The elder Ghadafi has not responded to the crackdown. But Al Mahmoudi
was said to have warned Libya's media not to join in the criticism of the
regime.
The regime has also ordered the expulsion of a U.S. diplomat. Libyan
newspapers identified the diplomat as Luke Reynolds, the political attache
of the U.S. embassy in Tripoli. Reynolds was said to have visited the Berber
city of Yifrin, the scene of recent unrest.