Libyan rebels fought on Thursday to close in on Tripoli and claimed to have seized a key refinery, as their chief said he feared a bloodbath in a battle for the capital. Anticipating victory, the rebels’ political leaders have set out a plan to transform the country from autocracy to a full-blown democracy, in a roadmap which could help define Libya for the coming decades. National Transitional Council (NTC) head Mustafa Abdel Jalil said in a newspaper interview the “noose is tightening,” but he feared a “veritable bloodbath” in Tripoli because of Moamer Gaddafi’s refusal to step down.
