This is just crazy! I received this press release this morning and was not going to post it, but the story is now popping up on news sources, so I changed my mind. I do not know who these "senior officials" are, but from their statements I am guessing they are Gadhafi's sons. From what has been reported by a few of these journalists, there WAS no way to enter Libya legally since there were no formal border crossings. They were met by opposition volunteers once INTO Libya. And Al Qaida collaborators? Give me a break!
If you are a western journalist in Libya, h/t to you for getting the stories out. Be careful out there! Stay safe!
Unauthorized News Media Travel in Libya
Notice to the Press
Office of the SpokesmanWashington, DCFebruary 24, 2011
In meetings with senior Libyan Government officials, U.S. diplomats were told that some members of CNN, BBC Arabic and Al Arabiya would be allowed into the country to report on the current situation. These same senior officials also said that some reporters had entered the country illegally and that the Libyan Government now considered these reporters Al Qaida collaborators.
The Libyan Government said that it was not responsible for the safety of these journalists, who risked immediate arrest on the full range of possible immigration charges. Foreign journalists already in Libya who are not part of the approved teams were urged to immediately join the approved teams in-country.
Be advised, entering Libya to report on the events unfolding there is additionally hazardous with the government labeling unauthorized media as terrorist collaborators and claiming they will be arrested if caught.
