Gadhafi Sons: We'll Oust Dad for Democracy

Two of Moammar Gadhafi’s sons have offered a plan for Libya: they would push their father from power, allowing son Seif al-Islam to helm a constitutional democracy, an insider tells the New York Times. It’s not known whether Moammar himself is on board with the proposal, which would entail a less radical transition than the rebels have demanded. And the Gadhafi family has long appeared politically divided, with Seif and Saadi Gadhafi supporting a more Western approach than their militia-leading brothers.

One of those brothers, Mutassim, may himself want to lead the country. Seif and Saadi “want to move toward change,” leaving Moammar behind, said a source close to them. “They have hit so many brick walls with the old guard, and if they have the go-ahead, they will bring the country up quickly. One son has said “the wishes of the rebellion were his own.” Meanwhile, Saadi told television news that Seif already “ran the show” before the uprising. But Seif’s support for reform has been intermittent: “We are coming,” ready to squash the rebels, he recently told loyalists, who encouraged him to "step on the rats." (More Moammar Gadhafi stories.)