Gadhafi Readying a Bloody Last Stand

Yet another minister defected. Rebels are just 30 miles from Tripoli. The curtain is falling on Moammar Gadhafi, reports the Telegraph, and the Libyan strongman seems to be prepping for a violent—and "final"—last stand. The paper's proof? Officials tell the Telegraph that a US destroyer detected the firing of a Scud missile on Sunday. It was apparently directed toward rebel territory but landed in the desert, and the rebels say it originated in Sirte—which could be where this final showdown will occur if Tripoli is attacked.

"That it didn't hit anything or kill anyone is not the point. It's a weapon of mass destruction that Col. Gadhafi is willing to train on his own people," said one Western official. Though Gadhafi agreed to do away with his Scud B variant missiles 10 years ago, he was believed to still have more than 100 of them, though many were likely destroyed in recent airstrikes. The Telegraph notes that Gadhafi would be able to target the rebel strongholds of Misrata and Zintan with Scuds from Sirte. (More Moammar Gadhafi stories.)