Gadhafi Was Killed In Crossfire, Interim Prime Minister Says

Moammar Gadhafi was killed in the crossfire of a battle between his supporters and fighters loyal to the opposition that topped the dictator's regime, Libya's interim prime minister told NPR this afternoon.

"Nobody can tell if the [fatal] shot was from the rebel fighters or from his own security guard," Interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril told All Things Considered host Robert Siegel.

Jibril, speaking by telephone from Libya, also read from what he said is the coroner's report on Gadhafi's death.

"The [fatal] shot was in his head," Jibril read. "He was shot also in his right arm. ... When he came out [from hiding] he was safe. [But] the intensity of the fire" led to Gadhafi's death.

According to Jibril, Gadhafi "did not show any resistance" at first. But as "freedom fighters" were taking him into custody, "he came under crossfire from both sides."

Gadhafi was not executed by the fighters who captured him, Jibril told Robert.

Some of what Jibril said does not quite line up with the report from freelance journalist Marine Olivesi, who has seen Gadhafi's body and told NPR earlier that it appeared he had been shot several times in the chest.

The interim prime minister also repeated that it's his intention to step away from government now that Gadhafi is gone and that all the leadership in his government plan to keep to their pledges and resign now that there's been a "liberation." It will be up to the Transitional National Council, he said, to form a new interim government. And Jibril said he's confident Libya can hold national elections within eight months to a year.

Much more from the conversation is due on today's All Things Considered. Click here to find an NPR station that broadcasts or streams the show. Later, we'll add the as-broadcast version of the interview to the top of this post.

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