Gadhafi Buried in Secret Location after Viewing of Body Is Halted
Salah Malkawi/ Getty Images(MISRATA, Libya) -- Moammar Gadhafi was buried Tuesday in an unmarked grave at a secret desert location, five days after he was shot to death outside the Libyan city of Sirte. Gadhafi's son, Muatassim, and his former army chief were also laid to rest in the same unknown spot.
The burial came after Libya's new government decided Monday to halt the public viewing of Gadhafi's body, which was held in cold storage in the city of Misrata.
According to witnesses, the bodies of Gadhafi, his son and his army chief were turning dark and leaking fluids, and people were administered face masks to kill the stench of rotting flesh.
Gadhafi, who ruled Libya for 42 years, was seized last Thursday by rebels who had just overrun his hometown of Sirte. During his capture, the 69-year-old dictator was roughed up and then killed by a single gunshot to the head.
Under Islamic law, Gadhafi should have been buried 24 hours after his death. But due to his notoriety and the fact that Libya is now under the control of the National Transitional Council, Gadhafi's body was put on display as proof that he was indeed gone for good.
Four sheiks were on hand to witness Tuesday's burial and then swore on the Quran never to reveal where the unmarked graves are located. The decision was made after talks with Gadhafi's tribal kinsmen from Sirte about what to do with the three bodies and what compensation would be received in turn broke down.
NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel-Jalil also promised an investigation into Gadhafi's death and raised the possibility that he might have been killed by one of his own men to prevent Gadhafi from turning over names of other former Libyan government officials who could be tried for war crimes.
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