Seif al-Islam Gadhafi Makes His Move

Unconfirmed reports emerged Feb. 20 that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi had fled the country. While it is extremely unlikely that Gadhafi would leave at this early stage in the unrest, the situation does appear to be escalating, and the Libyan leader's reform-minded son, Seif al-Islam, made a televised speech Feb. 20 attempting to put himself forward as a new face of a regime more receptive to the protesters' demands. However, any leader in Libya must have the support of the country's security apparatus, and it is unclear whether Seif al-Islam has secured its loyalty.