DOHA: Aljazeera journalist, Tony Birtley has spoken about how he got hold of the footage that announced Muammar Gaddafi's death to the world.
The veteran war correspondent was the first journalist into Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, yesterday. Birtley was also first to the story of Bani Walid's fall a few days ago.
"We've been going back and forth to Sirte for the last thirteen days. We got to know various people who took us into their confidence," said British journalist Birtley, who is a former RTS journalist of the year and has been with Al Jazeera English since its launch.
"The uprisings have been filmed on people's mobile phones. When we got to Sirte yesterday, we started asking around and someone said he could get us the pictures. He came back with someone else and we downloaded it onto our computer."
"I have been reporting from Libya for the last six-and-half-months so it was like a lot of old friends coming out and saying 'I remember you from Brega...', 'I remember you from Ajdabiya... I remember you stayed there'. So it was wonderful to share that moment with them."
"I am glad Al Jazeera stayed with the story. A lot of other broadcasters seemed to have thought the resistance was too strong, it was not going to happen, and it was costing too much to stay," he said
Birtley also tweeted this morning: "Ears splitting. They had already been given a bashing in Bani Walid from celebratory gunfire. There is only so much celebration a hack can take."
"Every time we pointed a camera we were mobbed by jubilant fighters. Never been kissed and hugged by so many men."
© The Peninsula 2011
