TRIPOLI, Libya — The chief of Libya's former rebels has arrived in the capital of Tripoli, in a long-awaited gesture meant to show he's in charge and consolidating control over the vast country.
Mustafa Abdul-Jalil was given a boisterous red carpet welcome Saturday on the tarmac of a Tripoli air force base. Hundreds of fighters and officials in suits crowded around him, flashing victory signs and shouting "God is great" as he descended from a plane.
Revolutionary forces entered Tripoli on Aug. 21, capping an offensive that ousted Moammar Gadhafi. Abdul-Jalil’s prolonged absence from the capital had raised questions about the former rebels’ ability to take charge.
Anti-Gadhafi forces control much of Libya, but have had trouble driving loyalists out of three strongholds.
