It isn’t possible to verify most of what is coming out, but the fact that government security people have deserted the hotel where the foreign journalists are staying is a pretty good indicator that the official government spokesman has taken on the role of ‘Baghdad Bob’ in the current situation.

It would appear that Colonel ‘However You Spell His Name’ is toast, extra crispy.

The rebels report arresting his two sons, who seem to have forgotten that they would fight to the death, and the major activity in Tripoli seems to be people sewing the new flags to prove they didn’t support government, rather than massing in the streets to stop the rebel advance.

It looks more and more like it is time for a rousing chorus of ‘Ding dong the whacko’s gone…’

Position: 17.9N 65.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 15 mph [24 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 70 mph [110 kph].
Wind Gusts: 85 mph [140 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 150 miles [240 km].
Minimum central pressure: 993 mb ↓.

Currently about 50 miles [ 80 km] Southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico and 50 miles [80 km] West-Northwest of St. Croix.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebrathe and the coast of the Dominican Republic.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for U.S. Virgin Islands and the central Bahamas.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Haiti, and the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]