16/09/2011 GMT with George Alagiah

Fierce fighting in Colonel Gaddafi's final strongholds.

Libya's new rulers launch an assault. Anti-Gaddafi fighters pour

into Bani Walid. Is the end of Colonel Gaddafi's resistance

approaching? Welcome to GMT. Also in the

programme, Palestinians facing the diplomatic heat as they prepare

their UN bid for stated. Washington warns of negative consequences. --

statehood. And months of protest by hundreds

of thousands of students in Chile. Why is the country's education

system in crisis? It is 7:30am and Washington DC and

1:30pm in the Libyan capital of Tripoli where the country's interim

government has given the green light for an assault on Colonel

Gaddafi's few remaining strongholds. Eyewitnesses reported heavy

fighting in Bani Walid. In Sirte, to the north, loyalists are putting

up fierce resistance. As to Gaddafi's whereabouts, Libya's

rulers insist he is in the country but do not know where.

They gave the enemy a deadline. It has now run out. Military columns

of the National Transitional Council and their orders to go in

and oust Gaddafi loyalists. Two key towns are under attack. The last

stands of a civil war. They moved towards the heart of Sirte, an

ancient Mediterranean city made rich from Gaddafi's patronage. On

the way, they clear buildings were loyalists are hiding. And they take

casualties, too. A sniper, killed in a firefight. They discover

shallow graves of loyalist fighters. Fighting is now in Sirte and Bani

Walid. Further south, Sabha and smaller pockets are holding out.

Outside of Bani Walid, it was hoped that leaders of the local crime

would hand over the town but it has not worked out like that. On the

cusp of victory, peppered with threats from the dictatorship.

TRANSLATION: They have come to Tripoli to sign agreements with

traitors. These people pretend that they have come to rebuild Libya but

at the same time, they carry on destroying its buildings, schools,

factories and hospitals. Colonel Gaddafi's strongholds are

surrounded but the transitional council has yet to control the

whole country. Richard Galpin joins us from the

Libyan capital. We have a renewed assault, we continue to see

sustained resistance. Does this seem like the end game? It is very

difficult to make that call. We have had a lot of false starts

before. The assault on Bani Walid started one week ago. We were there

and the forces loyal to the interim government were saying it would be

over in a matter of hours. Here we are, one week on, and there is a

major assault going on in Bani Walid. It is coming from the north-

west and from the east. It seems clear that there are more fighters

involved. The numbers were pretty small were we were there. A lot of

the fighters were inexperienced. It seems that more fighters have moved

in, with more reinforcements on the way. It is a major assault. As they

tried to get in, to control the key parts of the city centre, we

understand they are facing heavy resistance from loyalists. At the

moment, the battle continues and we do not know whether this assault

will be a successful or not. And we should not forget that there is a

similar situation in Sirte with an offensive that was repelled to a

certain extent. I just wonder whether you're getting indications

in Tripoli that officials believe that Colonel Gaddafi may be in

either of these towns? That has been the rumour. Not so much Sirte

but certainly Bani Walid. There had been rumours about the Gaddafi

family. Colonel Gaddafi, I think not. Certainly, we interviewed the

end of the entrant government, a couple of days ago, and we asked

him how the hunt for Colonel Gaddafi was going. He said that he

believes he is in southern Libya. So we think he is not in Bani Walid.

Certainly, there have been rumours from the fighters around the town

saying that one of his sons, possibly Saif al-Islam, is there.

He has been seen their not so long ago. And possibly also Mussa

Ibrahim, Colonel Gaddafi's main spokesman. These are rumours. There

are contradictory accounts. Other people say that yes, they may have

been here when they withdrew from Tripoli but it is unlikely they

would allow themselves to be cornered. Thank you very much. Let

us look at the other stories. Widespread flooding has brought

misery to a swathe of territory in southern Pakistan. Over 200 people

have died, 200,000 are said to be homeless and it is feared that 2

million have been infected with disease. The region are still

recovering from last year's devastating floods. The current

situation could deteriorate rapidly. Live now to Sindh Province and Det

Aleem Maqbool. What is the latest situation where you are? We had

been travelling across the rural areas of this province, is fast

province. We have been travelling for eight hours and the entire way,

we have seen water on either side of us. We have seen people grabbing

belongings. In some cases, they had to do it very quickly. There was

flash flooding in many areas. They went to higher land with whatever

livestock they could find. Often the only high land was the road, so

we were weaving through a tense and livestock. -- through tents. We

have been seeing the carcasses of dead animals. They have been

several occasions where we have looked out to our left and see

nothing but water. And we are a few hundred kilometres from the sea.

gave some depressing statistics at the beginning, the scale of this

disaster, with a couple of hundred 1000 people homeless and up to 2

million suffering from water-borne disease. Is it your impression that

the authorities, the Government, the military are able to cope and

that the rescue effort is reaching everywhere it needs to reach?

are two things going on. There is a visible military presence. The army

is carrying. Rescue missions in boats and by a helicopters. --

carrying out rescue missions. Just as it was last year, there are lots

of complaints about the aid effort and the Government's capacity to

deal with all of this. Eight has been very patchy. We have gone

through Sindh Province and we have seen so many communities were

people have said they have not seen any aid at all. That is why you're

getting these problems. People are so desperate for clean water that

they are resorting to drinking floodwaters in many cases. And

there are dead bodies of animals lying around, there is much concern

that many more people will get ill and will die because of this.

Maqbool, thank you very much. Human Rights Act of this say that

Syrian security forces had shot dead at least four people during a

raid on a town near this central city in Syria. Meanwhile, Lebanon

says that Syria has fired into their territory and people fleeing

across the border are now being targeted. The Lebanese claimed the

patrol came 200 metres into Lebanese territory. Locals say that

the shooting went on for two hours. In recent months, refugees have

been moving across the border between the two countries.

For one of four miners trapped underground in South Wales has been

found dead. It is hoped the remaining men in the Swansea Valley

have found pockets of air in which to shelter after water burst

through a retaining wall and cut off their escape route.

In Australia, firefighters had been fighting a blaze in a chemical

factory in Canberra. This is what Firefighters have gained control of

the Inferno, which billows toxic smoke across the capital. Many

residents had to evacuate the area. Anyone within 10 kilometres was

told to stay indoors and keep their windows closed. Two people have

been treated for smoke inhalation. Over 2000 have been arrested in

China as part of a crackdown on gang related crime. Chinese

television broadcast images of Swat teams carrying out raids on a mafia

gang who police believe are involved in the production of drugs.

Coming up, postman Pat. Do you remember him? It is 30 years since

the friendly postman was created. First, the business news. Aaron

Heselhurst is here. It is the Eurozone again. Finance ministers

meeting in Poland. Not just European finance ministers, it is

also the US treasury secretary, Tim Geithner. What are they saying?

fact that he is there highlights that there is growing international

worry that the Eurozone problems could spread. Number one on the

agenda, increasing the rescue pot. At the moment, it is 250 billion

euros but that is nowhere near enough if the bigger countries get

into trouble, like Italy and Spain. Also, Greece, on the agenda.

Willetts default? Austria's Finance Minister said earlier today that a

Greek default would be the cheapest option for the Eurozone. The reason

being that the more money you throw into Greece, the bigger their

problem gets. All the time, it will press down on Greek growth, which

is collapsing. It fell by 7% in the second quarter. Official forecasts

are for a return to bolster growth next year but that looks hopelessly

optimistic. In that environment, it will never get better. The GDP

ratio will be 152170%, and the default risk will remain high.

there is momentum in Germany, Finland, Slovakia, where people are

saying, enough is enough. They are seeing a slowdown in their own

economies. So still the focus on sovereign debt. And yet one of the

bigger stories over the last couple of days has been the debts run up

by a banker working for DPS. He is being questioned over these

unauthorised trades. It was him who went to the UBS management to

notify them, and that is a huge worry. That highlights the fact

that if this can happen at UBS, it could possibly happen in other

banks. Let us listen to this. happened in the equity trading

division of the UBS, one of the biggest traders of equities in the

world. It has world-class systems and a long track record. You have

to assume that if they cannot control this, then you cannot

expect other banks to be able to control it. That is a worry. The

markets are roll-up on the back of the move by the five central banks

saying they would pump US dollars into the liquidity market. That has

eased some of the pressure. -- the markets are all up.

Get in touch with us here and tell us what do you think. You can see

highlights of the programme on our This is GMT. Here are the

headlines: Forces loyal to Libya's interim government launch a major

military assault on Colonel Gaddafi's final strongholds in such

-- including his home town. Flood misery in Pakistan as 200,000

people are homeless and 2 million exposed to disease. Emergency teams

struggled to reach the worst affected areas.

The Obama administration is putting intense diplomatic pressure on the

Palestinians to dissuade them from applying for full membership of the

United Nations at the General Assembly next week. In a few hours'

time, Mahmoud Abbas will address his people to explain the reasons

behind the decision to seek UN recognition. It is a move opposed

by Israel and by the US government. In an interview with the BBC, the

US ambassador to the UN said that the proposed bid for Palestinian

statehood would set back prospects We share the aspiration for the

creation of a Palestinian state but that can only be accomplished

through direct negotiation between the Israelis and Palestinians.

There is no short cut to where we pass a resolution in the General

Assembly and the Security Council. In the real world, it creates a

Palestinian state. The issues that divide them, boarders, security,

Jerusalem, refugees etc, can only be resolved through director Nick

associations at the negotiating table and that's why we view the

Palestinian potential drive to come to the City Council and the General

Assembly as counter-productive. Those negotiations are effectively

dead at the moment. 20 years of a US-led negotiations have not got

anywhere and the Palestinians are saying, we need something to keep

the state to States alive a. There is no magic wand which can be

waived in the New York to make everything right. There is a risk

in that because if you are an average person in the territories,

and your hopes have been raised that by some action in New York,

something will be different, the reality is, nothing will change.

There will be no more sovereignty, no more food on the table. This gap

between expectation and reality is quite dangerous for the there is

the risk Palestinians look at what happens in the United Nations next

we can say to themselves, the path of diplomacy has not work. The

miscalculation is it by coming to the UN in some fashion, they will

be in a better position to negotiate. There will not be a

credible environment for Nick associations. It will be much

tougher. After action in New York. If the aim is to isolate and

confront his role, then that is not going to encourage Israel to come

back to the negotiating table any sooner. The diplomatic manoeuvring

around the UN General Assembly next week has already begun and for more

on the planned Palestinian statehood UN full membership bid,

we're joined from Jerusalem by Professor Gerald Steinberg, the

head of conflict management and negotiations faculty at Bar Iban

university. How worried is Israel about this looming isolation Susan

Rice referred to? Well, it is worrying. Israel has been

increasingly isolated as Egypt has become unstable. We sought violent

riots last week and there were demonstrations in Turkey and Jordan.

There is a sense there is a sense Israel is much more isolated than

it was and that adds to instability. The Palestinians are taking

advantage, exploiting that situation. None of the questions we

heard a few moments ago we heard from the Palestinian Authority had

been directed at reassuring Israel. It is saying that we understand for

the last 63 years to have been subject to isolation and of

terrorism. We are looking for a compromise. The move up to the UN

is to increase that isolation. It's a cynical political ploy and will

not help the peace process. We have focused on that Susan Rice's words.

The Barack Obama administration has tried again and again to get

Benjamin Netanyahu to renew a commitment to stop settlement

construction on occupied land. He refused to do so. Is he prepared to

make that sort of a move? That isolation of but one issue after so

many complex issues in the conflict was a big mistake by the Obama

administration. We need to have a compromise on the Palestinian side.

It can't be focused on Israelis who are concerned, instead of getting a

stable to state solution, we will have a very violent terrorist

regime and a failed at state. These factors are very important.

give me for interrupting. In that answer you imply a Israel has put

concessions on the table. Benjamin Netanyahu is going to go to New

York and make a speech at the UN are. What sort of concessions will

he be prepared to put on the table? Up we have a history of a very

generous Israeli concessions. To heighten 3% differences in borders.

If there was a Palestinian partner who was serious, if they were

talking about ending their right of return claim a Offiah's the people

There is the incitement. That is the main issue here. There is

absolutely no question... haven't actually outlined any

significant specific compromised proposal or concession but Benjamin

Netanyahu is prepared to take to New York. Is there one? You get

proportion to watch our put on the table into what it is receiving. It

has received nothing from Palestine. Complete stonewalling from the

beginning. Only focusing on Israel to stop settlement construction

when the areas involved are under the speed and the boundaries are

not clear. The Palestinians want to impose an agreement which has not

going to be stable and to create another failed state in the region.

We have to ended their but thank you for joining us on GMT. For the

past five months, hundreds of thousands of Chilean students have

joined a movement for free, equal and good quality education in their

country. Back in May, the demonstrations started peacefully,

with the students trying to get their message across in unusual

ways. A kissing protest and then protesting in fancy dress. But in

the past few weeks the protests have become violent, with frequent

clashes with police. It's become a huge political problem for the

government as President Sebastian Piera's poll ratings have plunged.

Well for more on the movement we're joined via webcam from the Chilean

capital Santiago by Juanita Chacon Snow, the Acting Editor of the

Santiago Times. I suppose I want an update. Are these protests

continuing and is there still violence in San Diego? We received

word this morning from the student movement that they have rejected

the recent government proposal to get working groups going to discuss

three of the major concerns raised by the student groups -- Santiago.

They have announced another general strike for next Thursday. A big

March. Basically because the Government did not agreed to two of

the four conditions that they placed before them to agree to

participate in these working groups would have been proposed by the

Government. What they were requesting was a freeze to two

bills which will put the Congress on the 17th for Education Reform

which was drafted without student participation. It just strikes me

that the students are using some of the tactics they drew inspiration

from the Arab Spring. In the end, it's a different situation. Chile

has been successful in recent years. I wonder why street protests have

become such a popular form of political action? Well, it's at new

phenomenon here. The student body began following a series of other

protests here in Chile when people were expressing discontent and the

opposition to a series of projects, environmental ones up specifically,

in the south, and also the rise in gas prices in the south. There have

been a series of protests and people just want to express their

frustration with the situation here in Chile right now. There are many

other stories you may have heard of in terms of the increased profits

of the private health system, there are serious legacies situations

here in the country which have made people feel less afraid to express

their opinions. We have to end there. Thank you for joining us on

GMT. It's exactly 30 years since the

first broadcast of the animated childrens TV show Postman Pat. Some

of you like me may still have the theme tune stuck in your heads. The

show, starring the doughty rural postman in his delivery van became

an unlikely hit across the world from China to Iran to the

Philippines. On this 30th anniversary the creator of Postman

Pat has been recalling what # Everybody knows his bright red

banner. # All his friends will smile as he

I and the creator of Postman Pat and a few of the characters in the

box and a television as well. MUSIC PLAYS and Pat and his black

I said to them, what about having a post man? I looked at my farming

stories and we hadn't used to those. Who else lives in the countryside?

The postman troubles around and needs a lot of people. It would not

be static -- the postman travels around and meets a lot of people.

They said, it sounds quite likely. I don't think anybody has done it.

OK, you go back to Kendal and write an outline for 13 episodes.

ANNOUNCER: Postman Pat was on his way. A bit further back in his life

I was a mobile librarian in Northumberland and I travelled

around a very much in the way Postman Pat travels around in a

large mobile library, travelling around the farms, around the

countryside. A lot of that fed into it. Come on, Jess, we have got work

to do. Jess provided some body poor postman Pat to speak to without

seeming peculiar. The question in the press about it, I think it was

said the postman are not allowed to carry pepsin their vans. -- pets in