BBC correspondent recalls human cost of conflict

LONDON - Jonathan Head's reporting work placed him amid brutal bombardment in Sirte, the fall of which ended Libya's eight-month civil war. Yet it was the tragic suffering of the Libyan people that left the deepest imprint on his memory.

"These are ordinary people, and it seems so unnecessary," Head told China Daily just one day after the death of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi on Thursday.

The war, which started with a revolt in parts of Libya in mid-February and was bolstered by NATO air strikes a month later, has led to the deaths of more than 25,000 people. More than one-fifth of Libya's 6.5 million people have sought protection in neighboring countries.

Having spent just over two weeks in Libya as a BBC reporter before his team was replaced on Oct 9, Head nevertheless established very close bonds with a brigade that he spent most of the time with.

"They were under a lot of stress and pressure. They were short of resources, and didn't have time really to help journalists. But Libyans are naturally very hospitable, and we got to know them well," he said.

The brigade, consisting of about 40 men, was headed by a man known as Lameen. "He wasn't a particularly big man, and had a very pronounced limp from a shrapnel wound in his leg. But he had tremendous authority, a growling voice, big black beard and real charisma," Head said.

Like many other Libyan men, Lameen had some military experience, although he had spent most of his working life in Misrata's steelworks. He took up arms when the conflict broke out earlier this year and named his brigade after a colleague killed in the Battle of Misrata.

But Lameen was hit twice in the chest on the morning of Oct 7, leaving behind an eight month-old daughter, and his wife, who is pregnant with their second child.

"It's quite distressing. It really is," Head said after a long pause.

Most civilians leaving Sirte were reluctant to speak to Head, but the limited information he gathered made him realize that conditions in the city were tough.

"Civilians were given water, food and petrol to help them continue their journey. Some had injuries but medical treatment was hard to get."

Their biggest worry was finding a new place to live. "Their home town was more or less being destroyed, and it's not clear whether they'll be allowed to go back there. They feel that they face a very uncertain future."

Libya's battleground was a dangerous place, but Head feels his job requires him to accept some risks.

"The only way you can feel for an event that's happening is to see it up close," he said.

The need to stand still in one place to broadcast made him vulnerable. He recounts an occasion where his team set up equipment in what they believed to be a safe place.

"I was there with the camera, cable, speakerphone, and earpieces to my ears, and suddenly bullets started singing all around me, hitting the ground very close to us." His team immediately threw themselves to the ground and took cover behind whatever they could find.

But not all of the danger was on the battlefield itself. Spare weapons were stored in rooms with very poor security. Head was terrified to see some young men casually bashing bullets into ammunition belts, which could have set them off.

The need to drive sometimes at 180 kilometers an hour over poorly maintained roads to get back to his lodgings at night also put him at risk of hitting camels. "Sometimes camels just walk out in the middle of the road. They have the worst road sense."

Two weeks after Head left Libya, the country's fighting ended. As Libyans look forward to a new period of reconstruction, Head admits that the split loyalties in the country still worry him.

Having witnessed the trauma suffered by the Libyans in the past few months, Head said he hopes to see a fair society rebuilt soon but he is not too optimistic. "It's going to be messy," he said.

China Daily