An official in Niger says three top generals who served Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are negotiating for political refugee status in the capital. The official says he is involved in the negotiations. He spoke Tuesday from the city of Agadez and said Gaddafi's son Al-Saadi Gaddafi remains in that city. The generals arrived in Niamey Monday night. The official says members of the convoy that entered Niamey had to give up their arms. The official, who is with the Agadez City Council, asked not to be named because he's not authorized to speak to the press. He says Tuareg leaders are pushing for the government to accept the former regime loyalists so they don't become fugitives in the West African nation, which has a vast northern desert. Meanwhile, NATO says its warplanes have pounded targets in a number of key strongholds of support for Gaddafi. The alliance said Tuesday that airstrikes struck one radar system, eight surface-to-air missile systems, five surface-to-air missile trailers, one armed vehicle and two command vehicles a day earlier near Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte.NATO also says it struck six tanks and two armored fighting vehicles in Sabha in the southern desert. Those two cities, along with Bani Walid, are the primary bastions of Gaddafi loyalists remaining in the country more than three weeks after forces captured Tripoli.
