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Protecting civilians from Gadhafi's forces has been the stated mission of the international action since the beginning, although some countries have offered variations on that theme at times. A resident of Zwara, a former rebel holding in the west, said the regime has the town firmly in its grip again. He said pro-Gadhafi forces are dragging away people there and in the town of Zawiya who participated in protests that began Feb. 15 and were inspired by the uprisings that toppled autocratic leaders in Egypt and Tunisia. "They have lists of demonstrators and videos and so on and they are seeking them out. We are all staying home and waiting for this to be over," said the resident, who did not want to be named because he feared for his safety if discovered. He said a friend who helped coordinate checkpoints when the opposition held the city was taken away Friday. "They came with four or five cars with four people in each one, all of them armed to the teeth with Kalashnikovs. They surrounded the house and took him out," he said, adding that the whole thing was seen by a common friend. He said neighbors now fear each other. "During the demonstrations, many people contributed to the community, doing anything they could. This shows that the regime has collaborators to give them names. It's a Big Brother type of show, so they can come in and take whomever they want."
[Associated
Press;
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