The US State Department has warned journalists that going into Libya is extremely hazardous, as those reporters who have already entered the country illegally are now being considered Al Qaida collaborators by the government and will be arrested if caught.
Libyan Government officials told US diplomats that some members of CNN, BBC Arabic and Al Arabiya would be allowed into the country to report on the situation. They would apparently be escorted, according to the New York Times, and an additional concern is that they would be used as human shields.
The Libyan government insists that journalists have been exaggerating the number of deaths and intends to show reporters its side of the story.
Many journalists, including some from the Guardian and ITV News, have entered Libya this week for the first time in 40 years, the Guardian reported. Most reached the country via its eastern border with Egypt. As the east of the country has fallen into opposition hands, most journalists are based there. For their safety, their exact locations are not being made public.
The Guardian reported yesterday that the country's capital, Tripoli, still remains largely closed off to foreign media.
