CAIRO: Egyptian officials have denied reports that family members of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are in Cairo. Earlier reports suggested that family of the former Libyan strongman had left Algeria for Egypt, but officials in Cairo denied the suggestions. “We have no information about the arrival of Gaddafi's family members,” a senior security officer at the Cairo international airport told China's Xinhua news agency on condition of anonymity. Algeria's Arabic-language daily El Khabar reported Monday that 8 members of Gaddafi's family, probably including his daughter Aisha, would have left Algeria and reached Cairo. Quoting a well-informed source, the report said the eight Gaddafi family members left Algeria for Cairo Saturday via Houari Boumediene International Airport in Algiers. Aisha embarrassed Algerian authorities when she issued a telephone message Friday blasting Libya's ruling National Transitional Council as traitors. The statement, aired on Syria-based Al-Rai satellite channel, drew sharp criticism from Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Mdeleci, who called Aisha's comment “unacceptable” and pledged to take measures to prevent its recurrence. Algeria permitted members of Gaddafi's family, including Aisha, to enter the country on August 29 on humanitarian ground. Aisha gave birth to a baby girl in an Algerian border town a few days later. BM
