uprising in eastern libya, now held in a nondescript house. many were severely beaten by angry crowds after their surrender, saved from a far worse fate by community leaders. the men insist they didn't want to fire upon the anti-gadhafi protesters and tried to avoid carrying out their officers' orders. we were shooting randomly in the air, says this soldier. all the guys there were firing up. but the officer, saif, isn't convinced. innocent people died, innocent people, he says, your libyan brothers. local activist hassi suspects they may still be loyal to the regime. some units of the army gave themselves up, he says, but you didn't. we had come here looking for the much talked about foreign mercenaries used by the regime