we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i m wolf blitzer. you re in the situation room. gunfire, honking horns, celebrations in cities across libya, marking the death of gadhafi. we re following all the breaking news this hour. the man who ruthlessly ruled the country for 42 years was killed today outside his hometown of sirte. he was 69 years old. president obama said his death marks the end of a long and painful chapter for libya. one year ago, the notion of a free libya seemed impossible. but then the libyan people rose up. and demanded their rights. and when gadhafi and his forces started going city to city, town by town to brutalize men, women and children, the world refused to stand idly by. faced with the potential of mass atrocities and a call for help from the libyan people, the united states and our friends and allies stopped gadhafi s forces in their tracks. there will be difficult days ahead. but the united states, togethe