Smith: Qaddafi may be crazy, but he isn't stupid

For CBS News' Harry Smith, reporting on the situation in Libya was a challenge.

Embattled Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi has herded all foreign press into one hotel, and initially told Smith and his crew that they can only leave the grounds of the hotel with a government minder and go to pre-approved spots, Smith told CBS News Editor-in-Chief Dan Farber.

However, Smith said he dug in his heels and was eventually able to go out and talk to whomever he wanted, albeit still with a government minder.

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The people of Libya like Western culture, and a large number of Tripoli citizens speak English, Smith said.

One of the more surprising things Smith learned on the ground in Libya is that poverty is much less bad there than in Egypt. Everybody has a car. Everybody has a house. Because of inflation, every family gets hundreds of dollars a month in government stipends. While Qaddafi may be crazy, Smith said, he's not stupid.

With the internet having been shut down by Qaddafi, CBS News' Harry Smith said he and his crew had a particular challenge even getting a place ticket to get out.