Gaddafi threatens Mediterranean war following "aggressive" international air strikes in Libya

Sunday, March 20, 2011, 10:45 [IST]Tripoli, Mar 20: Colonel Muammar Qaddafi has warned that the "aggressive, and foolish" international air and missile strikes inside Libya have turned North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea into a "real war zone."

"The interests of the involved countries will be subjected to threats as of now in the Mediterranean Sea because of this aggressive, foolish act that's completely unjustifiable, other than it is a mere crusader colonial aggression that aims to launch a second wide ranging crusader campaign," CBS News quoted Gaddafi, as saying.

In his latest statement, the dictator fell short of blaming al Qaeda over the uprising, but instead urged other nations and people to stand by Libya to fight off "colonial aggression."

Qaddafi said that the aggressive actions in Libya are "only making this people stronger, tougher, more united within an internal and united national front. Right now, weapons depots are being opened in order to arm the people with all sorts of weapons, in order to enable them to defend Libya's independence its unity and its Honour."

ANI

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Gaddafi flees from Libya? Bombing continues

Tripoli, Mar 21: Following the simultaneous bombings at Muammar Gaddafi's residence by the forces from United States and United Kingdom, sources informed that no trace of the rigid Libya leader has been found yet. From Sunday (Mar 20) midnight, forces started bombing, sources reported. The news raised question - has Gaddafi fled from Libya?

Arab media on Monday, Mar 21 reported that one of the sons of Gaddafi, Khamis Gaddafi died in hospital. Khamis was injured during the bombings at Gaddafi's residence.

A stray cruise missile landed inside the compound of Gaddafi destroying the administrative building completely. The Bab al-Aziziya compound also houses his residence and is located 50 metres from the building, revealed Moussa Ibrahim, Libyan spokesperson. He added, "This was a barbaric bombing which could have hit hundreds of civilians gathered at the residence of Muammar Gaddafi about 400 metres away from the building which was hit."

The Western world is hoping to put an end to the crisis that has crippled the country with casualties rising everyday and is abiding by the United Nations directive for a no-fly zone over Libya. With more countries joining in the coalition with the latest entrants being Belgium and Qatar, Gaddafi has called for a ceasefire over rising coalition power. "I sincerely hope and urge the Libyan authorities to keep their word," said the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The new ceasefire call by Gaddafi has raised suspicions with the Pentagon over its credibility. Gaddafi, however said that it was heeding an African Union call for an immediate end to hostilities. But the US rubbished this claim saying that they themselves did not obey the truce call. But anti-Gaddafi protesters welcomed the air strikes aimed at the Gaddafi stronghold.

The Libyan spokesperson added, "Western countries say they want to protect civilians while they bomb the residence knowing there are civilians inside." There are also widespread reports that the Pentagon had given clear instructions on not to bomb Gaddafi's residence and still carried out an attack that could have been deadly. The unnamed US official said that neither Gaddafi nor his residence was the intended target.

OneIndia News

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Muammar Gaddafi must go: Barack Obama

Washington, Mar 22: US President Barack Obama has asserted that it is America's policy that the Libyan leader, Muammar Al Gaddafi must go and his Administration has multiple tolls to ensure that this goal is achieved.

"It is US policy that Gaddafi needs to go. We have got a wide range of tools in addition to our military efforts to support that policy.

We were very rapid in initiating unilateral sanctions and then helping to mobilize international sanctions against the Gadhafi regime," the US President said during a joint news conference with his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera in Santiago, Chile.

Obama said the US military action is in support of an international mandate from the Security Council that specifically focuses on the humanitarian threat posed by Colonel Gaddafi to his people.

"Not only was he carrying out murders of civilians, but he threatened more; he said very specifically: We will show no mercy to people who live in Benghazi," he said.

"In the face of that, the international community rallied and said, we have to stop any potential atrocities inside of Libya, and provided a broad mandate to accomplish that specific task.

As part of that international coalition, I authorized the US military to work with our international partners to fulfill that mandate," Obama said.

The US froze assets that Gaddafi might have used to further empower himself and purchase weapons or hire mercenaries that might be directed against the Libyan people, he said.

"So there are a whole range of policies that we are putting in place that has created one of the most powerful international consensuses around the isolation of Mr.

Gaddafi, and we will continue to pursue those," he added.

However, America's military action is in support of the UN Security Resolution 1973. That specifically talks about humanitarian efforts.

"We are going to make sure that we stick to that mandate," he said.

"With respect to initiating this action while I was abroad, keep in mind that we were working on very short time frames. We had done all the work, and it was just a matter of seeing how Gaddafi would react to the warning that I issued on Friday", the US President Obama said.

"After consultation with our allies, we decided to move forward. And it was a matter of me directing Secretary of Defense (Robert) Gates and Admiral (Mike) Mullen that the plan that had been developed in great detail extensively prior to my departure was put into place," he added.

PTI

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Lawless Gaddafi threatened US interests: Obama

Santiago, Mar 22: President Barack Obama assured top US lawmakers that military strikes on the forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's lawless regime were in the national interest of the United States.

"Left unaddressed, the growing instability in Libya could ignite wider instability in the Middle East, with dangerous consequences to the national security interests of the United States," Obama said in a letter to Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Senate President Pro Tempore Daniel Inouye.

The president also answered lawmakers publicly pressing him to detail what US forces aimed to achieve in Libya and openly worrying that "mission creep" could lead to a protracted entanglement with no defined end-point.

Obama said US strikes on Libyan air defenses and military airfields "will be limited in their nature, duration, and scope" and aimed to set the stage for a no-fly zone as called for under a UN Security Council resolution.

"United States forces are conducting a limited and well-defined mission in support of international efforts to protect civilians and prevent a humanitarian disaster," he said.

The US president asserted that "the United States has not deployed ground forces into Libya" but did not repeat past pledges not to deploy them in the future.

And he slammed Gaddafi's "illegitimate use of force," accusing him of killing "substantial numbers of civilians" and "forcing many others to flee" to neighboring countries, thus threatening to destabilize the region.

"Gaddafi's defiance of the Arab League, as well as the broader international community moreover, represents a lawless challenge to the authority of the Security Council and its efforts to preserve stability in the region.

"Gaddafi has forfeited his responsibility to protect his own citizens and created a serious need for immediate humanitarian assistance and protection, with any delay only putting more civilians at risk," said Obama.

AFP

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Gaddafi exhorts India to invest in Libya oil

Monday, March 14, 2011, 12:16 [IST]Tripoli, Mar 14: With leaders of the world gunning after him and still a massive unrest at home to subside, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has urged India, China and Russia to invest in the country's oil sector, reported the state television.

Reports in the Libyan state television said, "In the discussions with the ambassadors ... a call was made for the companies of those countries to invest in the Libyan oil industry."

The oil exports of Libya have taken a heavy beating due to the prevalent political unrest, staff-shortage, international sanctions and the denial by international banks to fund deals. Analysts predict that it may take nearly a year's time for the oil-exports of Libya to return to to the normal.

The appeal assumes significance in the context that apart from the three countries' being the fastest growing economies, China and Russia are both veto-wielding members of the United Nations Security Council and until now are opposed to the idea of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.

Gaddafi whose 41 year old regime was threatened by a massive unrest inspired from the Egypt protests that toppled the Mubarak government, has been successful to a large extent in crushing the revolt. His indiscriminate use of military warfare against his own country-men has led to anger among western-countries who are mulling a proposal to impose a UN-backed no-fly zone.

OneIndia News

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