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Qaddafi Vows To Fight 'To The Last Man and Woman'

02.03.2011 14:57

By RFE/RL

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is to open an enquiry into possible crimes in Libya, where antigovernment protesters have faced a violent crackdown by forces loyal to Muammar Qaddafi.

The office of Luis Moreno-Ocampo said he would name those targeted on March 3.

The statement came as Libya's embattled ruler made a defiant speech to his supporters in Tripoli -- claiming that a majority of Libyans support his regime and would fight to their deaths for him.

'Until The Last Man And Woman'

In a speech lasting almost three hours, Qaddafi vowed to fight "until the last man and woman and said antigovernment demonstrators across Libya are "Al-Qaeda-inspired terrorists."

Qaddafi also criticized international media that have been covering the popular uprising against him, calling satellite television broadcasters "provocateurs."

And he rejected the calls for him to step down from power -- including one today from European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, who said it has become "painfully clear that Colonel Qaddafi is part of the problem and not part of the solution."

Qaddafi's speech came as fierce fighting raged between pro-Qaddafi and antigovernment forces in Libya's eastern city of Brega, with each side claiming to have control of an important oil export terminal there.

Correspondents close to the fighting confirmed that Libyan air force jets have been carrying out air strikes against antigovernment forces at Brega.

Witnesses say Qaddafi's fighter jets also bombed parts of the nearby town of Ajdabiya -- which has been under the control of antigovernment forces and army defectors since last week

In the western part of the country, reports say government troops have been unable to regain areas held by protesters there since last week.

Two U.S. warships were heading toward Libya today as the West starts to flex military muscle. But there does not appear to be enough international support for passage of a new UN Security Council that would justify a no-fly zone over Libya to stop Qaddafi's jets and helicopter gunships from targeting demonstrators.

London has said that a no-fly zone would not necessarily require UN approval. But Russia appears skeptical about such a zone. France's newly appointed foreign minister, Alain Juppe, has ruled out military action against Qaddafi's regime without a clear UN mandate.

Juppe says NATO intervention in Libya might be "extremely counterproductive" in the eyes of Arab public opinion, while top U.S. officials have stressed logistical problems and the lack of international unanimity.

No Fly Zone Presents 'Practical' Challenges

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued a similar warning today in Berlin, saying that such a zone would pose "very serious practical challenges."

Although Qaddafi's military is badly outgunned by U.S. and NATO aircraft, the regime has dozens of surface-to-air missiles that could target NATO warplanes.

A senior Arab League official, Hesham Youssef, said today that Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo would reject any foreign military intervention in Libya.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency said the situation on the Libya-Tunisia border is reaching a crisis point as desperate expatriate workers try to flee the country. More than 100,000 people already have fled Libya since Qaddafi loyalists began a vicious crackdown against antigovernment demonstrators that has left at least 1,000 dead.

written by Ron Synovitz with contributions from agency reports

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/libya_us_warships/2325440.html

Copyright (c) 2011. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.