Gadhafi's son warns of civil war in Libya
Almaty. February 21. Kazakhstan Today - Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of Libya's leader, Moammar Gadhafi, has warned that protesters risk to ignite a civil war, Kazakhstan Today reports.
After anti-government unrest spread to the Libyan capital of Tripoli and protesters seized military bases and weapons Sunday, Moammar Gadhafi's son went on state television to proclaim that his father remained in charge with the army's backing and would "fight until the last man, the last woman, the last bullet," ABC News reported.
Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, in the regime's first comments on the six days of demonstrations, warned the protesters that they risked igniting a civil war in which Libya's oil wealth "will be burned."
The speech followed a fierce crackdown by security forces who fired on thousands of demonstrators and funeral marchers in the eastern city of Benghazi in a bloody cycle of violence that killed 60 people on Sunday alone, according to a doctor in one city hospital. Since the six days of unrest began, more than 200 people have been killed, according to medical officials, human rights groups and exiled dissidents.
Although the elder Gadhafi did not appear, his son has often been put forward as the regime's face of reform.
Western countries have expressed concern at the rising violence against demonstrators in Libya. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he spoke to Seif al-Islam by phone and told him that the country must embark on "dialogue and implement reforms," the Foreign Office said.
In his speech, the younger Gadhafi conceded the army made some mistakes during the protests because the troops were not trained to deal with demonstrators, but he added that the number of dead had been exaggerated, giving a death toll of 84.
He offered to put forward reforms within days that he described as a "historic national initiative" and said the regime was willing to remove some restrictions and begin discussions for a constitution. He offered to change a number of laws, including those covering the media and the penal code.
Seif al-Islam said that if protests continued, Libya would slide back to "colonial" rule. "You will get Americans and European fleets coming your way and they will occupy you.
He threatened to "eradicate the pockets of sedition" and said the army will play a main role in restoring order.
"There has to be a firm stand," he said. "This is not the Tunisian or Egyptian army."
The United States and the European Union have strongly condemned the use of lethal force in Libya, while UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for "the non-use of force and respect for basic freedoms," The Daily Telegraph informed.
Some international firms - including BP, one of the world's biggest oil companies - are preparing to pull their staff out of Libya, and the UK has announced it is flying home the families of diplomats stationed in the country, BBC News informed.
At least four foreign workers were injured when several hundred protesters stormed a construction site west of Tripoli.
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