Monday, February 21, 2011

Libya on brink as protests hit Tripoli

Muammar Gaddafi's son warns of civil war in state television address as regime tries to halt uprising

Ian Black, Middle East editor
The Guardian, Monday 21 February 2011

"Muammar Gaddafi's son went on Libyan TV to defend his father's 41-year rule of Libya as protests spread to the capital Tripoli.

The most violent scenes so far of the wave of unrest sweeping the Arab world were seen as Gaddafi relied on brute force to crush what began last week as peaceful protests but now threaten his regime.

After a bloody crackdown that saw troops and mercenaries shooting unarmed demonstrators in the country's second city of Benghazi, the death toll rose to more than 230.

BBC Arabic reported automatic gunfire and teargas in the capital for the first time since the unrest began.

But the regime went on the attack when Saif al-Islam appeared on state TV to say it was a "tragedy" that Libyans had died but warned of "civil war" unless order was restored.

"There is a plot against Libya," said Saif, blaming "an Islamic group with a military agenda" for the bloodshed in Benghazi.

Libya would see "rivers of blood", an exodus of foreign oil companies and occupation by "imperialists" if the violence continued, he said.

In reality, there has been little sign of Islamist involvement in Libya's unprecedented unrest. Nor was there in the uprisings in Tunisia or Egypt.....

The US, Britain and the EU expressed concern at the escalation in violence, but no punitive measures were announced. On Friday the UK revoked licences for the export of riot control equipment. Libya yesterday warned the EU it would halt co-operation over illegal immigration unless the EU stopped supporting protests.


The regime, once treated as a pariah, has been embraced by western countries hungry for oil and lucrative business opportunities since Gaddafi abandoned his support for terrorism but there has been very little easing of domestic repression....."

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