While the protest movement is close to Tripoli, Muammar Gaddafi has made his second speech since the beginning of the revolt by telephone, without appearing on screen in an attempt to discredit the movement. "They have 17 years. They get the pills at night, they put hallucinogenic substances in their drinks, their milk, coffee, Nescafe them," said Gaddafi, who has lost control of much of his country.
Ensuring that the movement was due to external manipulation, the Libyan leader urged the people not to be swayed by al-Qaida. "Bin Laden [...] is the enemy who manipulates the people," shouted Muammar Gaddafi. "No healthy person" should join the ranks of the rebellion, he said, inviting the population to disarm the protesters.
The leader expressed his condolences to the victims of the clashes and called for calm people, he said, are fighting among themselves. >> Relive the events of the day>> Read: For Qadhafi, the protesters are "addicted" manipulated by Al-Qaeda The uprising is gaining ground and clashes took place in Zaouiyah, about fifty miles away Capital.
Witnesses reported gunfire from heavy weapons and scenes of chaos in the city, which lies on the main road linking the Tunisian border to Tripoli. It houses including an oil terminal. Images broadcast Thursday by Al Jazeera showed a police station on fire and a score of corpses in the city.
Zouari, located 120 km west of Tripoli, would also be in the hands of demonstrators. According to witnesses who fled to the Tunisian border, the city comes to itself for several days. While it is difficult to know the toll of the clashes so far, the figure of 1,000 dead was mentioned several times.
The French ambassador in charge of human rights, Francois Zimeray, are particularly refers Thursday, saying there were "elements for precise and consistent investigation for crimes against humanity." The International Federation of Human Rights gave Wednesday the figure of 640 deaths since the beginning of the movement.
The only official report of the Libyan authorities gave on Tuesday, reported 300 dead. Barack Obama broke his silence on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, saying that "suffering and bloodshed are outrageous and unacceptable". Obama has solemnly warned that the regime of Muammar Gaddafi would have to account for his actions.
"It must be held accountable for its inability to meet its responsibilities, and must face the consequences arising from the continuing violations of human rights," he said. The U.S. president then called his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday night. According to Paris, the two Heads of State demand "an immediate halt to the use of force", while France wanted a new emergency meeting of the Security Council of the UN.
>> Read: Obama denounces a bloodbath "scandalous" Given the bloody repression orchestrated by the regime, the EU is examining the possibility of military intervention for humanitarian purposes in Libya, mainly to get foreign nationals still trapped in the country - they would be 5 000-6 000.
Discussions could be deepened on the sidelines of a meeting of EU defense ministers in Budapest, Thursday 24 and Friday, February 25. For now, there is no question of sending a peacekeeping force. "Such an operation would require a UN mandate," noted a senior official in Brussels. For its part, Switzerland has decided on Thursday to freeze the assets of the Libyan leader.
"To avoid any misuse of public funds [Libyan], the Federal Council decided today to freeze with immediate effect all potential assets of Muammar Qaddafi and his environment in Switzerland," announced the Swiss Foreign Ministry said in a statement . This decision "is valid for three years," state authorities.
>> Read: The EU is considering the possibility of intervention for humanitarian purposes in Libya 
Ensuring that the movement was due to external manipulation, the Libyan leader urged the people not to be swayed by al-Qaida. "Bin Laden [...] is the enemy who manipulates the people," shouted Muammar Gaddafi. "No healthy person" should join the ranks of the rebellion, he said, inviting the population to disarm the protesters.
The leader expressed his condolences to the victims of the clashes and called for calm people, he said, are fighting among themselves. >> Relive the events of the day>> Read: For Qadhafi, the protesters are "addicted" manipulated by Al-Qaeda The uprising is gaining ground and clashes took place in Zaouiyah, about fifty miles away Capital.
Witnesses reported gunfire from heavy weapons and scenes of chaos in the city, which lies on the main road linking the Tunisian border to Tripoli. It houses including an oil terminal. Images broadcast Thursday by Al Jazeera showed a police station on fire and a score of corpses in the city.
Zouari, located 120 km west of Tripoli, would also be in the hands of demonstrators. According to witnesses who fled to the Tunisian border, the city comes to itself for several days. While it is difficult to know the toll of the clashes so far, the figure of 1,000 dead was mentioned several times.
The French ambassador in charge of human rights, Francois Zimeray, are particularly refers Thursday, saying there were "elements for precise and consistent investigation for crimes against humanity." The International Federation of Human Rights gave Wednesday the figure of 640 deaths since the beginning of the movement.
The only official report of the Libyan authorities gave on Tuesday, reported 300 dead. Barack Obama broke his silence on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, saying that "suffering and bloodshed are outrageous and unacceptable". Obama has solemnly warned that the regime of Muammar Gaddafi would have to account for his actions.
"It must be held accountable for its inability to meet its responsibilities, and must face the consequences arising from the continuing violations of human rights," he said. The U.S. president then called his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday night. According to Paris, the two Heads of State demand "an immediate halt to the use of force", while France wanted a new emergency meeting of the Security Council of the UN.
>> Read: Obama denounces a bloodbath "scandalous" Given the bloody repression orchestrated by the regime, the EU is examining the possibility of military intervention for humanitarian purposes in Libya, mainly to get foreign nationals still trapped in the country - they would be 5 000-6 000.
Discussions could be deepened on the sidelines of a meeting of EU defense ministers in Budapest, Thursday 24 and Friday, February 25. For now, there is no question of sending a peacekeeping force. "Such an operation would require a UN mandate," noted a senior official in Brussels. For its part, Switzerland has decided on Thursday to freeze the assets of the Libyan leader.
"To avoid any misuse of public funds [Libyan], the Federal Council decided today to freeze with immediate effect all potential assets of Muammar Qaddafi and his environment in Switzerland," announced the Swiss Foreign Ministry said in a statement . This decision "is valid for three years," state authorities.
>> Read: The EU is considering the possibility of intervention for humanitarian purposes in Libya
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