'I'll die here as a martyr': Defiant Gaddafi blames world leaders for violence in rambling TV address



Gaddafi urges supporters to attack 'drug addict' protesters in TV speech



Interior minister later defects and encourages 'revolution'



Fleeing residents claim 2,000 killed in Benghazi

Oil and gas supplies cut off as dictator 'orders sabotage'



Hopes Libyan dictator would devolve power dashed

William Hague announces evacuation of Britons

Muslim cleric urges army to shoot Gaddafi to 'rid Libya of him'

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has insisted he will fight to the 'last drop of blood' in a defiant speech that follows days of bloodshed on the streets of his country.



Celebratory gunshots in celebration were heard after Gaddafi's speech, aired on state TV and on a screen to several hundred supporters in Tripoli's central Green Square.

It suggests more bloodshed lies ahead after pro-regime gunmen and mercenaries left bodies littering the streets of the capital, after they went on the rampage, shooting on sight anyone found in the streets and opening fire from speeding vehicles.

Defiant: Gaddafi declared it was his country and he had no intention of stepping down Last stand? The dictator spoke from his deserted and almost derelict former Bab al-Aziziya residence, which was bombed in 1986 by U.S. aircraft

But the anti-government forces appeared to be gathering momentum - as the Libyan interior minister announced his defection after Gaddafi's speech and encouraged the army to 'join the people'.



Residents fleeing the second city Benghazi claimed 2,000 people had been killed there, and confirmed reports that fighter jets and heavy weapons had been used against protesters.

Oil and gas supplies from the country have also been cut off from two major oil companies, Italy's ENI ENI.MI and Spain's Repsol REP.MC, amid reports that Gaddafi has ordered security forces to sabotage oil production facilities.



The head of state had launched a brutal crackdown as his 41-year reign came under threat as thousands of Libyans took to the streets to call for change.

Rebelling: Soldiers in the eastern city of Tobruk say they are no longer supporting Gaddafi

'Massacre': Egyptians fleeing across the border from Libya claimed 2,000 people had been killed by security forces in second city Benghazi

'2,000 PEOPLE KILLED IN BENGHAZI '

Egyptians fleeing over the border from Libya today described a wave of killing that some claimed had seen thousands killed. A witness who had fled the city of Benghazi said at least 2,000 people had been killed there -- a figure that could not be independently corroborated but which indicated the scale of destruction people believed was wrought by a week of violence. Human Rights Watch says at least 233 people have been killed across Libya so far. Egyptians described a treacherous journey out of Libya in which they were shot at by armed bandits taking advantage of the chaos. Hassan Kamel Mohamed, a 24-year-old steel worker who had fled from Tobruk, said: 'There were thugs everywhere and they would pull weapons on you at any time.' 'We were trying to sleep at night but we couldn't. Thugs would fire in the air every fifteen minutes. They took our money, they took everything.' Mohamed Bayoumy, 37, said he had been travelling for three days in the western part of the country and that there were armed groups along the road, demanding bribes. Another man, who declined to be named, said: 'The situation is bad for Egyptians right now.' 'They took money from us and shot at us,' he said, declining to give his name. 'Five people died on the street where I live,' said Mohamed Jalaly, 40, on his way to Cairo from Benghazi. 'You leave Benghazi and then you have ... nothing but gangs and youths with weapons,' he added. 'The way from Benghazi is extremely dangerous,' he said. At the Salum crossing on the Egyptian side of the border with Libya, the Egyptian army had set up dozens of tents to serve as a field hospital to receive those fleeing the turmoil, though they were mostly empty on Tuesday morning. Jalaly corroborated reports that security forces in Libya used heavy weaponry against anti-Gaddafi protesters in Benghazi, attacking them with military aircraft and heavy machine guns.

Gaddafi tonight spoke from behind a podium in the entrance of his bombed-out Tripoli residence hit by U.S. airstrikes in the 1980s and left unrepaired as a symbol of defiance.

'I am a fighter, a revolutionary from tents ... I will die as a martyr at the end,' he said, vowing to fight 'to my last drop of blood'.

He called on supporters to take to the streets and attack protesters, who he described as misguided youths and 'drug addicts' fomented by Islamic fundamentalists.



He said: 'You men and women who love Gaddafi ... get out of your homes and fill the streets. Leave your homes and attack them in their lairs.

'The police cordons will be lifted, go out and fight them. Forward, forward, forward!'



A day after a bizarre appearance in which he apparently sat in the front of a van and insisted he was in the Libyan capital - despite reports he had fled - Gaddafi addressed a crowd in Green Square.

After widespread international criticism of Gaddafi's violent response to the protests and the resignations of several of the country's ambassadors, the 68-year-old leader delivered a rambling speech.

He claimed his own home had been bombed by 'superpowers' and said 'rats' had been paid to disfigure the reputation of Libya.

He said: 'I am not going to leave this land' and added he would not 'give up' like other leaders, in an apparent reference to the deposed Tunisian and Egyptian presidents.

He added: 'A small group of young people who have taken drugs have attacked police stations like mice... They have taken advantage of this peace and stability.

'However it is not their fault, these young people; they tried to imitate what happened in Tunisia ... However there is a small group of sick people that has infiltrated in cities that are circulating drugs and money.'

Gaddafi's speech made frequent reference to Libya's history, with talk of wars against France, Egypt, the UK and the U.S.

The furious tirade also warned armed demonstrators, those 'who spy for other countries' and 'anyone who undermines the constitution' would face death : 'I am a fighter, a revolutionary from tents ... I will die as a martyr at the end.

'I have not yet ordered the use of force, not yet ordered one bullet to be fired ... when I do, everything will burn.'



It had been reported that he may devolve power but his speech never looked likely to lead to a resignation.

He added he was not a president so could not step down and said he planned to fight 'until the last drop' with the Libyan people behind him.

He referred to those who 'love Muammar Gaddafi' and urged supporters to take to the streets without fear of 'gangs'.

He added: 'If matters require, we will use force, according to international law and the Libyan constitution.'

Brothers in arms: An army soldier and anti-Gaddafi protesters pose in front of a tank in the early hours of this morning in Benghazi

Victory joy: Men give victory signs as they ride on a truck scrawled with graffiti in Arabic reading 'Go, go, go, leave, leave, leave, down with the regime', on their way to clean up streets in Benghazi

On the move: A truck loaded with household belongings drives past a traffic policeman in Benghazi

As the fighting intensified, cracks appeared among Gaddafi supporters, with some ambassadors resigning and calling for his removal. Ali Aujali, the Libyan ambassador to the U.S. today said he was resigning 'from serving the current dictatorship regime'. 'But I will never resign from serving our people until their voices reach the whole world, until their goals are achieved,' he said on ABC television's Good Morning America. 'I am calling for him to go and leave our people alone.' But amid reports that he had fled to Venezuela, Gaddafi appeared on state TV earlier to insist: 'I am in Tripoli and not in Venezuela. Do not believe the channels belonging to stray dogs. 'I wanted to say something to the youths at the Green Square (in Tripoli) and stay up late with them but it started raining. Thank God, it's a good thing.' He gave the brief statement in a bizarre 22-second TV interview while holding an umbrella and sitting in the front seat of a van, which appeared to be outside his residence in Tripoli.

Gaddafi spoke out after reports suggested a massacre had taken place in the city’s Green Square and left more than 60 dead.

One protester told Al Jazeera: 'What we are witnessing today is unimaginable. Warplanes and helicopters are indiscriminately bombing one area after another. There are many, many dead.



'I'm staying': Colonel Gaddafi was interviewed sitting in the front seat of van. He insisted he was still in Tripoli EVACUATIONS: THE COUNTRIES PULLING OUT OF LIBYA

GERMANY

Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said all Germans remaining in Libya should leave the country. The Foreign Ministry would assist their repatriation where necessary.

GREECE

Greece is watching the developments in Libya and is ready to repatriate Greeks who will officially request it, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

ITALY

Italy plans to send a flight to Tripoli on Tuesday to bring back Italians who want to leave Libya, a Foreign Ministry source said.

NETHERLANDS

The Netherlands is planning to evacuate its citizens from Libya on Tuesday with a military plane, Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Uri Rosenthal said on Dutch television.

TURKEY

Nearly 600 Turks were evacuated at the weekend from Benghazi where many Turkish firms are active. Anatolian news agency reported another 250 Turks were being taken by bus from eastern Libya to the Egyptian city of Alexandria.

UNITED STATES

The United States has ordered all non-emergency personnel to leave Libya. The U.S. State Department, also warning embassy family members to leave the country, said protests, violence and looting were possible during the next several days.

YEMEN

Yemeni Television said on Monday President Ali Abdullah Saleh had instructed the national airline to send flights to Libya to bring home Yemenis and Yemeni students.

'Our people are dying. It is the policy of scorched earth,' he said. 'Anyone who moves, even if they are in their car they will hit you.' Security forces appeared to be preparing a major assault in the capital last night, as state TV said troops had 'stormed the hideouts of the saboteurs'. Snipers took up positions on rooftops and jets swooped low over rooftops, apparently trying to stop more opposition activists joining those who are already overwhelming the city. Protesters had called for another demonstration in Tripoli's central Green Square and in front of Gaddafi's residence, but witnesses described a scene of intimidation, with helicopters hovering above the main seaside boulevard and pro-Gaddafi gunmen firing from moving cars and even shooting at the facades of homes to terrify the population.

Youths trying to gather in the streets were forced to scatter and run for cover by the gunfire, according to several witnesses who said people wept over bodies of the dead left in the street. A statement from Libyan state TV claimed reports of widespread bloodshed were 'baseless lies' by foreign media outlets.

'You should know that this is part of the psychological warfare, lies and rumours which you should resist because they are aimed at demolishing your morale, stability and blessings for which they envy you,' it read.

'Rumours are a poison which you should not drink. False news peddled by satellite TVs are arrows which you should deflect towards their throats.' Runways at Benghazi airport have been destroyed in the violence and passenger planes cannot land there, Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said today. 'Regarding east of Libya, the Benghazi airport runways have been destroyed. It is not possible for Egyptair flights or any other flights to land in that airport,' he told a news conference. Changing face of Libya: Libyan protesters tear down a poster put up by Muammar Gaddafi on a building in Tobruk Flying the flag: Libyan protesters wave the pre-Gaddafi flag above a fire-ravaged building in Tobruk, which has fallen to protesters Unrest spreads: Libyan people take part in a protest in the seaport city of Tobruk Triumphant: Protesters in Tobruk seem in defiant mood despite the ongoing bloodshed in Libya

Witness statements from the ground have reported foreign mercenaries, many of whom are from Chad and Darfur, patrolling the streets and attacking demonstrators.

A Libyan man who gave his name as Ali and lives in a Tripoli suburb, told 972 magazine: 'Gaddafi obviously does not have any limits. We knew he was crazy, but it's still a terrible shock to see him turning mercenaries on his own people and just mowing down unarmed demonstrators.

SUNNI CLERIC: ARMY SHOULD KILL GADDAFI Influential Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi issued a fatwa on Monday that any Libyan soldier who can shoot dead embattled leader Gaddafi should do so 'to rid Libya of him'.

'Whoever in the Libyan army is able to shoot a bullet at Mr Gaddafi should do so,' Mr Qaradawi told Al-Jazeera television.

He also told Libyan soldiers 'not to obey orders to strike at your own people', and urged Libyan ambassadors around the world to dissociate themselves from Kadhafi's regime. Famous in the Middle East for his at times controversial fatwas, or religious edicts, the octogenarian Qaradawi has celebrity status in the Arab world thanks to his religious broadcasts on Al-Jazeera.

'So yeah, we knew he was crazy. But maybe we did not realize he was that crazy. It's a scary and devastating feeling to be here now.'

There were reports that the Libyan ambassador to London and his staff had resigned and joined protesters as one activist raised a flag of the pre-Gaddafi Libya at the country's British embassy yesterday.

Libya's former ambassador to the Arab League in Cairo, Abdel-Moneim al-Houni, who resigned his post on Sunday to side with protesters, demanded Gaddafi and his commanders and aides be put on trial for 'the mass killings in Libya'.

'Gaddafi's regime is now in the trash of history because he betrayed his nation and his people,' Mr al-Houni said in a statement.

Libya's ambassador to India, Ali al-Essawi, said he resigned because he could not tolerate the authorities 'killing peaceful people'.

Protesters have been allowed to enter the Libyan Embassy in Stockholm and have raised the flag of the monarchy that was toppled by Gaddafi's military coup in 1969.

About 50 protesters shouting 'Libya, Libya' rallied outside the building on Tuesday and urged embassy staff to join them.



A Libyan diplomat in China, Hussein el-Sadek el-Mesrati, told Al-Jazeera television: 'I resigned from representing the government of Mussolini and Hitler.'



'WE'LL MEET YOUR SLAVES WITH GUNS': PROTESTERS DEFIANT IN EASTERN LIBYA An anti-government protester who crossed into Egypt to escape the media blackout told how demonstrators had taken control of eastern Libya. Suleiman al-Zugeilil said 'everything is calm' in the east and claimed protesters stood firm in the face of attacks by the Khamis Brigade, a special forces unit named after one of Gaddadfi's sons. Mr al-Zugeilil provided The Times with video footage of protesters in al-Baida hanging the almost naked body of one of the Khamis Brigade from a bridge and said Tobruk had meet taken with little resistance by anti-regime demonstrators. 'After the massacres in Benghazi, the armoured brigade, which has tanks, joined the protesters in sypathy with the people,' he claimed. In Tobruk, locals burnt the regime's HQ and chanted: 'Gaddafi you are a coward, send your slaves, we'll meet them with guns', in reference to the dictator's use of foreign mercenaries to quell unrest.

And the Libyan Embassy in Malaysia distanced itself from the regime, issuing a statement strongly condemning 'the barbaric, criminal massacre' of civilians.

However, none of the embassy's diplomats quit.

About 250 protesters stormed into the Libyan Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday, chanting and calling for Gaddafi to step down, a counsellor at the embassy told CNN. Osama Ahmed said the majority of the protesters were Libyan students studying in Malaysia. The protests were relatively peaceful, and embassy security let the protesters in for two hours.

And a top Libyan diplomat stationed in China said on Tuesday he had resigned to protest his government's violent crackdown on protesters and called on Gadhafi to step down and leave the country.



Hussein Sadiq al Musrati, who was the second secretary in the Libyan mission to Beijing before he stepped down four days ago, joined about 20 students and protesters in front of the Libyan Embassy in Beijing Tuesday. Demonstrators held signs that read: 'The game is over. Get out ... you're finished'.



Senior clerics within Libya issued a fatwa against the Gaddafi regime. And two Libyan air force jets landed in Malta, where their crew sought political asylum.

Widespread anger: Libyan demonstrators wave the old Kingdom of Libya flag during a protest against Muammar Gaddafi in front of the embassy in Stockholm

'Murderer': Palestinian people hold a poster denouncing Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi during a march in Gaza City

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