Gaddafi’s son warns of ‘rivers of blood’

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Gaddafi's son warns of `rivers of blood'

Dictator's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi warns on state television of rivers of

blood and hundreds of thousands dead

FOREIGN STAFF

Published: 2011/02/22 07:54:03 AM

MUAMMAR Gaddafi's son yesterday warned of " rivers of blood " in a bitter civil

war in Libya as reports said clashes in the capital, Tripoli, left 160 people

dead.

The European Union (EU) condemned the military's brutal repression of protesters

and called on all sides to show restraint.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi called on protesters in Libya to engage in dialogue or

face a civil war that risks the country's oil wealth, as a widening revolt posed

the most serious challenge to his father's 41 years of rule.

" Instead of weeping over (a few) killed, we will weep over hundreds of thousands

of dead, " Saif al-Islam Gaddafi said on state television. " Rivers of blood will

flow. " Human Rights Watch and reports put the number of dead so far at nearly

360 and wounded at 800.

Arabiya television quoted eyewitnesses as saying clashes in Tripoli had claimed

160 people and jets were bombing the city. Tribal and religious leaders spoke

out against Mr Gaddafi, and army units defected to the opposition in the growing

revolt.

Protesters said they had taken control of Benghazi, Libya's second largest city,

and other cities.

Thousands of people demonstrated at the weekend in Benghazi but were met by

gunfire from forces loyal to the Mr Gaddafi. Protesters were killed by sniper

fire, as well as by soldiers in passing vehicles, witnesses said. UK Foreign

Minister Hague on Sunday said anti-missile munitions had also been used.

Witnesses said there security forces were backed by " African mercenaries " .

After two days of talks on the turmoil in the Arab world in Brussels, Europe's

foreign ministers issued a declaration saying the EU " condemns the ongoing

repression against demonstrators in Libya and deplores the violence and the

death of civilians " . The 27-nation bloc " calls for an immediate end to the use

of force against protesters, and for all parties to show restraint " .

Libya, holder of the largest crude oil reserves on the African continent, has

become the focal point of region-wide protests ignited by the removal from power

of Tunisia's president last month and energised by the fall of Egypt's president

Hosni Mubarak on February 11. Violence has flared in Yemen, Djibouti and

Bahrain, as well as Morocco and Algeria as governments have sought to crack down

on calls for reform.

If civil war ensued, Mr Gaddafi warned that " oil will stop. Foreign companies

will leave Libya tomorrow. " He said it would also invite a return of colonial

powers. " Do you think Europe, NATO, the US will accept an Islamic emirate in the

middle of the Mediterranean, " he asked.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said yesterday that a worsening of the

crisis in Libya could trigger an " unimaginable " wave of immigration across the

Mediterranean Sea. " Those who spoke of hundreds of thousands " of people crossing

into Europe " are not exaggerating, " Mr Frattini said in Brussels.

Meanwhile, the Tunisian government has presented Saudi Arabian authorities with

a formal request to extradite ousted president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali,

according to a statement from the foreign affairs ministry. Reuters, Bloombeg