Court orders the arrest of Gaddafi

INTERNATIONAL judges yesterday ordered the arrest of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for murdering civilians.

The International Criminal Court said Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and his intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanoussi are wanted for orchestrating the killing, injuring, arrest and imprisonment of hundreds of civilians during the first 12 days of an uprising to topple Gaddafi from power, and for trying to cover up their crimes.

The warrants turn the three men into internationally wanted suspects, potentially complicating efforts to mediate an end to more than four months of intense fighting in the North African nation.