Gaddafi calls for Nato ceasfire

Muammar Gaddafi has called Nato to decalre a ceasefire in Libya, in a rambling speech which lasted more than an hour and was broadcast on television.

In his speech Gaddafi, sitting behind a desk and repeatedly flipping through handwritten notes, said: ``The door to peace is open. You are the aggressors. We will negotiate with you.

“Come, France, Italy, UK, America, come, we will negotiate with you. Why are you attacking us?

“Why are you killing our children? Why are you destroying our infrastructure?” he said, denying that his forces had killed Libyan civilians.

Gaddafi appeared visibly tired and subdued.

Meanwhile, a battle between Libyan troops and rebels has spilled over the western border into Tunisia, drawing a sharp rebuke for Gaddafi’s regime from the neighbouring government.

Clashes along the Tunisian border have escalated since Thursday, posing a new challenge for Gaddafi within the western half of the country where he must consolidate his control to cling to power.

Rebels captured most of the east early on in the uprising against Gaddafi that began in February.

Meanwhile, at least two Nato air strikes hit a government complex in the capital Tripoli early today, damaging offices of parliamentary staff and a building officials said housed a commission for children and women.

A policeman at the scene said three people were hurt, one seriously.

The complex also included the building of the Broadcast Authority, which was not damaged.

A speech by Gaddafi was being broadcast on state TV at the time of the pre-dawn strikes, though it was not clear from where Gaddafi was speaking.

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said Gaddafi was speaking live, was notified of the air strikes and continued his speech. “We believe the target was the leader,” Ibrahim said.

In his speech, Gaddafi reiterated his call for a ceasefire, and said Libyans were free to choose their own political system but not under the threat of bombings.

On the other major front in western Libya, Nato foiled attempts by regime loyalists to close the only access route to the besieged rebel city of Misrata, intercepting boats that were laying anti-ship mines in the waters around the port. The port is the only lifeline for the city of 300,000, which has been under siege for two months.

Ibrahim said he was unaware of the attempted mine-laying, but said the government was trying to prevent weapons shipments from reaching the rebels by sea. He said aid such shipments must be co-ordinated with the authorities and should preferably come overland.

The government offensive on the Tunisian border along with shelling that killed 15 in Misrata yesterday and the attempt to mine the Misrata port show the regime is redoubling efforts to crush stubborn pockets of resistance in the west.

In Tripoli, residents reported rising tensions over fuel shortages, a result of international sanctions imposed on Gaddafi. Witnesses said there had been clashes between residents and troops with stones and tear gas at petrol stations in recent days, after security forces tried to cut into huge lines.

In another indication of shortages, the government sent text messages to mobile phones of armed supporters, urging them to stop firing in the air in order to save ammunition for “our crusader enemies” said two residents.

The actions of the Libyan leader, increasingly isolated since the start of the crisis, drew new condemnations yesterday.

The Tunisian Foreign Ministry summoned Libya’s ambassador to convey its “most vigorous protests” for the “serious violations” at the Dhuheiba border area on Thursday and yesterday, a ministry statement said.

Since early yesterday the Tunisian army had swept through the frontier town Dhuheiba searching for Gaddafi forces who fled to Tunisia following combat with rebels over control of the nearby border crossing.

The Tunisian army stopped “several members of Gaddafi’s brigades, regrouping them and leading them back to Libyan territory”, the Tunisian Defence Ministry said.

Near the coast of Misrata, Nato vessels intercepted several boats laying anti-shipping mines, said British Brigadier Rob Weighill, director of Nato operations in Libya.

Nato said the sea mines were being laid one to two miles offshore by sinking the inflatable boats on which they were being carried. Three mines were found and disposed of.

The alliance alerted Misrata authorities which temporarily closed the port, Nato said. Two aid ships put off their journeys.

Gaddafi loyalists also pounded the city with shells, mortar and anti-aircraft guns from positions on the outskirts of Misrata. In all, 15 people were killed yesterday, the majority of them fighters, but also a nine-year-old boy, said Ahmed Diab, casualty unit doctor at the city’s Hikma hospital.

He said 80 people were wounded, the vast majority by artillery shells fired from the Misrata airport where Gaddafi forces have set up positions.

Nato has destroyed or damaged 600 targets since the alliance began bombing Gaddafi’s military installations last month, Brig Weighill said. In addition, 19 Nato ships were patrolling the central Mediterranean.

Brig Weighill said the targets hit since last month include 220 tanks and armoured personnel carriers, 200 ammunition facilities and 70 surface-to-air missile systems.