LIBYAN REBELS yesterday rejected an offer by Muammar Gadafy to hold a meeting of parliament to work out a deal under which he would step down, Al Jazeera television reported last night.
The station said sources from the rebel interim council told its correspondent in Benghazi that the offer was rejected because it would have amounted to an “honourable” exit for Gadafy and would offend his victims.
Al Jazeera said Gadafy wanted guarantees of personal safety for him and his family and a pledge that they not be put on trial. It said that Gadafy had sent former prime minister Jadallah Azzouz Talhi to meet the rebels and offer to hold a meeting of the General Peoples Congress to work out the details of such a deal.
The offer was aimed at having Gadady hand over power to a committee formed by the General Peoples Congress, the television said.
Throughout yesterday Libyan jets launched multiple strikes on opposition fighters near the oil city of Ras Lanuf in a counter-attack designed to halt the rebel advance on Gadafy’s hometown, Sirte. The strikes were part of a government offensive that has thrown tanks, jets and troops into the battle to halt a rebel advance that has the capital, Tripoli, in its sights.
US president Barack Obama stepped up pressure on Col Gadafy yesterday, saying the US and Nato allies were considering a military response to the violence in Libya, with the list of options including arming the rebels.
Mr Obama’s remarks came as Britain and France made progress in drafting a resolution at the UN calling for a no-fly zone triggered by specific conditions, rather than timelines. Gulf states also called for a no-fly zone to be imposed, and for an urgent Arab League meeting to discuss the situation in the North African country.
Downing Street is hopeful that a resolution with clear triggers such as the bombing of civilians would not be subject to a Russian veto at the security council.
UK foreign secretary William Hague told the House of Commons a no-fly zone would have to be supported by north African countries and rebel leaders and would also need an appropriate legal basis.
With Col Gadafy’s regime better equipped and organised and supported by an air force, the newly established revolutionary ruling council in eastern Libya called on the international community to impose a no-fly zone to protect them from more air raids and vowed to fight on.
“We will fight, the Gadafy regime is over,” said Iman Bugaighis, spokeswoman for the Provisional Transitional National Council of Libya. “It’s a personal issue for everybody. Our country is occupied.”
Ms Bugaighis said the council had agreed a series of demands at its first meeting at the weekend and it would not accept the division of the country. There would be no election, she said, until Libya was “reunited”.
“We want international recognition of the PTNC and the organs of the new state as the sole representatives of the Libyan people, and immediate action to halt the flow of arms and mercenaries to the Gadafy regime,” she said.
“We want an immediate freeze on all funds of the Libyan state and the Gadafy family.”
The last few days of fighting have shown up the disorganisation of the rebel forces who, after some rapid victories, are now struggling to maintain supply lines for weapons, ammunition and food.
The speed of the advance by opposition troops towards of Ras Lanuf and Ben Jawwad meant the fighters outpaced the heavy weapons from Benghazi that would be required to take Sirte.
Evidence has also been emerging of a two-pronged strategy by Col Gadafy, hitting the rebels on the battlefield while engaging in discreet negotiations behind the scenes with tribal leaders.
While Tripoli has been calm since Col Gadafy’s security forces launched a crackdown in opposition areas last week, a sense of the regime’s paranoia about potential threats from within its own armed forces was visible yesterday.