Live Blog - Libya Feb 23

By Al Jazeera Staff in

Africa

on February 22nd, 2011.

Protesters chant anti-government slogans in Tobruk [Reuters]

As the uprising in Libya enters its tenth day, we keep you updated on the developing situation from our headquarters in Doha, Qatar.

Blog: Feb17 - Feb18 - Feb19 - Feb20 - Feb21 - Feb22

AJE Live Stream - Special Coverage: Libya Uprising - Twitter Audio: Voices from Libya

Benghazi Protest Radio (Arabic)

(All times are local in Libya GMT+2)

February 23, 2011

9:20am As of last count, there are at least four satirical Gaddafi Twitter accounts in operation: @MuammarLGaddafi, @MuammarGaddafi1, @AlQathafy and @TheRealColonel. If making fun of the situation in Libya strikes you as cold-hearted, keep in mind that Egyptians have used dark humour before, during and after their revolt both to undermine the country's repressive leadership and to buoy their own spirits.

Some selections from Gaddafi's Twitter doppelgangers:

@TheRealColonel: #neverwilli quit! Never! I don't care how long the queue is for Space Mountain, I'm not going to miss this ride!

@MuammarLGaddafi: I have multiple positions open! Send resume to (jobs@alghtafi.org)

@MuammarGaddafi1: keeping you updated of my tweets in Libya. Beautiful day in the streets minus these nagging people

@AlQathafy: Give me 42 more years & I'll prove you all wrong #Lybia #Libia #Feb17 #Gadafi #Kadhafi

9:09am Australia's ABC Radio phoned a man named Abdul in Tripoli this morning. He described "Black Africans" in army clothes driving around in jeeps; jets and helicopters circling the city (but not dropping bombs); and regime backers distributing guns to anyone who said they supported Gaddafi:

8:41am Regarding those screengrabs below, they apparently come from this rare video that has emerged of yellow-hard-hatted regime backers apparently rampaging through a Libyan city. According to YouTube user Muttardi, who posted the video, these are "mercenaries" attacking in Benghazi on Thursday. The screams of terrified onlookers are chilling:

8:38am Sultan Al Qassemi, a UAE-based columnist and prolific Twitter user, has tweeted images grabbed from our sister station Al Jazeera Arabic apparently showing rare images of street battles between security forces - he calls them "mercenaries" - and civilians:

8:32am Around 3,000 Turkish citizens boarded two Seacat ferries docked at the eastern city of Benghazi early on Wednesday, according to the Reuters news agency. The Orhan Gazi ferry left at 3:30 am with 1,500 and the Osman Gazi left an hour and a half later with another 1,500.

Around 20,000 Turks remain in Libya.

8:19am @AbdulHamidAhmad, the editor in chief of Gulf News, tweets:

Libyan Interior Minister Abdel Fattah Younes has been reportedly kidnapped in Benghazi after he had resigned to join protesters.

@CNNValencia, the journalist Nick Valencia, follows up:

BREAKING- State Media: Libya's interior minister who resigned to support anti-govt protesters has been kidnapped #CNN

8:10am Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri, on the Tunisian border with Libya, reports that the situation remains uncertain and tense. Around 10,000 Tunisians have left Libya so far, and military commanders on the Tunisian side are quizzing emigrants about events inside Libya, asking those leaving questions such as whether there are any tanks on the road.

7:51am Al Jazeera's Omar el-Salah wraps up the Libyan regime's first press conference since the revolt began, in which high-ranking officials accuse Qatar and Al Jazeera of spreading lies and teaming up with high-paid Libyan and Egyptian "sheikhs" to foment the unrest:

7:41am Latin American leaders who have long been friendly with Gaddafi - such as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Cuba's Fidel Castro - are being noticeably silent on the revolt in Libya and its violent suppression, Al Jazeera's Lucia Newman notes. Though Castro has suggested NATO might be planning an invasion of Libya, neither he nor Chavez has gone as far as Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega and offered actual support for Gaddafi.

7:35am Most of the Libyans coming into Egypt through the crossing at the town of Salloum are from Benghazi, Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid reports from the border. The level of anxiety in that town has increased after Gaddafi's Tuesday-night speech, which many took as an indication that violence will increase.

7:32am More evidence of the spread of the uprising in Libya; this video shows protesters bringing down Gaddafi's Green Book in Misrata, around 175km east of the capital, Tripoli:

7:25am Our colleague Azad Essa wrote on Monday that anti-government movements in sub-Saharan Africa were being ignored at the expense of uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and now Libya (not to mention elsewhere in the Arab world). It does seem that the protests sweeping across northern Africa are having knock-on effect among southern neighbors; @SaeedCNN tweets:

#Cameroon plans "Egypt-like protests" today. They're calling on Prez Paul Biya to step down. He's been in power for almost 30 yrs

7:21am @LibyaCyrenaica tweets:

JUST IN: News of approx. 300 prisoners found in underground cells at Al Fadhel Bu Omar Barracks in Benghazi today #Libya

7:11am Libyan students in the United States are free to protest however they wish and will not have their scholarships affected if they decline to attend pro-Gaddafi rallies, the Libyan embassy has said. The announcement comes in reaction to a story our colleague Evan Hill published on Thursday that aired allegations from Libyan students that they were being coerced by the embassy.

The announcement came in a letter dated Saturday but emailed to students on Sunday from Dr. Basil al-Aishi, an employee of the Canadian Bureau for International Education, which administers the Libyan study-abroad program, as well as those for other countries.

Aishi told students that reports in the media - presumably ours - were wrong, "far from the truth," and meant to stir up discord among Libyan students in the United States. He says that the embassy had nothing to do with pro-Gaddafi protests that had been arranged in Washington DC this past weekend, and that the leader of the Libyan student union in the United States had arranged them. Students should hopefully receive their regular scholarship stipend payment by the end of the week, he said.

7:03am Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid has reached the Egyptian town of Salloum on the border with Libya and reports that there is a long queue of cars waiting to leave the strife-torn country.

6:39am CNN's Ben Wedemann, normally based in Cairo, entered Libya through the eastern border and has filed what might be the first report from inside the country by an English-language television news network:

6:24am Wondering how videos and images of the revolt in Libya have managed to get out, despite a chokehold on communications lines out of the country? Time magazine reports that Libyans crossed the border to use the Internet in the Egyptian town of Marsa Matrouh, which became of the one "media centers" of the revolution.

From Tawfik al-Shaiby, a chemical engineer: "I went to Egypt every day to give (my brother) a flash disk full of media from Tobruk, al-Baida, Benghazi. They were videos from mobiles. Not just mine. We made copies, went to the Egyptian border at Salloum and gave it to someone there - my cousin's son - and he went to Matruh, where my brother was."

Time also quotes Gamal Shallouf, a marine biologist, who credited Al-Jazeera and Facebook for spreading news of nearby revolts in Egypt and Tunisia that Libyans would never have received before.

6:16am Here's video of ex-Libyan interior minister (and army general) Abdul Fatah Younis delivering his resignation last night:

6:09am Omar Turbi, a Libyan-American businessman and commenter on Arab political affairs, tells Al Jazeera that those dismayed at the US response to the crisis in Libya should give Barack Obama some time.

"For God's sake, Reagan ... took three years before Poland was pushed over the edge and changed," he said. Just because the United States hasn't called for an end to Gaddafi's regime doesn't mean the Obama administration doesn't want to see it happen, he said. Officials are probably envisioning "nightmare" scenarios in which they make such a call and Gaddafi remains for six months or a year. Furthermore, Turbi said, many US citizens remain in the country waiting to be evacuated.

6:00am More evidence that suggests foreign troops are being used in Libya - or at least that Libyans believe this to be the case. This video of a dead man shows someone holding what appear to be identification documents, possibly a passport, that looks like it bears the name "Republique du Niger" and the country's coat of arms. There is no way to verify whether the man bore arms.

5:54am Peru has become the first country to sever diplomatic ties with Libya in the wake of the Gaddafi regime's brutal suppression of the uprising there. Foreign minister Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde said he would ask the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone over the country. Peru's action sets itself apart from at least one nearby country, Nicaragua, which has offered support to Gaddafi.

5:49am In the past hour, Abdul Fatah Younis, the resigned Libyan interior minister who gave a wide-ranging interview to Al-Arabiya last night in which he asked Gaddafi to "please end your life," also told CNN that he expected Gaddafi's regime to fall "in a matter of days or hours".

5:32am From an intermediary, we've received mobile phone footage from a young Libyan in Tripoli that allegedly depicts gunfire in the Zawid Dahmani neighborhood of the capital last night, amid an ongoing and extremely violent security crackdown. You can hear a large explosion in the background - we're told it occurred at the "TV building" in the neighborhood. You can also hear a baby crying.

5:10am From Foreign Policy magazine: A Regime We Can Trust - How did the West get Qaddafi so wrong?

4:51am The first major evacuation vessel sponsored by the US Government is set to evacuate American citizens from Libya. Following is a Warden message by the American embassy in Tripoli:

A US Government chartered ferry will depart Tripoli from the As-shahab Port in central Tripoli, located on the sea road across from the Radisson Blu Mahari Hotel, for Valletta, Malta on Wednesday, February 23. Processing of passengers will begin promptly at 10:00am local time. US citizen travelers wishing to depart should proceed as soon as possible after 9:00am to the pier and arrive no later than 10:00am US citizens will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to persons with medical emergencies or severe medical conditions. The ferry will depart no later than 3:00pm. Travelers should bring valid travel documents and any necessary medications.

Each traveler may bring one suitcase and a small personal carry-on item.

3:15am People fleeing Libya's bloody unrest continue to arrive at airports in Europe tonight. At Frankfurt airport, in Germany, evacuees expressed their relief to be back home. British passenger John Dowley says that "thousands" of people were at the airport trying to leave the country.

Today in the airport was absolute chaos. Many people from North Africa trying to leave and get home.

[Photo by Reuters]

2:39am Libya is one of the most tribal nations in the Arab world - a country where clans and alliances shape the political landscape. Tribal structure has played a crucial role in the country's history.

Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabbari takes a look at the country's tribal system.

1:55am: Peru becomes the first country to formally severe all diplomatic ties with Libya. President Alan Garcia said:

Peru is suspending all diplomatic relations with Libya until the violence against the people ceases.

Peru also strongly protests against the repression unleashed by the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi against the people who are demanding democratic reforms to change the government which has been led for 40 years by the same person.

1:50am: Know someone in Libya having problems getting online? Here's a handy pictoral guide, posted online, to setting up a proxy server in order to access the internet.

1:22am: Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh says that all speakers in Libya's state TV press conference keep repeating that "assailants" and arrested men "are on hallucination pills". You can follow her at Twitter: @RawyaRageh

1:16am: Libyan official tells state TV they have arrested Tunisians, Egyptians and Algerians "trained to sow chaos".

1:14am: Uniformed Colonel now on Libyan state TV reciting poetry praising Gaddafi; describes him as "solid as Africa's dark mountains", tweets Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh.

1:06am: In case you missed this must watch video we put up in the last few hours of February 22nd's blog, here it is again.

Gaddafi defiant as state teeters

Libyan leader vows to 'fight on' as his government loses control of key parts in the country and as top officials quit. Last Modified: 23 Feb 2011 07:27 GMT

Protesters are said to be in control of several cities in Libya's east [Reuters] Muammer Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, remains defiant in the face of mass protests calling for his resignation, saying that he intends to remain in power as parts of the country's state structure appear to be disintegrating around him. Some fear that Libya's state apparatus, once seen as a powerful and coherent entity, is facing collapse as key officials quit the government, with some joining the protesters, and as international isolation mounts. Speaking in a televised address on Tuesday evening, Gaddafi vowed to fight on and die a "martyr" on Libyan soil. He called on his supporters to take back the streets on Wednesday from protesters who are demanding that he step down. LIVE BLOG He also claimed that he had "not yet ordered the use of force", warning that "when I do, everything will burn". Gaddafi, who termed the protests an "armed rebellion", said that security cordons set up by police and the military would be lifted on Wednesday, telling his supporters to "go out and fight [anti-government protesters]". He blamed the uprising in the country on "Islamists", and warned that an "Islamic emirate" has already been set up in Bayda and Derna, where he threatened the use of extreme force. "I am a fighter, a revolutionary from tents ... I will die as a martyr at the end," Gaddafi, who has been in power for 41 years, said. Several hundred people held a pro-Gaddafi rally in central Tripoli on Tuesday night, cheering the Libyan leader as he made his speech. Demonstrators in the eastern city of Benghazi, which is now controlled by anti-government protesters, angrily threw shoes at a screen showing the address. 'Indications of state collapse' While Gaddafi has insisted that the country is stable, however, international leaders have warned that the growing violence and increasing numbers of government and military renouncements of Gaddafi's leadership indicate that the state structure is in critical danger. William Hague, the British foreign minister, has said that there are "many indications of the structure of the state collapsing in Libya". "The resignation of so many ambassadors and diplomats, reports of ministers changing sides within Libya itself, shows the system is in a very serious crisis," he said. Libyan diplomats across the world have either resigned in protest at the use of violence (including the alleged use of warplanes on civilian targets) against citizens, or renounced Gaddafi's leadership, saying that they stand with the protesters. Late on Tuesday night, General Abdul-Fatah Younis, the country's interior minister, became the latest government official to stand down, saying that he was resigning to support what he termed as the "February 17 revolution". He urged the Libyan army to join the people and their "legitimate demands". Earlier, Mustapha Abdeljalil, the country's justice minister, had resigned in protest at the "excessive use of violence" against protesters, and diplomat's at Libya's mission to the United Nations called on the Libyan army to help remove "the tyrant Muammar Gaddafi". A group of army officers has also issued a statement urging soldiers to "join the people" and remove Gaddafi from power. Protesters 'take' towns Swathes of the country now appear to be out of Gaddafi's control. Benghazi, the country's second largest city, was "taken" by protesters after days of bloody clashes, and soldiers posted there are reported to have deserted and joined the anti-government forces. Several other cities in the country's east are said to be under the control of protesters, including Tobruk, where a former army major told the Reuters news agency: "All the eastern regions are out of Gaddafi's control ... the people and the army are hand-in-hand here." The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights says that protesters also control Sirte, Misrata, Khoms, Tarhounah, Zenten, Al-Zawiya and Zouara. The Warfalla tribe, the largest in the country, has also joined calls from other tribes for Gaddafi to stand down. The country is also facing growing international isolation, and late on Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council expressed "grave concern" at the situation in the country, condemning the use of force against civilians. A statement signed by all 15 members of the council said that the UNSC "deplored the repression against peaceful demonstrators, and expressed deep regret at the deaths of hundreds of civilians". The council called for "steps to address the legitimate demands of the population". On Tuesday, Peru severed diplomatic ties with Gaddafi's government, while several countries, including Britain, the United States, Italy, France, Turkey, India, Sri lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Greece have put into place arrangements for the evacuation of their citizens from the country. Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said on Tuesday that the use of violence was "completely unacceptable", while Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said it "amounted to [Gaddafi] declaring war on his own people". Violence rages The UNSC's statement stopped short of declaring Libyan airspace a no-fly zone, after diplomats called for the step to be taken following reports that warplanes had been used throughout Monday to bomb civilian targets in Tripoli. Violence has continued to rage in Libya since an anti-government crackdown on demonstrations began on February 17. Human Rights Watch, a US-based rights watchdog, says that at least 295 people have been killed since violence began. Naji Abu-Ghrouss, an interior ministry official, said 197 civilians and 111 in the military have been killed in violence so far. Witnesses in Tripoli and other cities have reported that foreign mercenaries have been patrolling the streets, firing indiscriminately on those they encounter in a bid to keep people off the streets. In addition, air strikes have also been reported against civilian targets. The government claims that while warplanes have been used in recent days, they were targeting arms depots and that the targets were not in residential areas. On Tuesday, Navi Pillay, the UN's high commissioner for human rights, said that widespread and systematic attacks against civilians "may amount to crimes against humanity". Protesters and tribesmen in Ajdabiya, a key city near the country's oil fields, say they are protecting facilities and fields. On Tuesday, two international oil companies - Italy's Eni and Spain's Repsol-YPF - shut down operations, while Royal Dutch Shell said that it was preparing to evacuate employees.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

3D pavement painting displayed in Chongqing

2011-02-23 12:26:30 GMT2011-02-23 20:26:30(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

A citizen poses on a 3D pavement painting by artist Qi Xinghua in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, Feb. 23, 2011. The artwork covers an area of 892 square meters, 32.3meter in length and 23.3 meters in width. (Xinhua/Zhong Guilin) (hdt)

Citizens gather to watch a 3D pavement painting by artist Qi Xinghua in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, Feb. 23, 2011. The artwork covers an area of 892 square meters, 32.3 meters in length and 23.3 meters in width. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

Citizens gather to watch a 3D pavement painting by artist Qi Xinghua in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, Feb. 23, 2011. The artwork covers an area of 892 square meters, 32.3 meters in length and 23.3 meters in width. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

Citizens gather to watch a 3D pavement painting by artist Qi Xinghua in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, Feb. 23, 2011. The artwork covers an area of 892 square meters, 32.3 meters in length and 23.3 meters in width. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

A 3D pavement painting by artist Qi Xinghua was displayed in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, Feb. 23, 2011. The artwork covers an area of 892 square meters, 32.3 meters in length and 23.3 meters in width.

Bahrain protesters back in action

Tens of thousands march in the first organised demonstration since unrest broke out in the Gulf Arab nation. Last Modified: 22 Feb 2011 20:21 GMT

Shia Muslim protesters accuse the Sunni rulers of discriminating against the island's Shia majority [Reuters] Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Bahrain in the possibly biggest demonstration since unrest began last week. Demonstrators circled the Bahrain Mall and the financial district of Manama, the capital, in a march to the heart of the protest at Pearl Square. "We want the fall of the government" was the most common chant among the mainly Shia Muslim protesters who accuse the Sunni rulers of discriminating against the island's Shia majority. Led by opposition groups such as Wefaq and Waad, it was the first organised demonstration and followed spontaneous protests by a rising youth movement relying on social media. Helicopters hovered overhead but security forces offered no resistance after opening fire on protesters last week. "Some want the [ruling] family out but most [want] only the prime minister [to quit]," Abbas al-Fardan, a protester, said. "We want a new government, the people need to rule the country." Opposition demands The widow of one of the seven people killed in a crackdown on protesters read a statement outlining the opposition's demands, which centre on the current government's resignation and the replacement of the ruling Sunni al-Khalifa dynasty with a constitutional monarchy. The statement also demanded an immediate, "impartial" probe to identify and try those behind the killings and reiterated opposition calls for the formation of a "national salvation" government. "We don't have a problem if elections bring a Sunni or a Shia ruler," Saeed, a protester, said. "The most important thing is to have egalitarian distribution of wealth among both communities." Shias account for about 70 per cent of the population but are a minority in Bahrain's 40-seat parliament. The al-Khalifa dynasty has ruled Bahrain for 200 years, and the family dominates a cabinet led by the king's uncle, who has been prime minister since independence in 1971. Hassan Mushaimaa, leader of the opposition Haq movement, had vowed to return to Bahrain on Tuesday from London where he is based. He is one of 25 people on trial since last year over an alleged coup plot but a statement by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa on Monday hinted that the trial would be shelved, allowing Mushaimaa an unhindered return. But a friend of Mushaimaa said the opposition leader had been unable to board his flight to Bahrain from Beirut where he had landed earlier for a planned stopover. State media said the king had ordered the release of convicted prisoners whose names would be released on Wednesday and a stop to ongoing court cases. The US praised Bahrain's leadership on Tuesday for having announced steps towards opening a national dialogue, releasing political prisoners and permitting peaceful demonstrations. "We commend the steps taken by King Hamad as well as Crown Prince Salman and others to restore calm to Bahrain, to allow peaceful demonstrations to take place," PJ Crowley, the state department spokesman, said. "We view recent announcements to launch a national dialogue and the release of political prisoners as positive steps towards addressing the concerns of Bahraini citizens."

Source: Agencies

Live Blog - Libya Feb 22

By Al Jazeera Staff in

Africa

on February 22nd, 2011.

Alleged mercenaries deployed by Gaddafi in Tripoli, the Libyan capital.

As the uprising in Libya enters its ninth day, we keep you updated on the developing situation from our headquarters in Doha, Qatar.

Blog: Feb17 - Feb18 - Feb19 - Feb20 - Feb21

AJE Live Stream - Twitter Audio: Voices from Libya - Benghazi Protest Radio (Arabic)

(All times are local in Libya GMT+2)

February 22

11:53pm: Tripoli resident Khaleed urges Nato and others to send peacekeeping troops.

Right after his speech, mercenaries were sent into the street. There were gunshots in every direction you could hear automatic, semi-automatic, high-powered rifles. You cuold hear them, you could hear the different types and the different bursts of fire. It sounded like something out of Chechnya in all honesty.

11:40pm: Reuters reports Libyan troops deployed at Sabratha town, 65km west of Tripoli

11.35pm: Clashes reported in the Sarman district of Tripoli

11.29pm: You must watch this.

The family of Mohamed Bouazizi, the young Tunisian from Sidi Bouzid whose act of self-immolation triggered the Tunisian Uprising, has a message for the families in Libya who have lost their loved ones to the violent repression of the protests.

Bouazizi, a 26-year-old street vendor, set himself on fire on December 17 after police abused and humiliated him. He died of his burns on January 4. The protest movement that began in Sidi Bouzid swelled to become a nationwide phenomenon, and spread to other countries in North Africa and the Middle East. Most recently, it reached Libya.

Hundreds of Libyans have been killed as Muammar Gaddafi attempts to petrify the protests against his regime. Menobia Bouazizi, Mohamed’s mother, recorded this message for their families. Her family sent the video to Al Jazeera. Read this excellent report from Al Jazeera's Yasmine Ryan, who recently returned from the birthplace of Tunisia's uprising - by clicking here: The tragic life of a street vendor

11.27pm: Reports the Irish air corps is heading to Malta to help evacuate Irish citizens from Libya tomorrow.

11.25pm: Is Younis positioning himself to take over? He concludes:

From my knowledge of Gaddafi, he won't leave, he will stay to the end, but he will stay alone. Who will aid him? Everyone has abandoned him. The Eastern & Central Provinces have abandoned him. To Gaddafi I tell him: Please end your life by praying for the martyrs, ask for God's forgiveness and the people's.

To Libyan people, you are a brave people, stand courageously, Libya will become a strong country. What I know is that the Free Officers of Libya have stopped their support of Gaddafi, his Security Battalion remain. Stand courageously, people of Libya, and those in Tripoli and Zawya and all over the country.

11.20pm: Younis adds: "Gaddafi's speech was very clear to any one who has a brain. He is nervous, he is stubborn. He may commit suicide. Gaddafi won't leave. He may commit suicide or will be killed. I didn't wish for him to face such an end."

11.13pm: Former Gaddafi No.2, Abdul Fatah Younis being interviewed on Al Arabiya. Here's a rough translation of some of his comments, provided by @SultanAlQassemi:

The Libyan people have suffered too long. We have so much oil, the people could have lived as in a 5 star hotel.

Al Arabiya asks him: What happened?

There was a crowd of people outside my office, I was with my cousin. A bullet then went next to my right cheek, it hit my cousin who is in a very bad case now.

Gaddafi, that dirty man, wanted to say that I was killed by protesters so that my tribe, the Obeidat, will stand by him.

"You were a Minister of Interior but you only choose to speak now?" Younis: "I spoke to him 2 weeks before the revolution."

I told Gaddafi, we have too many unemployed youth. I want that dirty person who shot my cousin to face justice .

I am not a two-faced man. I worked with Gaddafi for 42 years, I was shocked at his speech today.

I wish Gaddafi had instead said a prayer for the fallen youth in his last days in office.

Our plan now it to support the youth in Tripoli so that it is liberated like Benghazi was.

I offer my condolences to the fallen martyrs (reads a statement of support for the youth revolution).

I begged Gaddafi not to send planes, I called him. Now of course we don't speak, I have joined the revolution.

Citizens collected weapons & brought them to me, we put them in a massive (airplane) hanger for safekeeping.

I gave orders to my men in Benghazi not to shoot at protesters, not one of my men shot at protesters, those who shot belong to the Security Battalions. I guarantee that none of my men shot at protesters.

11.09pm: Libyan state TV says "honourable citizens" continue to apprehend "vandals".

11.06pm: Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh tweets that Libya's state TV broadcasts names of military officers joining pro-Gaddafi demonstrations, describing them as "free officers".

11.03pm: Libyans tell Al Jazeera the scariest part of Gaddafi's speech was when he spoke of not using force "yet" - given reports over the past few days of mercenaries, airstrikes and photos of burnt corpses and protesters hacked apart.

11.01pm: Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros tells us eyewitnesses report police going through Tripoli and removing barricades put in place by residents to protect their homes from attack during the past few days. Residents reported to be panicking.

10.55pm: Libya's state TV urges "those who like to film with their cell phones" to email in footage of pro-Gaddafi demos

10.53pm: More on that shoe throwing... Al Jazeera brings you the reaction as provided by state TV, with enthusiastic crowds greeting Gaddafi's lengthy, rambling speech. Meanwhile, the crowds in the eastern city of Benghazi - site of the beginning of the uprising - give a somewhat different reaction, as evidenced by a webcam stream:

10.51pm: The UN Security Council is putting together a final statement on Libya, but Al Jazeera's Scott Heidler commented on a first draft he had seen, saying it contained "nothing unpredictable".

Heidler said the draft statement condemned the violence used, it urged investigations, and it advised foreign nationals to leave Libya if they so wished. Details of the final statement will follow.

10.43pm: Disturbances rocking Libya have killed 300 people, including 58 soldiers, according to figures provided at the venue of a press conference to be given by Gaddafi's son, the AFP news agency reports.

10.39pm: The Reuters news agency reports that Saif Gaddafi is to give a press conference in Tripoli. We will cover it on our site. Watch here.

10.30pm: After growing unrest and violent crackdowns in Libya, a group of hackers has launched a way navigate the censors and route information to those affected in the north African nation. Red more here.

10.29pm: While Libyan state TV shows footage of a pro-Gaddafi rally somewhere in the country, our colleagues over at Al Jazeera Arabic have just screened very different footage - of the crowd's reaction to Gaddafi's speech in the eastern city of Benghazi. The shoe-throwing starts 12 seconds in...

10.27pm: The emergency UN Security Council meeting on Libya has just begun in New York.

10.22pm: In his telephone call with Gaddafi, Italy's Berlusconi urged a peaceful solution to the political crisis in Libya and told the embattled leader Italy was not arming protesters as was stated in his speech earlier on Tuesday, Italian news agency ANSA said.

10.11pm: Libya's defected interior minister has urged the Libyan army to join the people and respond to their "legitimate demands" echoing the language used by defecting Egyptian military leaders before the fall of president Hosni Mubarak.

10:04pm: "Gaddafi's No.2" Abdul Fatah Younis, Libyan minister of interior and army general - resigns. More to come.

10.00pm: Gaddafi spoke to Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi via telephone, telling him that Libya is fine and the truth about events in the country are being shown on state media.

"The brother leader reassured during (the) telephone conversation the friend Berlusconi that 'Libya is fine, its people are ... holding on to its security, stability and national unity'," the official JANA news agency said.

9.56pm: Cal Perry adds that Italian air force sent jet fighters to establish visual contact with Libyan warship reportedly floating in Maltese waters.

9.55pm: Reporting in Malta, Al Jazeera's Cal Perry said employees of the Libyan embassy there joined protesters demonstrating outside on Tuesday. "We are seeing this government dissolve in its overseas postings," he noted.

9.47pm: Nicaragua's president, Daniel Ortega, says he has telephoned Muammar Gaddafi to express his solidarity with the embattled leader.

9:39pm: Business leaders appear to be ready and waiting to move into a post-Gaddafi Libya. George Kanaan, CEO of the Arab Bankers Association in London, says reform will be "hugely positive" for the country - unlike Egypt, which already had a fairly open and "liberal" economy, change in Libya will encourage massive outside investment. he'll be appearing on Al Jazeera soon. Watch here.

9.34pm: "This bloodshed is completely unacceptable," Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state said about the events in Libya, adding that it was the responsibility of governments to protect their citizens.

She also expressed concern over the violence in Yemen. Clinton urged middle eastern governments to "engage peacefully and positively" with their people in achieving desired ends.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives have been lost," she said.

9.21pm: Never mind The King's Speech - we've just had The King of King's speech... Check out this analysis of Gaddafi's speech by Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior policy analyst.

9.20pm: In case you missed it, a chilling warning from Gaddafi as he reads from his copy of the Green Book.

9.16pm: The Toronto Globe and Mail has produced an interesting graphic showing Gaddafi’s influence across Africa. Check it out by clicking here. Al Jazeera can’t be held responsible for the content of external websites.

9.00pm: Online reports say Benghazi "remains calm" despite claims it is being shelled by warships. Stay tuned to our live TV feed for reports and analysis. If you're in the UK, we're live on Freeview right now - and, if you're in the US, don't forget you can Demand Al Jazeera from your local cable provider.

8.55pm: Anoushka Kurkjian, a Middle East consultant told Al Jazeera the address was "a typical Gaddafi speech". She said "Gaddafi's resiliance is not in doubt" and it can't be ruled out that he will stay in power for as long as he can.

She added: "The structures of the state are disintegrating. There is that shift from Gaddafi towards an alternitive, but that hasn't yet taken shape."

Regarding the Arab League expelling Libya, she said "The Arab League has been muted by saying that it's suspending Libya. If the death toll does mount, reactions will become more thoughtful."

8:46pm: Anita McNaught, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Istanbul, says, contrary to earlier agency reports, some Turkish flights were able to land in Tripoli and evacuate some Turkish citizens. So far, 2,141 Turks have been airlifted home - though more than 23,000 remain stuck in Libya.

A pair of Seacat ferries have still not docked, but "are close to Benghazi" - though there is no guarantee they will be able to dock there. At least 3,000 Turks are reportedly waiting in a nearby sports stadium. Two further ferries remain on standby, one of which filled with medical supplies, she says.

8:45pm: German chancellor Angela Merkel says Gaddafi's speech was "very, very frightening" - and she is in favour of sanctions against his administration. Further international reactions currently emerging include Chile speaking of its "extreme concern for the evolution of the political situation and the use of force in Libya".

8:42pm More on US senator John Kerry's statement - during which he said Gaddafi's actions were "beyond despicable". Libya's "use of deadly force against its own people should mean the end of the regime itself. It's beyond despicable, and I hope we are witnessing its last hours in power." He said all international oil companies "should immediately cease operations in Libya until violence against civilians ceases".

United Nations leadership is on the line. Libya's mission to the UN bravely condemned their own government. Now UN action is critical.

8.40pm Libya's UN ambassador tells reporters:

I spoke to him [Gaddafi]. I told him: "Muammar, we are getting old, let's give our children a chance." He said: "We give our children plenty of chances." I told him: My children are not with us, they want change." He said: "My children want change, too."

8.38pm: Al Jazeera's Lawrence Lee filed this report about Tuesday's events in Libya:

8.34pm: Al Jazeera's White House correspondent Patty Culhane noted that Barack Obama has himself been silent about Libya for a few days, even though he had made public statements during Egypt's similar unrest.

8.32pm: John Kerry, a US politician, called the Libyan government's use of force "beyond dispicable". He called on Barack Obama to reconsider sanctions against Libya, and said he hoped these were Gaddafi's last hours in power.

Kerry said the international community must send a message to Gaddafi that his "cowardly actions will have consequences".

8:29pm: PJ Crowley, US department of state spokesman, calls on Libya to respect rights of the "thousands" of US citizens in the country. He said the White House has "grave concerns" over the Libyan government's response to protests.

8.27pm: Videos emerge on file-sharing website LiveLeak of mobs lynching two people, understood to be mercenaries operating in Libya. Also, a video appears of a demonstrator shot in the head by a sniper.

8.24pm: UNHCR - the UN's refugee agency - says it is "gravely concerned" or the safety and security of asylum seekers and refugees in Libya.

8.22pm: William Hague, British foreign minister, said there are many indications that Gaddafi's government is headed towards collapse, with diplomats resigning and the government in crisis. He says theHMS Cumberland, a Type 22 frigate warship, will be deployed to international waters off the Libyan coast - "in case it is required to play a role assisting British nationals".

8.20pm: The Brazilian government called on Libyans to seek a solution to the crisis through dialogue and reiterated its repudiation to the use of violence.

8.18pm: Oliver Miles, the former British Ambassador to Libya, told Al Jazeera Gaddafi's speech was "meant to make our blood run cold". He said he would not rule out Gaddafi sticking it out to the very end.

8.15pm: Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal at Sidi Barani, a town on the Egyptian side of the border with Libya, said Egyptians were still returning home. He also said doctors carrying blood and other medical aid were crossing the border carrying supplies over into Libya.

8.11pm: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called Gaddafi's speech "very very frightening" and said he had declared war on his own people..

8.08pm: The Arab League put out an official statement condemning the events in Libya, but Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros reported from Cairo that leading Egyptian political figure Mohamed ElBaradei said he was disappointed that the League did not take a stronger stand against the injustices.

8.02pm: In his defiant speech, Gaddafi said he will "cleanse Libya house by house" if protesters did not surrender.

7.59pm: Libyan state television is still showing pictures of government supporters following Gaddafi's speech:

7:57pm: Libya is suspended, immediately, from the Arab League. More details to follow.

7:51pm: We're expecting a closed UN meeting at 8pm GMT. Any UN member can attend - and the plan is/was for Libya's Deputy Ambassador to also give a briefing. However, the surprise appearance of Libya's ambassador - who has been remarkably absent in the past few days - at late notice could cause a problem, our UN correspondent tells us.

UN protocol suggests they would have to defer to the ambassador for a briefing, whose position is in sharp contrast to the deputy ambassador, who told us yesterday that Gaddafi should face trial. Ambassador Abdel Rahman Shalgam to an earlier press conference:

I am with Gaddafi but I want the bloodshed to stop. I am not calling on him to step down. If one Libyan has been killed - not ten or 20 - but one- this is a crime. Gaddafi is brave, he will make a decision. There is confusion - I have spoken to a relative in Libya and there has been no airbombing.

7.49pm: Reports from our contacts on the ground tell us military vehicles and helicopters are headed toward towns outside Tripoli. Jeeps started rolling immediately the speech ended, we understand.

7.46pm: Gaddafi called on "all those who love Gaddafi" to come out and demonstrate in his support tomorrow. State TV shows uhge crowds waving green flags and holding pictures of Gaddafi. Much as with the YouTube videos we've been sent over the past few days, with limited media access to the country, there's no way to independently verify when or where the pictures were recorded.

7.44pm: More reports emerging of protesters, quite literally, torn limb from limb durnig the past few days.

7.34pm: In case you missed it - the backdrop to Gaddafi's speech - a piece of artwork showing a clenched fist crushing a US fighter jet, in front of the words "Allahu Akbar" [God is the greatest].

7.30pm: After the EU suspends its Libya Framework Ageement, and amid international condemnation of Gaddafi, where is President Obama? Rosalind Jordan, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Washington DC explains:

You didn't need the translation to see how much Gaddafi was trying to blame this on the US, among others. So the White House doesn't want to make any public speeeches - they're very aware of how that could be seen across the country.

Gaddafi asked, in his speech: 'Do you want the Americans to come and occupy you like in Afghanistan and Iraq?' If the president weighs in now, the Libyan authorities may well use that against the protesters.

US senator John Kerry wants the UN to step in - and for the African Union to investigae alleged use of mercenaries.

7.29pm: Analyst Ashur Shamis tells Al Jazeera: "There is no doubt Gaddafi will follow through on his threats against the people of Libya." Looking over the past 24hours of our Live Blog updates, we've had some incredibly violent reports already.

7.27pm: Following Gaddafi's speech, online reports of gunfire being heard throughout Tripoli.

7.25pm: Earlier on Tuesday, Al Jazeera spoke to Yasmine, a Libyan student in the UAE. She said she had spoken to a friend who lives in Benghazi:

As we were speaking, she said there was an old lady that just walked out onto her balcony that was immediately shot at and died. She didn't do anything, she didn't protest, she didn't even open her mouth and she was shot immediately.

People are very very scared and they are still out in the streets protesting because everybody is angry and they are fed up and they want a change and they don't want this guy to lead the country anymore, neither him or his sons, nobody wants them anymore.

They have been suffering for 43 years in silence. this is out of fear and now they have had enough. They are angry they are willing to risk everything, their lives, absolutely everything to get this guy out of the country.

7.21pm: Ashur Shamis a Libyan journalist told Al Jazeera that Gaddafi will go down fighting. He saidthere was no way the Libyan people would take note of Gaddafi's speech. "I don't think people are frightened anymore, but those were serious threats of force," he said.

In his speech, Gaddafi said "when they are prosecuted they will be begging for mercy".

7.19pm: All eyes are now on the Libyan military. Will we see another situation as we did in Egypt? Tonight?

7.18pm: He offered a new constitution, to be put in place from tomorrow. Offers the pople "whatever form of government they want".

7.16pm His main point was an attempt to blame "drugged youth" and foreign imperialists. He used the chilling example of the 1989 massacre at Tianenman Square: "The integrity of China was more important than those in Tianenmen Square.

7.14pm So, he's not stepping down - and will "die a martyr", he says.

7.12pm: Gaddafi's speech has finally finished. He gets his hand kissed by a loyalist and waves to what appears to be about half a dozen senior officers still listening. State TV now showing thousands of people cheering...

7.07pm: Talking about Gaddafi's address on state television, Ibrahim Jibreel, a Libyan political analyst told Al Jazeera "we just watched a lunatic rant and rave for the last hour and a half".

"There was no substance to this [speech].. There was really no message to this besides the threats".

"The interesting thing is that Libya has no constitution but he has threatened the death penalty for people who fail to follow the constituion," Jibreel said.

6.55pm: Carlos Latuff posted this image of "courageous Libyan people" on Twitpic:

6.52pm: Britain said it planned to send a charter plane to Libya to bring out British nationals and was dispatching a Royal Navy frigate to waters off Libya in case it was needed to help Britons.

6.50pm: French Prime Minister Francois Fillon on Tuesday said he was "horrified by the explosion of violence" in Libya.

6.48pm: Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri reports from Tunisia that 4000 people crossed the border at Ras Jedir on Tuesday, according to Tunisian border police, the majority of them Tunisians.

6.45pm Social networks were a-buzz during Gaddafi's speech on state television. Here are some responses recorded on Twitter:

Mona Eltahawy @monaeltahawy

The "head of the Popular Revolution" is being overthrown by the real Popular Revolution in #Libya. I love it. #Gaddafi desperation beautiful

Jeel Ghathub @Libyan4life

#Gaddafi doesn't mean dignity

sunnkaa @sunnkaa

#gaddafi wants civil war. he wants #libyans to kill libyans

Shadi Hamid @shadihamid

If there was any doubt before, there is no longer: Qaddafi has unequivocally declared intention to massacre his own ppl #Libya

Libyan Dude @ChangeInLibya

Guys, can you see the irony? What he's telling people to do is what is being done AGAINST HIM... What a madman... #libya #feb17

Ali Abunimah @avinunu

We can laugh, but never forget this is a sinister man who is threatening Libyans with even more massacres if they don't do his bidding.

6.20pm: In his second television address since the start of the current unrest, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi says he will not leave Libya and will die a martyr. He criticised 'Arab media', saying it painted an insulting picture of Libyans.

Gaddafi says Libya has resisted Britain and the US previously, and it will not surrender now.

He also said:

Muammar Gaddafi is not the president, he is the leader of the revolution. He has nothing to lose. Revolution means sacrifice until the very end of your life

We challenge America with its mighty power, we challenge even the superpower

Muammar Gaddafi is not a normal person that you can poison.. or lead a revolution against

I will fight until the last drop of blood with the people behind me

I haven't even started giving the orders to use bullets - any use of force against authority of state will be sentenced to death

They are just imitating Egypt and Tunisia

Protesters want to turn Libya into an Islamic state

If you love Muammar Gaddafi you will go out and secure Libya's streets

Watch Al Jazeera's Livestream and follow @AJELive on Twitter.

5.59pm: Muammar Gaddafi gives a speech on Libyan State Television:

Watch Al Jazeera's Livestream for more.

5.49pm: Qassem Najaa, a former Libyan airforce colonel, tells Al Jazeera that the country's army has been oppressed by Gaddafi for years, and is now turning against him.

5.39pm: Germany's foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, says international sanctions against Libya will be inevitable if the country's regime continues to put down protests violently.

5.32pm: Libyan soldiers in Tobruk told Reuters news agency that protesters are now in control of the city.

This map, posted on yfrog apparently shows other areas under citizen control:

5.28pm: Libyan anti-government protesters from across the UK have gathered outside Downing St in London. Protesters are angrily calling for Gaddafi to step down. One protester, Mohamed Maklouf, commented on the "hypocricy" of the West:

They don't care about the Arabs, they don't care about the Libyans, they only care about the oil."

5.17pm Al Jazeera's Cal Perry reports from Malta that the Italian navy is monitoring a Libyan naval vessel stalled in waters just off the coast of Malta. There are possible allegations that the vessel may have defected. More details are being sought.

"Malta has become a departure point and entry point for people trying to flee Tripoli [Libya's capital]," Perry said, "As the situation develops, it's also becoming a place perhaps where we'll see more and more Libyan officials coming here to defect, because it's just geographically close."

5.08pm The Italian Foreign minister has condemned the events in Libya, saying: "I strongly deplore, all violence against the demonstrators and the deaths of civilians in Libya".

I call for, as does the Council of the European Union, an immediate end to the use of force against the demonstrators. And I underscore that the Libyan authorities must respond, through dialogue, to the legitimate aspirations and demands for reform voiced by the people. A dialogue that must be open, full, significant and national, and which must lead to a constructive future for the country and for its people.

The country's defence minister, Ignazio La Russa, has also denied the news reported on some blogs and social networking sites of alleged raids by Italian fighter planes in Libya. He said:

I can deny the allegations in the firmest manner. Somebody is clearly not aware of the ethics of the Italian Government and Armed Forces

4.58pm: Ibrahim Jibreel, a Libyan political analyst, spoke told Al Jazeera the international community needs to take active steps in protecting the rights of the Libyan people.

"[Gaddafi] needs to feel the heat from the international community in one way or another," he said.

He added that a no-fly zone around Libya was a good thing, but it was not enough. "We need troops on the ground to protect the people, and also to record what is happening on the ground."

4.52pm: Libya's side of the border with Egypt is in the hands of anti-government protesters. Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal at Sidi Barani, a town on the Egyptian side of the border reports that hundreds of Egyptians living in Libya continue to flee the country.

4.44pm Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is expected to speak shortly. Watch Al Jazeera's Livestream for more.

4.25pm Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, spoke to Al Jazeera about the recent events in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, saying:

The events in each country have been up to the people of that country ...

From the standpoint of determining their own future, of meeting their needs in the future, that is principally up to the people in each country".

He added:

The US, as every country throughout the world, would look to how to engage to see how we can support this kind of change in a way that is meaningful, but it is up to the people of the country to make the decisions about their own future.

4.11pm Twitter user Carlos Latuff posted this image of Gaddafi "drowning in the blood of martyrs" on Twitpic:

3.50pm Mona Rishmawi, legal adviser to UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, told Al Jazeera they were extrememly concerned by allegations of the use of "hired guns" against civillian protesters in Libya. She said intergovernmental bodies must show a united front and send a clear message that what is going on in Libya must stop right now.

Rishmawi added:

Any measures taken to protect the civillians in Libya are very important at this stage ... if there are planes, if there are snipers, if there are civillians being killed indiscriminately.. it has to stop.

... Allegations of gross violations of human rights, allegations of crimes against humanity are extremely serious.. I think it is very important for this situtaion to stop now.

3.40pm The Arab League is to hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, to discuss the unrest in Libya. Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros, reporting from Cairo, said Amr Moussa, the League's secretary-general, expressed concern about recent events, saying the Libyan people have a right to sk for regime change.

The Arab League is made up of leaders from other countries, some of which are also experiencing unrest, including Yemen, Algeria and Bahrain. Tadros noted:

It will be interesting to see exactly how they word that bit of the statement regarding regime change.

3.38pm Sources have told Al Jazeera that the bombing from warplanes on Monday had targeted ammunition depots in Libya. The aim was to apparently stop protesters getting hold of weapons.

3.26pm Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington DC, said there is "widespread horror among the Libyan diplomatic core" about what is currently happeninig in the country, with many resigning and some even calling the government's actions "genocide".

Speaking about the resigned diplomats, Jordan said:

Certainly while they have been stepping aside from their official government roles, it is not clear whether or not they would be able to have any impact on events inside Libya, because if they are saying they now represent the people and not the Gaddafi government, it may very well be difficult for them to try to mobilise any sort of action on behalf of the people, other than from the images we have been seeing on television

3.01pm Libya's ambassador to the United States has resigned from what he calls a "dictatorship" regime.

The Reuters news agency reported amabssador Ali Aujali, speaking to ABC’s “Good Morning America,” saying:

Let me start by saying that I resign 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

Americans on hijacked yacht killed

US military's Central Command says four hostages found dead after forces boarded the vessel in the Arabian Sea. Last Modified: 22 Feb 2011 19:44 GMT

Pirates off the coast of Somalia are continuing their attacks despite international efforts to end the piracy [EPA] The US military says Somali pirates have shot dead four American hostages on a hijacked yacht in the Arabian Sea as US forces tried to negotiate an end to the hostage drama. The military said a firefight on Tuesday left two pirates dead and 13 captured. Among the Americans killed were Jean and Scott Adam, a retired couple active in missionary work who had been sailing the world on the for more than seven years and had planned to take in sites from India to Djibouti to Crete on their latest trip. Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, a couple from Seattle who joined the Adams, were also killed by the band of 19 pirates who commandeered the yacht in waters southeast of Oman, US officials said. The sequence of events was not immediately clear, but the US military's Central Command said the dead hostages were only discovered after US forces responded to gunfire and boarded the pirated yacht. "As they responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors," the Central Command said in a statement. "Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds." US warships, which had been closely monitoring the Quest since it emerged three days ago that it had been seized by pirates, approached the vessel after hearing gunfire, the US Central Command said. It said negotiations to secure the release of the Americans had been under way when the gunfire broke out. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US "strongly condemns the murder" of the four and urged other nations, particularly in Africa, to contribute to efforts to fight piracy from Somalia. "This deplorable act firmly underscores the need for continued international progress toward confronting the shared security challenge posed by piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa," Clinton said in a statement. Pirate gangs preying on shipping lanes through the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean typically target large merchant ships, but the snatching of foreigners can also yield high ransoms.

Source: Agencies

Defiant Gaddafi vows to fight on

In televised speech, Libyan leader blames youths inspired by regional events for uprising and vows to die a "martyr". Last Modified: 22 Feb 2011 22:04 GMT Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, has vowed to fight on and die a "martyr", calling on his supporters to take back the streets from protesters demanding his ouster, shouting and pounding his fist in a furious speech on state TV. Gaddafi, clad in brown robes and turban, spoke on Tuesday from a podium set up in the entrance of a bombed-out building that appeared to be his Tripoli residence hit by US air raids in the 1980s and left unrepaired as a monument of defiance. "I am a fighter, a revolutionary from tents ... I will die as a martyr at the end," he said. "Muammar Gaddafi is the leader of the revolution, I am not a president to step down ... This is my country. Muammar is not a president to leave his post." "I have not yet ordered the use of force, not yet ordered one bullet to be fired ... when I do, everything will burn." LIVE BLOG He called on supporters to take to the streets to attack protesters. "You men and women who love Gaddafi ...get out of your homes and fill the streets," he said. "Leave your homes and attack them in their lairs ... Starting tomorrow the cordons will be lifted, go out and fight them." Gaddafi said "peaceful protests is one thing, but armed rebellion is another". "From tonight to tomorrow, all the young men should form local committees for popular security," he said, telling them to wear a green armband to identify themselves. "The Libyan people and the popular revolution will control Libya." The speech, which appeared to have been taped earlier, was aired on a screen to hundreds of supporters massed in Tripoli's central Green Square. At times the camera panned out to show a towering gold-coloured monument in front of the building, showing a fist crushing a fighter jet with an American flag on it - a view that also gave the strange image of Gaddafi speaking alone from behind a podium in the building's dilapidated lobby, with no audience in front of him. Speech highlights Shouting in the rambling speech, Gaddafi declared himself "a warrior" and proclaimed: "Libya wants glory, Libya wants to be at the pinnacle, at the pinnacle of the world". Among the other points made by Gaddafi in his speech: He called on the people to catch what he called drugged young people and bring them to justice. He called on the people to "cleanse Libya house by house" unless protesters on the streets surrendered. He warned that instability in Libya "will give al-Qaeda a base". He cited the examples of an attack on Russian parliament and China's crushing of the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising, saying that the international community did not interfere. He said he could do the same in Derna and Bayda. He offered a new constitution starting from Wednesday, but this would come with dialogue, not by collaboration with the enemy. He blamed the uprising on Islamists who wanted to create another Afghanistan, and warned that those in Bayda and Derna had already set up an Islamic Emirate that would reach Benghazi. He said that the country's youth was drugged and did not know anything; they were following the Islamists' leader and their leaders would be punished with death in accordance with the Libyan law. Just hours after Gaddafi's speech, Libya's interior minister, General Abdul-Fatah Younis, announced his defection and support for what he called the "February 17 revolution". In a video obtained by Al Jazeera, he was seen sitting on a desk reading a statement that also urged the Libyan army to join the people and their "legitimate demands". Source: Al Jazeera and agencies