Gaddafi ready for ceasefire but refuses to step down

Saturday April 30, 2011 06:42:42 PM, RIA Novosti

Tripoli: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said in a live TV address Saturday he was ready for peace talks with NATO but has no plans to step down.

The long-time leader said he would enter a ceasefire only if all the sides of the conflict, and not only his own forces, are involved.

"(Libya) is ready until now to enter a ceasefire... but a ceasefire cannot be from one side," Gaddafi said.

"We were the first to welcome a ceasefire and we were the first to accept a ceasefire ... but the Crusader NATO attack has not stopped."

Previous offers by the Libyan government have either not been implemented or were soon broken.

Rebel groups have been fighting since mid-February to end Gaddafi's 41-year rule. The unrest has claimed thousands of lives.

Though a UN resolution allows NATO forces to attack Libyan government positions to protect civilians, it has not brought about Gaddafi's fall.

NATO plans to put pressure on Gaddafi until his troops stop attacking civilians, NATO spokeswoman Carmen Romero said.
 

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