Justice Secretary warns that Gaddafi could seek revenge against Britain
In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, the politician said the dictator could stage another Lockerbie-style terrorist attack and admitted he is “not totally convinced anyone knows where Britain is going” in the conflict.
“The British people have reason to remember the curse of Gaddafi – Gaddafi back in power, the old Gaddafi looking for revenge, we have a real interest in preventing that…
“I am not in the Foreign Office, fortunately, so I am not too worried by my remarks. But I am still not totally convinced anyone knows where we are going now.”
The comments come as the coalition says it has carried out 96 airstrikes in Libya in the past 24 hours – and that the Libyan air system has been completely taken out.
The Ministry of Defence said the threat posed by Col Gaddafi’s air defences had been reduced to a “negligible level” and coalition air patrols could now concentrate on hitting his tanks and artillery.
But a spokesman for the Libyan government, Moussa Ibrahim, said the airstrikes are “immoral” and are providing air cover for rebels to advance southward towards Adjabiyah.
“This is immoral, illegal, it was not authorised by the Security Council. Nato know this, Western governments know this. Make no mistake, ” said Mr Ibrahim.
Meanwhile Prime Minister David Cameron has admitted he is worried about the grave situation in Zintan and Misratah.
Rebels say six people, including three young sisters, have been killed after the army shelled the areas.
And the US has warned that Colonel Gaddafi is reinforcing his positions around the city of Ajdabiyah and arming volunteers.
Vice Admiral William Gortney said: “We’ve received reports today that he has taken to arming what he calls volunteers to fight the opposition.
“I’m not sure… if they are truly volunteers or not and I don’t know how many of these recruits he’s going to get, but I find it interesting that he may now feel it necessary to seek civilian reinforcements.”
Nato is expected to take over from the US to be in charge of all international military operations over Libya, including air strikes on Col Gaddafi’s ground forces.
Explosions were heard in a suburb in eastern Tripoli early on Saturday, signalling possible new strikes by warplanes or missiles.
AFP news agency said witnesses had reported that the sounds came from a military site.
On Friday the battle between government forces and rebels for Ajdabiyah intensified.
The city, which is controlled by the Gaddafi regime, is about 100 miles (160km) from rebel-held Benghazi in the east of the country.
News agency Al Jazeera has reported that rebels said they had entered Ajdabiyah from the east while the opposition held on in the west of the town, which commands the coastal road towards Tripoli.
Winning back the town would be the biggest victory for the rebels since Western military intervention halted a counter-offensive by the better equipped Gaddafi forces which had driven them back towards Benghazi.
It would also signal that allied airstrikes may be capable of helping rebel fighters to eventually topple the leader.
Source: Sky News