http://www.smh.com.au/world/gaddafi-rejects-g8-call-to-quit-20110528-1f9d9.html
Gaddafi rejects G8 call to quit Patrick Wintour, Kim Willsher May 29, 2011 Bullet marks and a poster showing a defaced Muammar Gaddafi on a Libyan rebel fighter's car on the outskirts of Misrata. Photo: Reuters DEAUVILLE: Libya has rejected calls from a summit of G8 world powers for the country's leader, Muammar Gaddafi, to stand down, and said any initiative to resolve the crisis would have to go through the African Union. Fresh NATO air strikes on Tripoli have targeted the district where Colonel Gaddafi has his residence. A powerful explosion rocked the Bab Al-Aziziya district near the city centre yesterday morning. It is the fourth day in a row this part of the city has been targeted with air strikes. "Gaddafi makes no distinction between his personal accounts and the resources of the country" ... International Criminal Court. Photo: AP/RTP Portugal TV Colonel Gaddafi was left diplomatically deserted after Russia, his sole international interlocutor, joined the rest of the G8 rich nations in declaring he had lost all legitimacy and had to go. ''The G8 is an economic summit. We are not concerned by its decisions,'' said Libya's Deputy Foreign Minister, Khaled Kaaim. There had been suggestions the Russians would act as some kind of mediator in trying to secure a peace deal with Colonel Gaddafi. This was also rejected by Tripoli. ''We are an African country. Any initiative outside the AU framework will be rejected,'' Mr Kaaim said. Arab countries in transition to democracy are to be offered as much as $20 billion in aid, loans and debt relief as a result of pledges compiled at the G8 summit. The money will come from international financial institutions and members of the G8. A G8 communique said: ''Gaddafi and the Libyan government have failed to fulfil their responsibility to protect the Libyan population and have lost all legitimacy. He has no future in a free, democratic Libya. He must go. ''We welcome the work of the International Criminal Court in investigating crimes in Libya and note the chief prosecutor's request on 16 May for three arrest warrants.'' Russia will send a delegation to Benghazi, but will not accept Colonel Gaddafi into exile. Leaders of both Egypt and Tunisia, the two chief recipients of the aid package, spoke to leaders of the G8, chaired by the French in Deauville, and stressed that they needed money urgently to ensure their shift to democracy is smooth and not hampered by economic crisis. The aid is likely to be conditional on further steps to democracy. Both countries are struggling with disputes over the pace of change. Guardian News & Media, AFP Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/gaddafi-rejects-g8-call-to-quit-20110528-1f9d9.html#ixzz1NkkK7z7P [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: prole...@egroups.com Subscribe : proletar-subscr...@egroups.com Unsubscribe : proletar-unsubscr...@egroups.com List owner : proletar-ow...@egroups.com Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: proletar-dig...@yahoogroups.com proletar-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: proletar-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
