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Moammar Gadhafi’s son report that Gadhafi has left Libya for Venezuela

21 February 2011 07:23 (UTC +04:00)

He stated that his father remains in Libya, APA reports.

Moammar Gadhafi’s son went on state television and proclaimed that his father remained in charge with the army’s backing. He stated that they and his father would "fight ... to the last bullet." These were the first comments made by Gadhafi’s regime since the demonstrations began some six days ago. Seif al-Islam Gadhafi warned protesters that they risked a civil war in which Libya’s oil wealth "will be burned."

The domino effect from other Middle East unrest, such as Egypt and Tunisia, was disavowed by Gadhafi’s son. "We are not Tunisia and Egypt. Moammar Gadhafi, our leader, is leading the battle in Tripoli, and we are with him. The armed forces are with him. Tens of thousands are heading here to be with him. We will fight until the last man, the last woman, the last bullet."

The speech lasted nearly 40 minutes. and at times rambled. Moammar Gadhafi did not appear on the broadcast. Reportedly, the Western-educated Said Gadhifi has pushed reforms for Libya previously. However, according to Michele Dunne, an expert at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, they have not been well received and gained little or no traction. On Sunday, the United States said it is "gravely concerned" by reports of hundreds of deaths and injuries during Libyan protests. Additionally, it warned U.S. citizens to delay travel to the country. Philip Crowley, assistant secretary of state, said in a statement:

"Libyan officials have stated their commitment to protecting and safeguarding the right of peaceful protest. We call upon the Libyan government to uphold that commitment and hold accountable any security officer who does not act in accordance with that commitment."

Other countries have similarly expressed their concern about the situation to Libyan authorities. British Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke on Sunday with Gadhafi’s son. He "made clear the U.K.’s grave concern at the escalation of violence," according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office. The statement continued, saying "He (Hague) expressed alarm at reports of large numbers of people being killed or attacked by Libyan security forces. The Foreign Secretary told Mr. Gadhafi that the Libyan government’s actions were unacceptable and would result in worldwide condemnation."