Gaddafi vows to fight to the last man

Calling on the UN and NATO to investigate the facts about what had happened in Libya, Gaddafi said he saw a conspiracy to colonise Libya and seize its oil, Xinhua reported.

Addressing his supporters at a televised public rally in Tripoli, Gaddafi reiterated that the people exercised their authority through popular committees and popular conferences and he was merely a "symbol".

"People are standing behind their symbol leader," he said, insisting that he has handed over authority to the Libyan people since 1977. He rued that the demonstrations in his support him were not being shown by the international media, adding that he was "not following any satellite television (channel)".

Gaddafi's speech was interrupted several times by chanting by his supporters, saying that they swore they would not abandon him.   He also said that oil production in the North African country was now "at its lowest" due to unrest flamed by what he called Al Qaeda "cells."

"Libya has not fallen, it is them who will fall," Gaddafi said, adding that all those who had launched the attacks against his regime would be investigated and punished. He challenged the world community to find out if any peaceful protesters were killed.

"In America, France, and everywhere, if people attacked military stores and tried to steal weapons, they will shoot them," he said during his speech. Gaddafi also sought to question how the Security Council could decide resolutions on the basis of media reports, rather than proper facts.

"What was happening in Libya was domestic and not international, " he said. He urged the UN and NATO to "set up fact-finding committees" to find out how people were killed.

He said he was sure the Security Council would eventually agree that it had taken the wrong decision. "Should that not be the case, all states would have lost their sovereignty and been subject to the Council," he said.

It was Gaddafi's third televised speech since the anti-government protests broke out in the country. The event was to mark the 34th anniversary of the launch of the Popular Committees. Clashes between protesters and forces loyal to Gaddafi broke out when both sides were trying to gain control of the eastern oil export terminal of Marsa el-Brega.   The Libyan forces have launched air strikes on facilities that store weapons in areas controlled by the protesters.