West has started something it cannot control: Gaddafi

"They have started something dangerous, something they cannot control. It will be out of their control no matter what methods of destruction they have at their disposal," Gaddafi said.

He was referring to the Western coalition led by Britain, France and the United States which launched a military campaign against Libya on March 19 to enforce a UN no-fly zone and to protect civilians.

Gaddafi specifically addressed, without naming them, "the leaders who decided to launch a second Crusader war between Christians and Muslims across the Mediterranean sea," saying they must resign.

He accused those leaders of causing death and destruction and said: "It is they who have been stricken with madness.

"They want to impose their strength and have destroyed mutual interests between the Libyan people and their own people... They want to drag us back to medieval times," JANA quoted Gaddafi as saying.

"The solution is that they resign immediately and their people should find new leaders to replace them who will respect relations between peoples."

Several Western leaders have urged Gaddafi, who has been in power for more than four decades, to quit in the face of the deadly uprising against his iron-fisted rule.