Court orders arrest of Gadhafi

The court approved warrants for Gadhafi as well as his son Saif al-Islam and Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi on charges of crimes against humanity.

ICC prosecutors allege they were involved in the killing of protesters who rose up in February against Gadhafi’s 41-year rule.

Gadhafi has “absolute, ultimate and unquestioned control” over Libya’s state apparatus and its security forces, presiding judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng said in reading out the ruling.

She added that both Gadhafi and Saif al-Islam “conceived and orchestrated a plan to deter and quell by all means the civilian demonstrations” against the regime and that al-Senussi used his position of command to have attacks carried out.
Gadhafi’s government denies targeting civilians, accusing Nato jets staging air strikes on behalf of rebels of doing so.

Settlement talks

In Libya’s neighbour Tunisia, three Libyan ministers were holding talks with “foreign parties,” the Tunisian state news agency reported, in a possible sign some in Gadhafi’s circle were seeking a settlement.

Anti-Gadhafi rebels, based in the Western Mountains region southwest of Tripoli, made their biggest breakthrough in weeks to reach the town of Bir al-Ghanam, where they are now fighting pro-Gadhafi forces for control, their spokesman said.

The advance took them about 30 km north from their previous position and closer to Tripoli, Gadhafi’s power base. “We are on the southern and western outskirts of Bir al-Ghanam,” Juma Ibrahim, a rebel spokesman in the nearby town of Zintan, said. “There were battles there most of Sunday. Some of our fighters were martyred and they (government forces) also suffered casualties and we captured equipment and vehicles. It’s quiet there today and the rebels are still in their positions.”

The revolt has turned into the bloodiest of the Arab Spring revolts against autocratic rulers rippling across the Middle East.