<p>As world powers failed to agree on a common line on Libya, Gaddafi's troops inflicted heavy bombardment on the rebel-held Ajdabiyah, the last town before Benghazi.<br /><br />However, the outgunned rebel fighters denied claims that the area had been recaptured by government troops, the BBC reported.<br /><br />The fall Ajdabiya, which is 160km west of Benghazi, in the hands of Gaddafi's troops will clear a possible attack on capital of the rebels.<br /><br />Pro-Gaddafi forces were also reported to be shelling Misrata, the only western city held by the rebels.<br /><br />In an address to a select gathering of his supporters last night, a defiant Gaddafi warned that Libyans would fight to the death to defend their country as he called upon his people to take up arms against a possible invasion by western powers.<br /><br />Describing the rebels as "rats", Gaddafi slammed Western nations. "They want Libyan oil," he was quoted as saying by Al-Jazeera channel.<br /><br />"France now raises its head and says that it will strike Libya," Gaddafi told the gathering at his fortified Bab al-Azizia compound in central Tripoli.<br /><br />"Strike Libya?" he asked. "We'll be the one who strikes you! We struck you in Algeria, in Vietnam. You want to strike us? Come and give it a try."<br /><br />The defiant stand of Gaddafi came as the UN Security Council was set to discuss a draft resolution on imposing a no-fly zone over Libya in a bid to ground his aircraft that has been pounding the rebels.<br /><br />The text of the draft resolution, co-authored by Britain and France, was circulated at the UN Security Council by Lebanon yesterday, but other countries in the body were still not completely on board.<br /><br />On Saturday last, the Arab League called for a no-fly zone to be imposed over Libya but questions had been raised about the implementation of this measure, including where will the assets for this step come from.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>As world powers failed to agree on a common line on Libya, Gaddafi's troops inflicted heavy bombardment on the rebel-held Ajdabiyah, the last town before Benghazi.<br /><br />However, the outgunned rebel fighters denied claims that the area had been recaptured by government troops, the BBC reported.<br /><br />The fall Ajdabiya, which is 160km west of Benghazi, in the hands of Gaddafi's troops will clear a possible attack on capital of the rebels.<br /><br />Pro-Gaddafi forces were also reported to be shelling Misrata, the only western city held by the rebels.<br /><br />In an address to a select gathering of his supporters last night, a defiant Gaddafi warned that Libyans would fight to the death to defend their country as he called upon his people to take up arms against a possible invasion by western powers.<br /><br />Describing the rebels as "rats", Gaddafi slammed Western nations. "They want Libyan oil," he was quoted as saying by Al-Jazeera channel.<br /><br />"France now raises its head and says that it will strike Libya," Gaddafi told the gathering at his fortified Bab al-Azizia compound in central Tripoli.<br /><br />"Strike Libya?" he asked. "We'll be the one who strikes you! We struck you in Algeria, in Vietnam. You want to strike us? Come and give it a try."<br /><br />The defiant stand of Gaddafi came as the UN Security Council was set to discuss a draft resolution on imposing a no-fly zone over Libya in a bid to ground his aircraft that has been pounding the rebels.<br /><br />The text of the draft resolution, co-authored by Britain and France, was circulated at the UN Security Council by Lebanon yesterday, but other countries in the body were still not completely on board.<br /><br />On Saturday last, the Arab League called for a no-fly zone to be imposed over Libya but questions had been raised about the implementation of this measure, including where will the assets for this step come from.<br /><br /><br /></p>