Leader's son vows no surrender to rebels

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP):

Moammar Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam vowed yesterday to fight to the death, insisting no regime loyalists would surrender to the rebels, who are closing in on Gaddafi's final strongholds.

Seif al-Islam, Gaddafi's long-time heir-apparent, said he was speaking from the suburbs of Tripoli and insisted his father was fine.

"We are going to die in our land," he said in an audio statement broadcast on Syria's Al-Rai television, claiming he was speaking for loyalist leaders who had met in the Gaddafi bastion of Bani Walid. "No one is going to surrender."

His statement came shortly after a conflicting interview on Al-Arabiya television by a man claiming to be his brother, al-Saadi, who said he was ready to mediate talks with the rebels in order to bring the fighting to an end.

"The most important thing is to stop the bloodshed," al-Saadi told the Saudia Arabian television network, claiming he was speaking on behalf of his father.

Seif al-Islam's voice was easily recognisable, but al-Saadi's was more difficult to confirm.

Under pressure

Asked about his brother's statements, Seif al-Islam said he was under pressure: "This means nothing."

A rebel commander in Tripoli, Abdel Hakim Belhaj, said earlier yesterday that al-Saadi was trying to negotiate terms for his own surrender if his safety could be guaranteed. When asked about that report, al-Saadi said he had talked to Belhaj and several other rebel officials, but that he was only offering to surrender to bring an end to the bloodshed.

The dueling audio statements suggest growing turmoil in Gaddafi's inner circle as the rebel forced pressed toward three of the loyalists' main strongholds, Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte and the desert towns of Bani Walid and Sabha. The rebels also say they are closing in on the elder Gaddafi, who has been on the run since rebels swept into the capital last week.

"The regime is dying," said rebel council spokesman Abdel-Hafiz Ghoga, reacting to the brothers' statements. "Gaddafi's family is trying to find an exit."

"They only have to surrender completely to the rebels and we will offer them a fair trial. We won't hold negotiations with them over anything," he added.

Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the coup that brought Gaddafi to power.

Hassan al-Saghir, a rebel official who oversees an area that includes the southern city of Sabha, said clashes occurred there and on the outskirts of Bani Walid, 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Tripoli.

"We are asking them to surrender before Saturday," he said of the fighters in Sabha, "but so far there are no signs that they are ready to surrender. I think they still think they are able to control the south."

"It is a desperate attempt and it will not last long," he added.

Belhaj said al-Saadi first called him Tuesday and asked about his safety if he surrendered. "We told him 'Don't fear for your life. We will guarantee your rights as a human being, and will deal with you humanely,' Belhaj said, adding that al-Saadi would be turned over to Libyan legal authorities.

Belhaj said Al-Saadi told him he had not killed anyone, and that "he was not against the people."

"I told him 'This is good. What is important for us is not to shed Libyan blood. For the members of the regime to surrender is the best way to do this,'" said Belhaj.

The commander said al-Saadi had called back yesterday morning, but that he had missed the call. He said he knows al-Saadi's whereabouts, but prefers to negotiate a surrender. He gave no further details.

Gaddafi's chief spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, has repeatedly said in telephone calls to The Associated Press that the senior Gaddafi was offering to send al-Saadi to negotiate with the rebels and form a transitional government. The rebels have previously rejected such offers.