20110301
xinhua

TRIPOLI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Libyan government spokesman said Monday that Western powers and the terrorist group of al Qaida are the behind-the-curtain masterminds of the ongoing unrest in this North African country.

Mussa Ibrahim told a press conference that Western powers demanded regime change in Libya in order to grab rich oil, while al Qaida terrorists were attempting to turn Libya into "another Afghanistan."

Mussa said while hundreds of people including government security forces and anti-government demonstrators did die in the turbulence, there is no such a thing as "government crackdown on protestors" reported by the Western press.

He expressed Libya's dissatisfaction with the UN Security Council resolution against Libya adopted Saturday, which imposed an arms embargo on the country and banned Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his family members from overseas travels.

Nationwide chaos in Libya, which first broke out on Feb. 16, have led to deaths of hundreds of people and evacuations of more than one hundred thousand of foreigners.

As Xinhua reporters witnessed, the current situation in Tripoli is basicly calm with city life returning to normalcy, as the capital and its adjacent areas are still in government control.

On the Green Square in the city center, government supporters have been holding rallies in recent days to show their support for the Libyan leader and opposition to separatism and external intervention.

Xinhua was among major international news organizations invited by the Libyan government to enter the country and report "what really happened", which also include AP, Reuters, BBC and The Wall Street Journal.

Related:

Gaddafi says his people "would die for him"

CAIRO, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Monday the Libyan people will fight with him, asserting there has been no demonstration against his 41-year rule in the capital.

"All my people love me. They would die to protect me," Gaddafi told ABC's Christiane Amanpour. Full story