20110301
reuters

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya could descend into civil war if Muammar Gaddafi refuses to quit, the United States said on Tuesday, its demand for his departure carrying fresh weight after news of Western military preparations.

But the veteran Libyan leader remained defiant, sending forces to a western border area amid fears that the most violent Arab revolt may grow bloodier and spark a humanitarian crisis.

His most prominent son, Saif al-Islam, warned the West against launching any military action to topple his father, and said the veteran ruler would not go into exile or step down.

"Using force against Libya is not acceptable, there's no reason, but if they want ... we are ready, we are not afraid," he told Sky television, adding: "We live here, we die here."

In Moscow, a Kremlin source suggested Gaddafi should step down, calling him a "living political corpse who has no place in the modern civilised world," Interfax news agency reported.

In prepared testimony to U.S. lawmakers in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Libya could become a democracy or face a drawn-out civil war.

"In the years ahead, Libya could become a peaceful democracy or it could face protracted civil war," she said.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told U.S. television networks Washington would keep pressure on Gaddafi until he steps down, while working to stabilise oil prices and avert a possible humanitarian crisis.