The UN Security Council late on Saturday passed a resolution to impose sanctions against Libya and initiate a probe against the brutal crackdown of anti-government protesters. The resolution deplored what it called “the gross and systematic violation of human rights” in Libya and imposed a travel ban on Gaddafi and 15 relatives and loyalists, besides subjecting their assets abroad to be frozen by host countries.
In addition, the resolution has urged the Libyan government to respect press freedom and to facilitate relief and aid workers, allow medical supplies and allow foreign nationals to leave Libya freely without any hindrance.
The Security Council also authorized all member nations to impose arms embargo to prevent the Libyan government from arming thousands of African mercenaries who were drafted to suppress the protests.
Meanwhile, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the Libyan leader's son, said, in an interview with Al Arabiya Saturday that the current crisis in the country was "caused by Libyans and Arabs, in addition to Libyan officials, who had fled through their resignations," noting that incitement against the regime came from abroad. He stressed that life in the capital Tripoli, is normal. He denied that Tripoli is the only city controlled by the formal regime. He stated that what is happening in Libya is similar to what was happening by the fundamentalist Fatah al-Islam in Lebanon, stressing that what is happening is an armed rebellion which would soon end.
Saif al-Islam re-emphasized that the situation in Libya has made all the options open, including a civil war.
He said that the resignation of Interior Minister Abdel Fattah Younis Obeidi came after he was kidnapped and forced to read the statement in which he announced his defection to defect from the Gaddafi regime and joining the revolution. He said that many officials in the areas seized by the demonstrators were forced to do the same thing.
