National Libyan Council says it will not pursue prosecution if Gadhafi steps down
Rebel leaders in Libya say they will not pursue Moammar Gadhafi over alleged war crimes if he steps down within the next 72 hours. “Based on our love for our country we have proposed to the [Gadhafi’s] indirect negotiators that a solution can be reached,” said Mustafa Abdel Jalil of the opposition National Libyan Council. “Conditions are that firstly he stops all combat in the fields, secondly that his departure is within 72 hours; thirdly we may waive our right of domestic prosecution…for the crimes of oppression, persecution, starvation and massacres.” State television denied that any negotiators had spoken to opposition groups on behalf of Gadhafi, but a National Council spokesman confirmed that a government representative had approached them in Benghazi. On Tuesday, pro-Gadhafi forces attacked the rebel-controlled towns of Az Zawiyah and Ras Lanuf with tanks and aircraft. The rebels continue to press the international community to impose a no-fly zone, but U.K. Foreign Minister William Hague streets the need for its “clear legal basis.”