AFP - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi faces an unprecedented popular revolt last week, vowed on Tuesday in a televised speech to restore order, wielding the threat of a bloody crackdown.
Promising to fight "until the last drop" of his blood, he called the police and army to regain control of the situation and assured that any demonstrators armed deserved "punishment."
"Make your arms immediately, otherwise there will be butchers," he said referring to a response "similar to Tiananmen," in reference to military repression of the "Beijing Spring" in June 1989 which had claimed hundreds, if not thousands dead, according to sources.
Draped in a brown tunic, his first official response since February 15, Colonel Gaddafi was speaking in front of his house bombed by the Americans in April 1986 and left for further processing.
"Muammar Gaddafi has no official position he resigned.Muammar Gaddafi is the leader of the revolution is synonymous with sacrifice until the end of days, "he said in a fiery speech of over an hour, punctuated with large hand gestures and sometimes silence and stuttering .
"All young people need to create tomorrow's defense committees of the revolution: they protect roads, bridges, airports," he said, calling on his supporters to show from Wednesday.
"No fool can cut our country into pieces," said Colonel Gaddafi, in power for over 40 years, threatening to "purge (country) house by house".
"We have not yet made use of force, but if the situation requires the use of force, we will resort," he said.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the repression has already been "at least 62" dead in the capital Tripoli since Sunday.
Monday morning, HRW announced a review of at least 233 deaths since February 15, without mentioning casualties in Tripoli. The International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) had put the figure at "300 to 400" deaths in the country.
The first bloodshed concentrated in Benghazi, the second largest city 1,000 km east of Tripoli, the capital hit Sunday night, when calm had returned to Benghazi on Monday night, according to testimony at the AFP.
According to the FIDH President, Belhassen, violence continued in the morning in Tripoli."The militias, security forces loyal to Qadhafi rampant so terrible, breaking doors, looting (...). It is impossible to remove the bodies in the streets, one gets shot," she explained to AFP.
Tunisians who fled the country told AFP nights of terror in Tripoli, Gaddafi's men and mercenaries firing in all directions, stopping, shining, raping, while the wounded were bleeding.
In the capital, many foreigners were confined to their homes. The airport was crowded, hundreds of expatriates seeking to leave the country.Many countries said on Tuesday sending planes to evacuate nationals.
The Security Council of the UN was an emergency meeting Tuesday in New York while the West calls for "swift and clear" face of repression.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, spoke of a "bloodbath totally unacceptable."
The Arab League announced that the participation of Libya in its meetings were suspended "until the Libyan authorities to accept the claims" of the Libyan people "and ensure his safety."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has held the speech of Colonel Gaddafi "very frightening" and demanded "a cessation of violence", adding that otherwise Germany "would consider sanctions."
But the Europeans were divided over whether to impose sanctions, some countries fearing a backlash against their nationals on site or opening the valves of illegal immigration. Rome has said such fear that flow from 200 to 300,000 migrants fleeing Libya.
The Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose country has very close economic relations with Libya, met with Colonel Qaddafi.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay called for the opening of an "independent international investigation into the violence, raising the possibility of" crimes against humanity. "
Several Libyan officials have defected to protest against violence against demonstrators, as well as diplomats abroad.
Economically, the deadly escalation in Libya, a leading global producer of black gold, pushed oil prices to levels not seen since 2008.OPEC has indicated its willingness to increase production if needed, while ensuring that the market remained well supplied.
However, the only pipeline connecting Libya to Italy and Europe was cut Tuesday.
