Several Western countries have been accused of turning a blind eye to the deadly crackdown in Libya in order to safeguard their economic interests.

Gaddafi's ties with the West have had ups and downs, but relations between Italy and Libya have warmed over the last few years. 

Libya currently provides about 20 percent of Italy's oil imports. It has developed cordial relations with Britain, France and the United States as well. 

Experts say Western countries have turned a blind eye to crimes being committed against Libyan people by Gaddafi's autocratic regime due to economic interests 

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has ruled Libya for more than four decades. 

Some 1,400 people have been killed by Libyan security forces in bomb attacks against pro-democracy demonstrators in the North African country. 


Reports say planeloads of armed foreign mercenaries have landed in Tripoli to target peaceful pro-democracy protesters. 

This is while government forces are losing grip on the country amid the ongoing revolution in Libya 

Soldiers in the coastal town of Tobruk, which lies close to the Egyptian border, say Gaddafi's forces have lost control of the region. 

They say they no longer back the Libyan ruler. Protesters have over-run the eastern province of Cyrenaica. 

Meanwhile, military defectors in eastern Libya are reported to be mobilizing to defend the people against possible attacks by Gaddafi's forces. 

The dictator's military forces have even used air raids to suppress demonstrations. 

Many governments and international bodies across the world have reacted strongly to the crisis in Libya. 

Reports widely indicate that government-led violence in the country has left at least one thousand protesters dead over the past several days. source