TRIPOLI: Libya’s Moamer Qadhafi clung to power after a bloodcurdling vow to reclaim control, as US President Barack Obama demanded the world speak as one to confront the veteran strongman’s fraying regime.

Thousands scrambled to flee what former colonial ruler Italy said was a “bloodbath” of hundreds of protesters in the oil-rich north African state, parts of which appear to have fallen to opposition control.
One of Qadhafi’s seven sons, Saadi, told Thursday’s Financial Times that after four decades in power, his father could retreat to a “big father” advisory role under a new government.
But the 68-year-old Qadhafi himself is hardly talking of retreat, vowing in a fiery televised address on Tuesday to purge opponents “house by house” and “inch by inch”.

NICOSIA: Al-Qaeda’s branch in North Africa has vowed to do everything in its power to help an uprising against Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi, according to a statement posted Thursday by the SITE monitoring group.

“(We) will do whatever we can to help you, with power from Allah, because your fight is the fight of every Muslim who loves Allah and His Messenger,” the statement from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said, according to SITE.

Governments across the world have condemned the Libyan regime's severe suppression of pro-democracy protesters as the death toll from the country's uprising climbs.

EU foreign ministers issued a statement on Tuesday, expressing great concern over the crisis in Libya and called for an end to the violence. 

"The legitimate aspirations and demands of people for reform must be addressed through open, inclusive, meaningful and national Libyan-led dialogue," the statement said.

The President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said separately that he was "horrified by the growing number of human casualties among demonstrators".

As many as 1,400 Libyans have been killed so far by the Libyan forces under Muammar Gaddafi's rule.

Amid recent unrest in Libya, UK airlines have cancelled their flights to the country but arranging commercial flights for British people to leave the North African country.

Of UK airlines, British Airways and British Midland International have cancelled their services to the capital of Libya, Trablus. The Foreign Office has also arranged commercial flights as well as charters to help British people leave the country. 

At the same time other European governments, including Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Austria and Portugal are sending airplanes to get their people out of the unrest.

Manchester Airport spokesperson, which has always been in a daily connection with Trablus, said that all flights were cancelled. 

Reports say Gaddafi has reportedly ordered security forces to bomb oil pipelines to disrupt crude supplies to the Mediterranean countries.

A source close to the Gaddafi regime says Libya's embattled ruler has ordered security services to start sabotaging oil facilities, Time Magazine reported. 

The forces loyal to Gaddafi will start by blowing up several oil pipelines, cutting off the flow to the Mediterranean ports, he added.

Meanwhile, shipping groups have announced that all Libyan ports and terminals are temporarily closed due to the ongoing violence.

Many top Libyan officials, including Interior Minister Abdul Fattah Younis, have quit Gaddafi's government. 

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. 

A Libyan military aircraft has reportedly crashed near the city of Benghazi after pilots refused to bomb peaceful pro-democracy protesters, reports say.

The pilot and co-pilot had refused bombing orders and parachuted out of their aircraft in an uninhabited area. 

A Libyan daily says the plane had orders to bomb the city but the crew refused to carry out the deadly mission. 

This comes after Libyan tyrant Colonel Muammar Gaddafi pledged to crush the popular revolution in the oil-rich country. The government has even used air raids to suppress persisting mass demonstrations.