Libyan government officials today denied reports that ruler Moammar Gadhafi had agreed in principle to stand down from power, insisting they were “simply untrue” and that the regime would “die to defend him.”
The reports came from Russian officials, who claims Gadhafi had agreed to step down if his son Saif al-Islam took over, and if Moammar was granted immunity for crimes against humanity, and if his family’s assets were unfrozen internationally.
The Russian officials even said France, the leading advocate of the war, had endorsed the idea and agreed to work to reverse the indictment against the aging dictator. NATO has yet to comment on the reports.
It is clear they would be a non-starter for Libya’s rebels, but the faction’s resistance to peace deals is being bolstered considerably by NATO’s hostility to peace, and it is unclear how far the leadership would go if NATO was behind a rapprochement.
