Gaddafi Vows to Hold On to Power, 'Die like Martyr' in Libya

Tunisia's Ben Ali (first left) and Egypt's Mubarak (right right) are already out of the picture swept by popular revolutions. Libya's Gaddafi (second right) and Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh (second left) appear to be next in line to be toppled. EPA/BGNES

Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi has stated in a televised address that he would not leave the country in spite of fact that Libya is gripped by mass protests turning into a popular uprising against his rule.

While pro-democracy protesters have already seized large areas of the country – including the third and second largest cities Benghazi and Al Bayda, and the protests have been taken to the capital Tripoli, the Gaddafi regime has employed brutal force to beat them back including the use of fighter jets bombing protesters around the capital on Monday.

Nonetheless, Gaddafi appears to be well on the verge of becoming the third North African dictator to be swept off by a popular protest movement after Tunisia's Ben Ali in January and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak in February.

In his much anticipated televised address Tuesday afternoon, Gaddafi declared that he will remain in Libya "as the head of the revolution", and saying he has no official post from which he can resign.

The Libyan dictator further stated that he will die in Libya "like a martyr" if he has to, and declared himself a Bedouin warrior, who brought glory to the Libyans.

He also said that Libya has withstood attacks by the USA and UK, and its people will not surrender. He downplayed the popular revolt against his regime blaming the protests on youth copying the events in other Arab countries.

Earlier on Tuesday, Gaddafi, who has been in power since a coup in 1969, appeared on TV for 20 seconds only to disprove reports that he had fled to Venezuela to find shelter with the regime of Hugo Chavez.

"I am in Tripoli and not in Venezuela. Do not believe the channels belonging to stray dogs," he said.

Eastern Libya is reported to be already in the hands of opposition groups as the violence across the country continues.

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