TRIPOLI: NATO Saturday brushed aside Muammar Gaddafi's call for a truce and negotiations to end an international bombing campaign, and alliance warships cleared sea mines laid by his forces near the harbor of the only major city held by rebels in western Libya. Three aid ships were prevented from docking at the port of Misrata during the sweep, temporarily cutting off the besieged city of 300,000 people from its only lifeline. In a rambling pre-dawn speech, Gaddafi said “the door to peace is open.” “You are the aggressors. We will negotiate with you. Come, France, Italy, UK, America, come to negotiate with us. Why are you attacking us?” he asked. He also railed against foreign intervention, saying Libyans have the right to choose their own political system, but not under the threat of NATO bombings. In Brussels, a NATO official said the alliance needed “to see not words but actions,” and vowed the alliance would keep up the pressure until the UN Security Council mandate on Libya is fulfilled. NATO has promised to continue operations until all attacks and threats against civilians have ceased, all of Gaddafi's forces have returned to bases and full humanitarian access is granted. The NATO official, who spoke on condition of anonymity according to policy, noted that Gaddafi's forces had shelled Misrata and tried to mine the city's port just hours before his speech. “The regime has announced ceasefires several times before and continued attacking cities and civilians,” the official said. “All this has to stop, and it has to stop now,” the official said. Rebel leaders have said they will only lay down their arms and begin talks after Gaddafi and his sons step aside.
