Monday, February 28, 2011

Now even Gaddafi's 'voluptuous' nurse deserts him as world turns up the diplomatic pressure

* Libyan leader forfeits his right to govern because of human rights abuses, claims Hillary Clinton
* Tyrant's son seen on video urging supporters to fight 'until the last bullet'
* Rebels parade captured mercenaries at gunpoint
* British Prime Minister David Cameron threatens UK military action within in Libya if killings continue
* Defiant or 'delusional'? Gaddafi insists 'All my people love me'

A nurse who has been at Moammar Gaddafi’s side for nine years is planning to flee Libya - as the nation descends further into violence and world leader call for him to relinquish power immediately.

The tyrant is said to be deeply attached to Halyna Kolotnytska, a 38-year-old Ukrainian he describes as ‘voluptuous’.

She travels everywhere with him, as only she ‘knows his routine’. There is even some suggestion that the pair are lovers.




Preparing to flee: Halyna Kolotnytska, seen in an undated photo with Moammar Gaddaf, is a 38-year-old Ukrainian he describes as 'voluptuous'
Unusual claims: Gaddafi has said he is protected by a 200-strong team of 'virgin bodyguards', and told BBC's Jeremy Bowen and Sunday times' Christine Amanpour at the weekend that 'All my people are with me'
Loyal companion: Ms Kolotnytska has been Gaddafi's nurse for nine years. The dictator claims she is the only one who knows his routine - and there have been suggestions that they are lovers







Ukrainian newspaper Segodnya quoted her daughter Tetyana as saying her mother had said she was not in danger but planned to return home in the near future.

Tetyana said: ‘She spoke in a calm voice, asked us not to worry, said she would be home soon. ‘[Gaddafi] is employing Ukrainian women as nurses. He doesn’t trust Libyan women with that.’

He may not trust them as nurses but Gaddafi is known for his eccentric employment of Libyan female bodyguards - he claims to have a 200-strong security team of virgins.

The often young girls have a variety of uniforms and follow him on official visits - recently to France and Italy.

The news of Ms Kolotnytska's 'defection' came on the day U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton implored the world to hold Moammar Gaddafi's regime to account for gross atrocities in his crisis-torn country.

She said that the Libyan leader must leave power 'now, without further violence or delay' as she addressed a session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today.

The worst atrocities included reports that soldiers had been executed for refusing to turn their guns on their fellow citizens, she said, with the clear hint that he should stand trial for war crimes.

And British Prime Minister David Cameron became the first world leader to threaten Gaddafi with military action, promising a no-fly zone and arms shipments to his enemies.

Mr Cameron even suggested he could send British troops into Libya as a peacekeeping force to stop Gaddafi’s henchmen massacring democracy campaigners.

At a National Security Council meeting, he ordered military chiefs to draw up plans for the no-fly zone.

If Gaddafi turned his air force on the rebels, RAF warplanes would be able to intervene.

Despite spiralling violence and news of rebals taking major strongholds throughout the country, Gaddafi himself insists his people are still behind him.

Speaking with the BBC's Jeremy Bowen and the Sunday Times' Christine Amanpour, Gaddafi also claimed there were 'no demonstrations at all in the streets' of Libya.

When told that Bowen had indeed witnessed demonstrations in the streets, Gaddafi said: 'They are not against us. No-one is against us. Against us for what? Because I'm not a president. They love me. All my people are with me, they love me all. They will die to protect me, my people.'

After viewing the interview, U.S. ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said Gaddafi was clearly 'delusional' and 'unfit to lead'.

Mrs Clinton made her plea for the international community to speak with a single voice at the session of the UN Human Rights Council after the EU heeded her call to impose sanctions in a bid to oust the increasingly maniacal leader.

She said: 'We have seen Colonel Gaddafi's security forces open fire on peaceful protesters. They have used heavy weapons on unarmed civilians. Mercenaries and thugs have been turned loose to attack demonstrators.'

She added: 'The result of these human rights abuses is that they have lost the legitimacy to govern.'

Her assessment to the 47-nation body came amid a series of meetings Mrs Clinton held with foreign policy chiefs from Russia, top European powers and Australia.

As the leaders shuffled in and out of conferences in a form of speed diplomacy, they urged concerted efforts to press Gaddafi to halt the violence that has wracked his country and resign after 42 years in control of Libya.

The European Union issued travel bans and an asset freeze against senior Libyan officials, and an arms embargo on the country.

Germany went further, proposing a 60-day economic embargo to prevent Gaddafi's regime from using oil and other revenues to repress his people.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle's call essentially amounted to an economic embargo and was perhaps the toughest proposal yet aimed at Gadhafi.

He spoke as doubts emerged about the feasibility of another plan being mulled by international leaders, a no-fly zone that would prevent him from launching aerial attacks.

He said: 'We must do everything so this murder ends. We must do everything to ensure that no money is going into the hands of the Libyan dictator's family, that they don't have any opportunity to hire new foreign soldiers to repress their people with.'

Mr Westerwelle said he was only speaking for Germany, but insisted that his call had found some support from other countries. Italy's foreign minister said his country was looking to find a new source for the oil supplies that had been coming from Libya.

Mrs Clinton said the U.S. was considering further sanctions.

She said: 'Nothing is off the table so long as the Libyan government continues to threaten and kill Libyan citizens.'

But the proposal for a possible no-fly zone over the country appeared to divide nations.

Russia's foreign minister said he had no talks with Mrs Clinton about the proposal. Sergey Lavrov said: 'Absolutely not. It was not mentioned by anyone.'

And in Paris, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said a no-fly zone needed U.N. support 'which is far from being obtained today'. He also questioned whether NATO should get involved in a civil war in a North African country.

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini of Italy, whose bases would be the most logical place from which to monitor the no-fly zone, said the issue was under discussion but said the logistics would be difficult.

After meeting Mrs Clinton, he said: 'We should discuss all the consequences.'





 Gaddafi's bedroom: A Libyan rebel stands in the damaged and vandalised bedroom that was used by Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi and his family at the terminal of the airport in Benghazi


 Battle: An armed protester proclaims victory yesterday as he stands on top of a captured tank in Zawiya, 30 miles west of Tripoli




U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addresses the 16th session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva


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