As the U's Security Council held emergency consultations and its top human rights official said crimes against humanity may have been perpetrated, the longest-ruling Arab leader appeared on state TV to denounce his critics.
"This is my country, my country," he shouted, in an often rambling and angry speech. "I will fight to the last drop of my blood."
The 69-year-old said he would "die a martyr in the land of my ancestors" and urged his followers to demonstrate from Wednesday.
"Capture the rats," he said of anti-regime demonstrators. "Go out of your homes and storm them" wherever they are, he said.
His dramatic intervention came as he fought becoming the third of the Arab world's veteran leaders to be toppled in a popular uprising after the presidents of neighboring Egypt and Tunisia were both ousted.
Reading from the country's penal code, he said "any Libyan who carries arms against Libyans will be punished by death", and repeatedly denounced his critics as vermin.
However, his sense of isolation was being underlined at the Security Council meeting, which was called after Libyan diplomats who have broken ranks with Qaddafi called for a UN no-fly zone over the country and humanitarian action.
The session marked the first time that the world's most powerful nations have gathered at UN headquarters to discuss the Arab uprisings.
- The Arab regimes are betraying [the Libyan people] and distorting [their] image.
- Yesterday, Libya did not have an identity. Today, they say ‘Ah Libya, Qaddafi.’
- They are distorting your image on Arab [satellite television] channels. They are serving the devils.
- Moammar Qaddafi is not a president, he is a revolutionary leader. This is my country and yours.
- We are more competent to [be Libyan] than those rats [who are protesting].
- We defied America and the nuclear countries and triumphed.
- The [protestors] want to distort [Libya’s] glory… I am a fighter and a rebel. Libya will remain on top and will [be] a leader of Latin America, Asia and the countries of the world.
- I have paid for blood. I cannot leave the heritage of my grandfather. I will die as a martyr. Libya is a tree that we have watered with our blood. I am addressing you from this house that was bombarded and has stood firm.
- When the bombs were killing my children, where were you [protestors]?...You were [siding] with America.
- Qaddafi is the history of resistance and glory. Qaddafi is not a president or a normal person [who could be killed in an ordinary way].
- Where were you [protestors] when we were being bombarded?
- Now, a small group of people are wandering like mice against police stations.
- Libya had peace. They exploited this peace and attacked [police] stations.
- But these boys [who are protesting in the streets], it is not their fault. They are [young]. However, there is a small sick group that infiltrated [society] and is provoking these boys [to protest]
- I call on the Libyan people to form new municipalities and new popular lists.
- I am sure that after this call, the people will move forward to form new lists and municipalities.
- Starting tomorrow, you who love Moammar Qaddafi, get out of your houses [and express it]. Go down to the streets, we will not use violence.
- I am sure that [after this call], the crowds will be launched to form popular lists that might reach 30 and 150 municipality. This is something that serves our interests and replaces chaos.
- Let the families start gathering their sons. Those who want glory [for Libya], let them take to the streets.
- Catch the rats. I have not used force yet but I will use it if I had to on the basis of international law. If I were president, I would have thrown [my] resignation in your faces.
- Starting tomorrow, the army will [take to the streets] and the checkpoints will be removed. Get out of your houses to impose security.
- Is it [fair] to transform Libya into Al-Qaeda’s [Osama] bin Laden or [Ayman] az-Zawahiri?
- [Army] officers have been deployed in the regions in order to liberate the cities from the ‘rats.’
- We will punish those who [provoked] the youth. They will be punished of course. They are a small terrorist minority that will be a reason for the US to enter our country under the cause of ‘fighting terror.’
- The protestors want to transform Libya to Afghanistan.
- Violation of the constitution is punishable with the death penalty.
- I am not talking about the [youth who are protesting] but about the [provokers] standing behind them.
- I have not yet issued an order to use arms, because when that happens, everything will be burned .
- We are armed tribes and we can rebel, but this will take us to civil war.
- You remember when [former Russian President] Boris Yeltsin bombarded the parliament and the West did not object to it. America wiped out [Iraq’s] Fallujah looking for [Al-Qaeda’s Abu Musaeb] Zarqawi. [The US] killed millions in Baghdad and Israel is killing in the streets of Gaza. Today they want to attach Libya [to] Somalia, using the same gangs.
- The youth should form security commissions to restore law [in the country].
- They should take to the streets with women and control [the protestors].
- You have to catch those who are vandalizing, starting tonight. There will be new popular commissions. I do not mind a [new] constitution or system that will regulate life. I do not own anything for myself, but for Libya.
- Take Libyan petrol and let everyone manage his share as he wishes.
- You [the people of Libya] are millions and [the protestors] are hundreds. You must catch these [people].
- There are dirty [television] channels that are distorting the image of Libya in the world.
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