US secretary of state says Libyan leader's warning that he will attack Europe will not deter Nato or affect its air campaign
Nato will not be deterred from its military action in Libya by Muammar Gaddafi's threats to take the war to Europe, the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, has said.
Clinton brushed aside Gaddafi's warning that unless air strikes against his regime stopped, he would retaliate with attacks on civilians in Europe.
Speaking in Spain on the last leg of a three-nation European tour, she said: "Instead of issuing threats, he should be putting the wellbeing and interests of his own people first. He should step down from power."
Her comments came as Nato announced it was ramping up airstrikes in the western half of Libya, which is still largely under Gaddafi's control.
British Apache helicopters have targeted a military base being used by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces to terrorise local people.
The raid came as Gaddafi threatened to carry out attacks against civilians in Europe unless Nato halts its campaign of airstrikes.
Nato said it has destroyed more than 50 military targets in the west of Libya this week.
Clinton said the Nato mission to protect Libyan civilians was on track, with pressure mounting on Gaddafi to step down. "The rebels are gaining strength and momentum," she said. "We need to see this through."
The Libyan leader, facing an international arrest warrant for his brutal response to the rebel uprising, yesterday told a large pro-government rally in Tripoli that "homes, offices and families" in Europe would become military targets if the Nato campaign continued.
Speaking alongside Clinton on Saturday, the Spanish foreign minister, Trinidad Jim�nez, also pledged that Gaddafi's threats would not diminish Nato's resolve: "We will continue exerting the same military and political pressure to protect Libyan citizens from the threat and the use of military violence by Colonel Gaddafi."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/02/clinton-gaddafi-threats-nato-libya
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