WASHINGTON: The United States government has warned that Libya could be headed toward civil war. According to officials from within President Barack Obama's administration, Washington has little influence in the North African country. It comes as violence continues in the country, with hundreds being reported to have been killed by the government, hired foreign mercenaries and bombardment. US officials Monday appealed for end to the violence in Libya, as signs on the ground show splits inside Col. Muammar Gaddafi's military and diplomatic corps. The State Department, meanwhile, has ordered its staff out of Tripoli. “It's a deteriorating situation, and you can't rule out at this stage a civil war,” said a senior U.S. official briefed on Libya. “We don't have significant influence over the events, given the regime seems willing to do anything to survive.” US officials said Obama has had no direct conversations with Gaddafi or his family in recent days. In Washington, Libya's ambassador to the U.S., Ali Aujali, formally broke with Gaddafi and said he must stand down. “I decided with my staff today that we have to condemn what's happening in our country,” Mr. Aujali told al-Jazeera. “We are one people and one country.” Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam on Sunday evening told the country's anti-government demonstrators that there would be “rivers of blood” and a possible civil war if the protests continue. The son and heir apparent to the 42-year rule of Col. Gaddafi said that the government would fight to the bitter end and would not give up power. “Our spirits are high and the leader Muammar Gaddafi is leading the battle in Tripoli, and we are behind him as is the Libyan army,” he said. “We will keep fighting until the last man standing, even to the last woman standing…We will not leave Libya to the Italians or the Turks.” His comments came as anti-government demonstrators apparently took control of the country's second city, Benghazi, after three days of police clashed with protesters that have left over at least 200 people dead and thousands wounded, human rights organizations said. The protesters were able to force out the police, even as they fire on the demonstrators calling for an end to the Gaddafi regime. Anti-aircraft artillery has been reported by eye witnesses on the ground. In the capital Tripoli, one protester told the al-Jazeera network they were chanting at the leader: “Where are you? Where are you? Come out if you're a man.” “This is an opposition movement, a separatist movement which threatens the unity of Libya,” said Seif al-Islam, who has long been seen by Western governments as a moderate pro-democracy supporter. “We will take up arms, we will fight to the last bullet. We will destroy seditious elements. If everybody is armed, it is civil war, we will kill each other.” Seif al-Islam also claimed that the “revolt” was a Tunisian and Egyptian effort to undermine the country's oil wealth. Protesters have vehemently denied such accusations, saying they are on the streets and have taken over a number of towns, in order to push out the Gaddafi family from power. Rumors have circulated that the Libyan government has hired foreign mercenaries to battle the protesters. The move led to the resignation of Libya's ambassador to India Ali al-Essawi, who told the BBC that he would not support his government's crackdown on demonstrators. Seif al-Islam said his father remained in the country and was backed by he army. He offered to put forward reforms within days that he described as a “historic national initiative.” He said the regime was willing to remove some restrictions and discuss the constitution. One protester in Benghazi told Bikya Masr that once the Eastern cities are taken, “the revolution will move to Tripoli.” The man, who identified himself as a 31-year-old plumber, added that “there will be no civil war, this is an uprising that will succeed. Then we will call it a revolution. The world needs to stand by us and demand the removal of a murderer,” referring to Gaddafi. ** Bikya Masr's Jonathan Terry contributed to this report BM
