A demonstration was held in Tripoli by supporters of Col Gaddafi
A
Libyan envoy representing Col Muammar Gaddafi has been in London in the
past few days for talks with British officials, the BBC has learnt.
Mohammed Ismail, an aide to one of Col Gaddafi's sons, was apparently told the Libyan leader had to give up power.The Foreign Office said "in any contact that we do have we make it clear that Gaddafi has to go".
Meanwhile, the US says air attacks have destroyed about a quarter of the Libyan government's military's capabilities.
Following the defection on Wednesday of the Libyan Foreign Minister, Moussa Koussa, there were unconfirmed reports that other senior Libyans were defecting.
Al-Jazeera said the intelligence minister, deputy foreign minister and General People's Congress speaker were awaiting flights in Tunisia.
Oil Minister Shukri Ghanim has denied any intention to leave Libya. Ali Abdul Salaam Treki, who was recently named as Libya's permanent representative to the United Nations, is not accepting the post.
A government spokesman told reporters that they were all in Libya, but that it was also possible that some had left the country on a mission.
Koussa debriefed BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins understands that Mr Ismail - a senior aide to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi - visited London in recent days.
Mohammed Ismail was a senior aide to Col Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam
It seems that the envoy may have wanted to explore a possible exit strategy for the Libyan leader, but the Foreign Office insist their policy is to encourage all those around him to abandon what they call "a brutal regime" and embrace a better future for Libya, our correspondent says.
It is not clear on whose authority within the regime Mr Ismail was in London, but he is thought to have returned to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, he adds.
There has been mounting speculation that Col Gaddafi's sons, particularly Saif al-Islam, Saadi and Mutassim, are willing to discuss exit strategies, either for the whole family or only the Libyan leader.
Moussa Koussa's career
- 1979-80: De facto ambassador in London
- 1994: Appointed head of foreign intelligence
- 2009: Appointed foreign minister; reportedly resigns 30 March 2011
The reports of Mr Ismail's visit
come as British diplomats and intelligence officials continue to debrief
Moussa Koussa, Libya's foreign minister and former long-time head of
its external intelligence service.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said Mr Koussa's defection
told "a compelling story of the desperation and the fear at the very top
of the crumbling and rotten Gaddafi regime".He also insisted that Mr Koussa had not been offered immunity from prosecution. Scottish prosecutors have asked to interview him about the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, which left 270 people dead, though government sources told the Guardian they did not think he was involved.
In unambiguous language, the defence secretary made clear
that Nato is now in charge, that US spending on Libya will fall, and
that other allies should take a lead in training the rebels.
Except, as Adm Mike Mullen acknowledged, Col Gaddafi's forces retain a clear military superiority.
He said they enjoyed a 10-to-one advantage over the rebels in the number of tanks and armoured personnel carriers, and that the opposition ranks included only 1,000 military-trained fighters.
All of which invites the question: how to avoid a stalemate, or even outright victory for Gaddafi?
It was clear that the administration's bet is that other members of Col Gaddafi's inner circle will turn against him, short-circuiting the air strikes and fighting.
Rebels 'outnumbered'
Except, as Adm Mike Mullen acknowledged, Col Gaddafi's forces retain a clear military superiority.
He said they enjoyed a 10-to-one advantage over the rebels in the number of tanks and armoured personnel carriers, and that the opposition ranks included only 1,000 military-trained fighters.
All of which invites the question: how to avoid a stalemate, or even outright victory for Gaddafi?
It was clear that the administration's bet is that other members of Col Gaddafi's inner circle will turn against him, short-circuiting the air strikes and fighting.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the US Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Adm Mike Mullen, said coalition air attacks had
destroyed about a quarter of the Libyan government's military's
capabilities.
But Adm Mullen said this did not mean that Col Gaddafi's
forces were close to breaking point; he said they still outnumbered
Libyan rebels about 10-to-one. "We have actually fairly seriously degraded his military capabilities. That does not mean he's about to break, from a military standpoint, because that's not the case," he told the US House of Representatives armed services committee.
He also revealed that bad weather had stopped the coalition from identifying targets over the past three or four days.
The rebels in Libya have been struggling to regain the initiative after several days of losing ground to Col Gaddafi's forces.
They are trying once more to advance westwards along the Mediterranean coast.
But they were halted by the government troops' superior firepower while attempting to reoccupy the oil town of Brega, a town about 800km (500 miles) east of Tripoli. Gaddafi loyalists earlier overran Ras Lanuf.
Nato's chief said he strongly opposed any supplying of weapons to rebel forces
"If it continues for a couple more days, I'm afraid it will overwhelm the city and it will be a complete massacre," a resident told the BBC.
Nato has meanwhile said it is investigating reports of civilian casualties caused by air strikes on Tripoli. Earlier, the top Vatican official in the Libyan capital, citing witnesses, said 40 civilians had been killed.