Gadhafi son, grandchildren killed in NATO airstrike

Government says Libyan leader escapes uninjured from hit on Tripoli house

msnbc.com news services
updated 9 minutes ago

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi survived a NATO missile strike Saturday that killed his youngest son and three grandchildren and wounded friends and relatives, Libya's spokesman said.

Gadhafi and his wife were in the Tripoli house of son Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, 29, when it was hit by at least one missile fired by a NATO warplane, according to Libyan spokesman Moussa Ibrahim.

Libyan officials took journalists to the house, which had been hit by at least three missiles. The roof had completely caved in in some areas, leaving strings of reinforcing steel hanging down among chunks of concrete.

A table football machine stood outside in the garden of the house, which was in a wealthy residential area of Tripoli.

Ibrahim said the villa was attacked "with full power."

"This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country," the spokesman added.

"The leader himself is in good health," Ibrahim said. "He was not harmed. The wife is also in good health."

Saif al-Arab Gadhafi was the sixth son of Gadhafi. He had spent much of his time in Germany in recent years.

The strike came after Gadhafi early Saturday called for negotiations with NATO powers to end airstrikes on Libya.

"We did not attack them or cross the sea ... why are they attacking us?" Gadhafi said in a live television address. "Let us negotiate with you, the countries that attack us. Let us negotiate," he said, adding that if it was oil the coalition countries were after there was no problem in negotiating contracts.

Gadhafi said he was amenable to a cease-fire but only if it involved all sides and not only his own forces who are fighting against rebels in the east.

Libya "is ready until now to enter a cease-fire ... but a cease-fire cannot be from one side,'' Gadhafi said. "We were the first to welcome a cease-fire and we were the first to accept a cease-fire ... but the crusader NATO attack has not stopped.''

Gadhafi also said: "I'm not leaving my country. No one can force me to leave my country and no one can tell me not to fight for my country."

At the end of his rambling speech, Gadhafi reportedly snagged his microphone while picking up papers and tossed it away.
Slideshow: Conflict in Libya (on this page)
NATO warplanes bombed a government complex in the Libyan capital Tripoli including the television building as Gadhafi gave the address, Libyan state television said.

"A building adjacent to the Jamahiriya building was bombed during the broadcast of Moammar Gadhafi's speech and that implies a target on the leader of the revolution himself,'' the television said after Gadhafi had finished speaking.

The screen flickered more than once as Gadhafi was speaking.

The NATO strike damaged offices of parliamentary staff and a building officials said housed a commission for children and women.

A policeman at the scene said three people were hurt, one seriously.

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