‘We will fight until the last man and woman,’ Gadhafi tells supporters

While fighters loyal to Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi battled rebel forces for control of a key oil facility and several cities, Gadhafi continued to insist outside forces, specifically al-Qaida, are responsible for the unrest.

Gadhafi maintains control over the Libyan capital of Tripoli and it was there, on Wednesday, where he addressed supporters and foreign media in a speech running more than an hour declaring: “We will fight until the last man and woman.”

Earlier this week the embattled leader denied an uprising was taking place in his country in an interview with ABC News and laughed off suggestions that he relinquish power. On Wednesday he suggested al-Qaida sleeper cells stirred up the violence. Last month, he said he believed al-Qaida members put hallucinogenic drugs in young Libyans’ coffee, “life Nescafe”.

After intense battles with Gadhafi loyalists Wednesday, rebel forces continue to maintain control over a large swath of eastern Libya. In what appeared to be the regime’s first true attempt to reclaim eastern territories from the rebels, pro-Gadhafi fighters attacked the opposition-held Brega oil port and air strip at dawn, approaching in a convoy of SUVs, some fitted with machine guns.

Brega is about 740 kilometres east of Tripoli.

The rebels fled the facility but returned, re-armed, hours later and launched a successful counter-attack.

Currently, Gadhafi maintains control of northwestern Libya, but opposition forces have captured towns close to the capital in the past few days.

Several countries, including Canada, have imposed sanctions on Libya and the international community is considering implementing a no-fly zone over the country. Canada ordered the warship HMCS Charlottetown to the region to join an American-led flotilla. The ship will be used to take any Canadians left in Libya out of the region and then provide humanitarian aid.

With files from The Associated Press.