NATO Rejects Truce Offer By Gadhafi

NATO rejected a truce call by Moammar Gadhafi on Saturday for negotiations to end an international bombing campaign.

Three aid ships were stopped from attempting to dock at the port of Misrata, temporarily cutting off the whole city from its sole lifeline.

In a speech, Gadhafi said Libyans have the right to choose their own political system, but not under the threat of NATO bombings. He proclaimed, “the door to peace is open.”

Two NATO airstrike bombs were heard in Tripoli late Saturday evening, and it was unclear where they were targeted. A NATO official said that “words not actions” needed to be seen, and vowed that the alliance would keep up the pressure until the U.N. Security Council mandate on Libya is fulfilled. He noted that Gadhafi’s forces had tried to mine the port of Misrata shortly before his speech.

“The regime has announced cease-fires several times before and continued attacking cities and civilians… All this has to stop, and it has to stop now,” the official said.

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said Gadhafi needs to stop attacking his people before any political transition takes place.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said NATO needs to intervene because of the “horror” wrought by Gadhafi’s regime, as reported by the Associated Press.