The Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi will fall to government forces within 48 hours, Saif Gaddafi has said in a television interview.

Saif, the son of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, told France-based Euronews that any decision taken by the United Nations would come "too late".

Pro-government forces have been attacking rebel towns including Ajdabiyah as they sweep east.

Asked about Benghazi, Saif said: "Everything will be over in 48 hours.

World leaders are meeting this afternoon at the UN in New York to discuss imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.

Saif said: "The military operations are finished. In 48 hours everything will be over.

"Our forces are close to Benghazi. Whatever decision is taken, it will be too late."



Rebel fighters flee Ajdabiyah on the road to Benghazi

The Libyan army told people in Benghazi to lay down their arms as its troops advanced closer to the rebel stronghold.

Ajdabiyah, 90 miles (150 km) south of Benghazi on the Gulf of Sirte, is now in government hands after most of its rebel defenders retreated under fire from a withering artillery barrage on Tuesday.

Those who stayed had now handed over their guns, a rebel officer said.

In Benghazi, seat of the insurgents' provisional national council, the mood was a mixture of defiance and nervousness, with some citizens predicting a bloodbath and others confident the rebels would still snatch victory.

Forces loyal to Gaddafi have reversed gains made by the rebel army early in the uprising against his 41-year-rule of the North African country.

The Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi will fall to government forces within 48 hours, Saif Gaddafi has said in a television interview.

Saif, the son of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, told France-based Euronews that any decision taken by the United Nations would come "too late".

Pro-government forces have been attacking rebel towns including Ajdabiyah as they sweep east.

Asked about Benghazi, Saif said: "Everything will be over in 48 hours.

World leaders are meeting this afternoon at the UN in New York to discuss imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.

Saif said: "The military operations are finished. In 48 hours everything will be over.

"Our forces are close to Benghazi. Whatever decision is taken, it will be too late."

Rebels flee Ajdabiyah

Rebel fighters flee Ajdabiyah on the road to Benghazi

The Libyan army told people in Benghazi to lay down their arms as its troops advanced closer to the rebel stronghold.

Ajdabiyah, 90 miles (150 km) south of Benghazi on the Gulf of Sirte, is now in government hands after most of its rebel defenders retreated under fire from a withering artillery barrage on Tuesday.

Those who stayed had now handed over their guns, a rebel officer said.

In Benghazi, seat of the insurgents' provisional national council, the mood was a mixture of defiance and nervousness, with some citizens predicting a bloodbath and others confident the rebels would still snatch victory.

Forces loyal to Gaddafi have reversed gains made by the rebel army early in the uprising against his 41-year-rule of the North African country.

the battle for the last stronghold before benghazi

Important oil industry facilities are now mostly back under government control.

An armed forces statement read on state television described the offensive as a humanitarian operation to save the people of "beloved Benhgazi" and said troops would not take revenge on them if they surrendered.

Benghazi residents said they had found leaflets scattered in the streets also telling them they would not be punished if they gave up the fight.

Saif scoffed at the protracted discussions among world powers to impose a no-fly zone over Libya.

"The military operations are finished. In 48 hours everything will be over. Our forces are close to Benghazi. Whatever decision is taken, it will be too late," he told Euronews.

Aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres said the violence had forced it to withdraw its staff from Benghazi.

"Security conditions have made it effectively impossible for medical teams to travel safely to areas where the fighting has created the greatest need," it said.

A former government official who lives in Benghazi, Salah Ben-Saud, was more upbeat, saying life in the port city was normal.

"There were rumours that he (Gaddafi) would try to take back Benghazi and that made people a bit nervous, but he didn't and people here don't think he would succeed anyway if he tried," he told Reuters.

Very good, i pray that Gadaffi's troops are successful in recapturing benghazi.

May the evil machinations of bloodsucking america and the UK continue to fail at every turn.

Watch this, Gaddafi's son to Sarkozy "give us back our money" 1:38

[flash=250,200]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqrhqrCDCIg?version=3[/flash]

They paid for his campaign. These Arabs own the world.

imagine that dirty crook sarkozy - no wonder the bastar.d couldnt wait to see the back of the gadaffis, im sure there are many more skeletons about these bloodsuckers still hidden away, Saif should keep exposing them.

highly unlikely - This is not the desert - This is a built up area where gurriella warfare thrives. I still believe that Good will outshine evil . Anti gadaffi will eventually turn the tide once more.

I am hoping this wouldn't be successful.

Too many lives are lost already, it would be a shame if all that sacrifice amounts to nothing and the tyrant is allowed on!

cap28:

Very good, i pray that Gadaffi's troops are successful in recapturing benghazi.

May the evil machinations of bloodsucking america and the UK continue to fail at every turn.

Damn why so much hatred

cap28:

Very good, i pray that Gadaffi's troops are successful in recapturing benghazi.

May the evil machinations of bloodsucking america and the UK continue to fail at every turn.

I am trying to imagine the looks and frustration on your face as you read this again

Gadaffi is owned!

violent:

I am trying to imagine the looks and frustration on your face as you read this again

Gadaffi is owned!

i dont think you fully appreciate the implications of what is happening in libya - this is the beginning of the foreign occupation of a sovereign nation, the US will reopen their military base which was shut down by gadaffi in 1969 in order to complete the takeover of the country. They will then finish off their AFRICOM agenda ie the siting of military bases all over the continent in order to secure areas rich in natural resources.

the libyan oil company NOC will be privatised and the british and americans will move in and take over, basically we are about to witness the outright theft of a sovereign nations oil resources.

The only winners here will be Exxon mobil, Chevron, BP. The libyan people should cast their eyes across to iraq and find out how well the iraqis are living since the invasion and occupation of their country by america.

oh and i almost forgot about the rebuilding of the infrastructure that is being destroyed by american and european missiles, i wonder who will be awarded the contracts to rebuild these? let me guess - american construction companies like haliburton - hmmm that makes sense.

This is just the beginning of the end for libya, oil rich countries in africa (nigeria) watch your back - you might be next on the list of the US/UK neo colonial "humnanitarian" intervention.

Yet more lies fromk you cap28. Don't you ever get bored of spouting deceit.

The West will not occupy Libya. They do not have a mandate for it and more importantly, their own populations would not support such an act.

The US gets minimal oil from Libya and the UK gets zero. If they wanted the oil, all they had to do was to continue to do was to follow your example and slobber at Ghaddafi's loins as they were already doing. He was already handing the oil companies any drilling deal that they wanted as a means to get back into the international community which he had been ostracised from.

These idiots who cry "It's about the oil" don't know what they're talking about. The West already had what they wanted. You don't fight for something which you already have and isn't under threat.

Someone, please let me know when 48 hours are up.