Reply #81: Agence France Presse - By Florent Marcie - July 08, 2011 01:36 AM

[tabatha]

Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court will not accept Gadhafi’s “blackmail” demands to withdraw its arrest warrant before he steps down, an official said.

“It would be blackmail that we would not accept,” ICC deputy prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told AFP in Botswana.

“Investigations were made and the findings gave the ICC judges enough evidence to issue a warrant of arrest and that should not be put on the table to negotiate Gadhafi’s exit.”

...

In addition to the NATO assistance, the West has also thrown its diplomatic and financial support behind the NTC, has been recognised by about 20 countries including Britain, France and the United States.

Poland Thursday posted an ambassador to the rebel bastion.

But alliance member Italy, pressed by the need to cut defense spending, announced Thursday that it was removing the aircraft carrier Garibaldi, its three fighter jets and 1,000 personnel from the Libyan operation.

The Garibaldi would be replaced by a smaller vessel and by warplanes from military bases, Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Jul-08/Rebels-advance-on-Tripoli-as-US-blocks-support.ashx#ixzz1RUH2fDn5