Benghazi, Libya (CNN) -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Thursday blamed the violence in his country on young people, who he said are taking some sort of pills and being exploited by Osama bin Laden.
Speaking by phone on state TV as reports came in of pro-Gadhafi forces killing unarmed civilians in the town of Zawiya, Gadhafi said, "Our children have been manipulated by al Qaeda."
"Those exploiting the youth have to be arrested," he added.
Gadhafi also addressed the situation in Zawiya, saying, "We shouldn't leave" the town "without any control."
Ten days into protests that have resulted in his loss of control of eastern Libya and led members of his government to defect, Gadhafi faced new international pressure Thursday. Switzerland ordered that his assets, and those of his entourage, be frozen, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
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But Gadhafi showed no sign of considering giving up the post he has held for nearly 42 years. "I have only moral authority," he said, adding, "We have 3 million Libyans -- they run the country."
It was unclear what he was referring to: Libya's population is 6.5 million, according to the CIA World Factbook.
Gadhafi's characteristically rambling remarks followed reports that anti-government forces had gained control of Zawiya, west of the capital, Tripoli.
Quryna newspaper reported that 10 people were killed and dozens were wounded in an attack launched by security forces. Heavy shooting made it impossible for the wounded to be taken to a hospital, Quryna reported. The forces surprised residents by entering the city from the west, instead of from Tripoli, the paper said.
When the protests began last week, Quryna was carrying regime propaganda. It has since changed and begun reporting on the protests and releasing casualty figures.
Earlier Thursday, witnesses told CNN that at least seven people had been killed in clashes in Zawiya. In addition, 40 people were wounded, a witness said.
At the hospital, a woman, who said her son had been shot, told CNN, "Blood is all over the streets."
The woman said unarmed people were being fired on indiscriminately and that she believed far more than seven people were killed.
"We want to call all human beings: Zawiya is finished," she said. "The people (are) finished. The people (are) dying."
She said it was unclear who was behind were shooting. Many seemed to be African mercenaries, but they may have been from the government or military, she said.
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When they saw us arrive, they just exploded with cheers and clapping, people saying "thank you, thank you" in English.
--Ben Wedeman, CNN senior international correspondent
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"People are crying," she said, calling for help from the world. "Where (are) the people? Where is the peace?"
The hospital in Zawiya is "a disaster," she said, adding that some shooters had entered the hospital and insisted that no one was killed.
CNN could not confirm reports for many areas in Libya. The Libyan government maintains tight control on communications and has not responded to repeated requests for access to the country. CNN has interviewed numerous witnesses by phone.
Misrata -- also spelled as Misurata -- is in the hands of the opposition, who have driven out the mercenaries, witnesses and media reports said. It is the country's third-largest city.
Witnesses and reports also said the town of Az Zintan was under opposition control.
The opposition already controls Libya's second-largest city, Benghazi, where crowds cheered as international journalists drove through. The only shooting that could be heard was celebratory gunfire.
"When they saw us arrive, they just exploded with cheers and clapping, people saying, 'Thank you, thank you,' in English, throwing candy and dates inside the car," CNN's Ben Wedeman said.
Men in their 20s were guarding the city with shotguns, clubs or hunting knives.
But Tripoli was a different story. Gunfire erupted at dawn Thursday as chanting crowds dispersed. Government security forces were tightening their grip on the capital, according to sources. In one neighborhood, no one was allowed in or out.
"There's nobody walking in the street, nobody is trying to get out, even to look through the window," said a resident who, for security reasons, did not want to be identified. "It's a little scary."
She said she was risking her life by talking to a reporter.
"I've been trying to keep my identity hidden," the woman said. "There are reported kidnappings happening in homes for anybody credible that is talking to the media and giving them the truth about what's happening in Libya."
Continuing a stream of defection among some Libyan diplomats, the ambassador to Jordan, Mohammed Hassan Al Barghathi, said Thursday he is resigning due to the unrest. He also paid condolences to Libyan families who lost their loved ones in the violence.
Underscoring the growing distance between the Gadhafi regime and Libyan diplomats, the flag hanging outside the Libyan Mission to the United Nations in New York was the opposition flag; the regime's flag had been taken down.
The U.N. Human Rights Council plans to meet Friday to discuss a resolution that would suspend Libya from the council. The resolution would condemn "the massive and unacceptable violence currently being perpetrated in this country," French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said Thursday in a statement. "It holds the Libyan authorities accountable. This violence could constitute crimes against humanity."
Governments around the world scrambled to get their citizens out of the country.
A ferry chartered by the United States to evacuate U.S. citizens remained in port in Tripoli because of bad weather, diplomatic sources said.
Dena Drotar said her mother, who was on the ship, told her that her fellow passengers were being fed, but were anxious and having difficulty sleeping, "so they're also getting a little bit giddy."
In Washington, a senior U.S. military official said the Pentagon was looking at "all options" it can offer President Barack Obama in dealing with the crisis.
"Our job is to give options from the military side, and that is what we are thinking about now," said the official, who declined to be identified because of the extremely sensitive nature of the situation. "We will provide the president with options should he need them."
Obama called French President Nicolas Sarkozy to discuss the situation and both presidents "reiterated their demand for an immediate halt to the use of force against the civilian population," the French Embassy said.
Source :http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/24/libya.protests/index.html?hpt=T1
