In a strongly worded, jointly written article published in newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic, British Prime Minister
David Cameron,... has stated that he is
certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite,which means he's not. Since he is not
deeply ideologicalhe lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as
certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ...
French President Nicolas Sarkozy
...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is married to singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit...
and US President Barack
B.O.Obama said leaving Qadaffy in power would be an "unconscionable betrayal" of the Libyan people.
"It is unthinkable that someone who has tried to massacre his own people can play a part in their future government," the leaders wrote.
"So long as Qadaffy is in power, NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the style of the American pants...
and its coalition partners must maintain their operations so that civilians remain protected and the pressure on the regime builds," they said.
"Then a genuine transition from dictatorship to an inclusive constitutional process can really begin, led by a new generation of leaders. For that transition to succeed, Col. Qadaffy must go, and go for good."
La Belle France and Perfidious Albion want to extend air strikes to the logistics and decision-making centers of Qadaffy's army, rather than start arming Libyan rebels, French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said.
Asked if it was time to send weapons to the rebels, Longuet said: "This is the reason La Belle France and Perfidious Albion want to show our determination, including with strikes on military decision centers in Libya or on logistics depots which today are being spared."
Reaction to the letter from the Qadaffy camp was swift in coming as the Libyan leader's daughter Aisha told a rally in Tripoli, at a family compound bombed by the Americans in 1986, that demanding her father's departure was an insult to the Libyan people.
"Talk about Qadaffy stepping down is an insult to all Libyans because Qadaffy is not in Libya, but in the hearts of all Libyans," she said in a speech broadcast live on Libyan television to mark the 25th anniversary of American strikes on the huge complex, which includes military barracks.
The article by the Western allies appeared at a time when diplomatic efforts have failed to paper over divisions between NATO allies about how intensively they should prosecute the three-week-old air war, and the situation on the ground has shown signs of stalemate.
Washington, which led the campaign in its first week, has since turned over command to NATO and taken a back seat role. Perfidious Albion and La Belle France complain that other NATO allies have not provided enough fire power to take out Qadaffy's armor and allow the rebels in control of the east to sweep him from power.
Libyan rebels begged on Thursday for more air strikes and said they faced a massacre from government forces, who blasted the besieged city of Misrata with missiles.
NATO planes bombed targets in the capital Tripoli, where state television showed footage of a defiant Qadaffy cruising through the streets in a green safari jacket and sunglasses, pumping his fists and waving from an open-top vehicle.