Gaddafi accepts Chavez talks offer

[Valin]

Al Jazeera:

Embattled Libyan leader accepts mediation offer from Venezuelan ally in bid to solve political crisis.
3/3/11


Chavez, left, and Gaddafi, pictured here in 2007, have long been close allies [EPA]

Muammar Gaddafi has accepted an offer from Venezuela to mediate in Libya’s political crisis after talks with Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, Al Jazeera has learnt.

Sources told our correspondent in Caracas that Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan’s foreign minister, had discussed the offer with Amr Moussa, the head of the Arab League, and that details of the plan could be announced by the Arab League in Cairo on Thursday.

Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the opposition National Libyan Council, told Al Jazeera he totally rejected the concept of talks with Gaddafi, and said that no one been in contact with him regarding the Venezuelan initiative.

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Chavez said on Monday he had discussed the idea of an international mediation effort with several Latin American and European countries.

"I hope we can create a commission that goes to Libya to talk with the government and the opposition leaders," he said. "We want a peaceful solution ... We support peace in the Arab world and in the whole world."

Without giving further details of the proposed mediation mission, Chavez said it was better to seek "a political solution instead of sending marines to Libya, and better to send a good will mission than for the killing to continue"

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