Libyan Government Denies Gadhafi Resignation Offer

Loyalists are rejecting reports that the dictator has reached out to rebels.

While fighting between pro- and anti-Gadhafi forces continues in Libya, a public relations battle has also erupted with both sides feeding media outlets different stories about whether or not the dictator is ready to step down. Spokespeople for the rebel national council claimed that they had begun indirect talks with Gadhafi, and that he had offered to resign in exchange for a guarantee that he could keep his assets and would not be prosecuted for any crimes. An adviser to Gadhafi’s deputy foreign minister called those claims “absolute nonsense,” but even if they were true it is unlikely most Libyans would agree to Gadhafi’s conditions, which would have him walk away scot-free from 42 years of oppressive rule.