Gaddafi defiant as West mulls action

---

TRIPOLI, Mar 9 (AFP): Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi stood firm Wednesday, accusing the West of plotting to seize his country's oil and the insurgents of being traitors backed by Al-Qaeda, as his forces pounded rebel-held areas. "The colonialist countries are hatching a plot to humiliate the Libyan people, reduce them to slavery and control the oil," he said on state television. Gaddafi addressed his remarks to the people of Zintan, 120 kilometres (75 miles) southwest of Tripoli, which is in rebel hands but surrounded by his own troops. He again said Al-Qaeda was behind the insurrection that began on February 15 and called on the inhabitants of Benghazi, the rebels' main base, to "liberate" the eastern city. Gaddafi made similar accusations against Western countries, especially France, in interviews aired by the French LCI television channel and Turkish television Wednesday. "If Al-Qaeda manages to seize Libya, then the entire region, up to Israel, will be at the prey of chaos," he told Turkey's public TRT channel. The sounds of shellfire and four large explosions were heard early Wednesday from west of the rebel-held oil town of Ras Lanuf, where the lightly-armed insurgents have been checked in their attempt to occupy Bin Jawad, some 30 kilometres (19 miles) away. Meanwhile, a private plane belonging to embattled Libyan leader Gaddafi with unknown passengers aboard crossed Greek airspace en route to Egypt Wednesday, a Greek defence ministry source said. "A private plane of Gaddafi has crossed Greek airspace en route to Egypt," the ministry source told AFP, adding: "We do not know who is on board."A Greek air force source said the plane was a Libyan Airlines Falcon 900 that normally carries VIPs, though the pilot denied that dignitaries were on board. "The pilot tabled a flight plan from Tripoli to Cairo," the air force source said, adding: "The plane crossed southwest of the island of Crete around an hour ago. It should be landing in Cairo by now." Gaddafi Tuesday had called Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, the Greek leader's office said. In the discussion, Papandreou had told Gaddafi to seek a peaceful resolution to the rebel uprising against his government.