The UN is withdrawing all its international staff from the Libyan capital Tripoli following a mob attack on its offices, the BBC understands.<\/p>\n
UN buildings and some foreign missions were targeted by angry crowds following a Nato air strike that reportedly killed a son of Col Gaddafi.<\/p>\n
A UN official told the BBC its staff would withdraw from Libya and the decision would be reviewed next week.<\/p>\n
The UK expelled the Libyan ambassador after its premises were attacked.<\/p>\n
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said ambassador Omar Jelban was “persona non grata” and had been given 24 hours to leave the country.<\/p>\n
By not protecting diplomatic missions, the Gaddafi regime had “once again breached its international responsibilities and obligations”, said Mr Hague.<\/p>\n
He added: “The attacks against diplomatic missions will not weaken our resolve to protect the civilian population in Libya.”<\/p>\n
The Italian foreign ministry has condemned the “acts of vandalism” on its embassy, describing them as “grave and vile”. Italy – which closed its embassy in March and is represented by Turkey – recently joined the Nato mission in Libya.<\/p>\n
There were also protests outside the US mission in Tripoli.<\/p>\n
A UN official, who confirmed that its offices had been ransacked overnight, said the Libyan government had apologised, blaming an angry mob for the damage.<\/p>\n
Most Western governments evacuated staff from Tripoli when an international coalition began air strikes on Libya several weeks ago.<\/p>\n
A UN official here on a humanitarian mission confirmed that overnight the offices of the UN had been ransacked.<\/p>\n
As the reported death of Saif al-Arab Gaddafi spread around the city, there were angry demonstrations, seemingly more spontaneous than those we have witnessed so far.<\/p>\n
UN officials say they have expressed their concerns to the Libyan government who have since apologised, blaming an angry mob for the damage.<\/p>\n
The UN lost seven of its staff recently in the storming of a UN compound in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan. It seems they are not about to take risks here and, according to this official, they are now withdrawing all their international staff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Late on Saturday, the Libyan government said Saif al-Arab Gaddafi and three of Col Gaddafi’s grandchildren had died in a Nato attack on a villa in Tripoli.<\/p>\n
Foreign reporters were shown widespread damage to the building in Col Gaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya compound.<\/p>\n
Nato has insisted its raid targeted a “command-and-control” building, and that all Nato targets were “military in nature”.<\/p>\n
Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said Col Gaddafi and his wife had been in the building at the time of the attack but they were both unharmed.<\/p>\n
He said the air strike was against international law and “a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country”.<\/p>\n
Nato is operating in Libya under a strict UN mandate to protect civilians.<\/p>\n
“How is this helping in the protection of civilians? Mr Saif al-Arab was a civilian, a student,” Mr Ibrahim said.<\/p>\n
“He was playing and talking to his father and mother and his nieces and nephews and other visitors when he was attacked and killed.”<\/p>\n
The BBC’s Christian Fraser witnessed the damage and said that if Col Gaddafi had been there, it is hard to imagine he could have walked away from the scene unscathed.<\/p>\n
Russia expressed “serious doubts” that the West was not targeting Col Gaddafi and his family.<\/p>\n
“The claims of the coalition members that strikes over Libya do not have the physical destruction of Muammar Gaddafi and members of his family as their goal cause serious doubts,” a statement from the foreign ministry said.<\/p>\n
“Reports of casualties among civilians are being received in Moscow with increasing concern,” it added.<\/p>\n
In the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi, shots were fired in celebration following the reports that Saif al-Arab Gaddafi had been killed.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Nato officials said the alliance would not consider talks until government forces stopped attacks on civilians.<\/p>\n
The vice-chairman of the rebel Transitional National Council also rejected the offer of negotiations.<\/p>\n
He said the Libyan leader had “offered ceasefires only to continue violating basic human rights”.<\/p>\n
UN ‘to quit Tripoli’ amid attacks<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n