DEVELOPING: Libya declared an immediate halt to military action on anti-government forces Friday in an attempt to avoid international military intervention after the U.N. authorized a no-fly zone and "all necessary measures" to protect the Libyan people.
Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa said Friday that the cease-fire is meant to "take the country back to safety and security for all Libyans."
"The government is opening channels for true, serious dialogue with all parties," he said during a news conference in Tripoli.
The U.N. Security Council resolution, which was passed late Thursday after weeks of deliberation, set the stage for airstrikes, a no-fly zone and other military measures short of a ground invasion.
Koussa on Friday criticized the U.N.'s authorization of international military action, calling it a "violation of the national sovereignty of Libya."
He said Libya found it "strange" and "unreasonable" to use a resolution that "authorizes military power," and claimed the U.N.'s decision would "increase the suffering of the Libyan people."
Earlier Friday, Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's said "hell" awaited anyone who attacked the country, as the international community prepared for intervention, state TV reported.
Koussa's announcement of a ceasfire followed a fierce attack by Qaddafi's forces against Misrata, the last rebel-held city in the western half of the country. A doctor said at least six people were killed.
The attack on Misrata, Libya's third-largest city, came as the rebels were on the defensive in their eastern stronghold after Qaddafi vowed to launch a final assault and crush the nearly 5-week-old rebellion against him.
The opposition expressed hope the U.N. resolution would help turn the tide in their favor after days of fierce fighting.
"We think Qaddafi's forces will not advance against us. Our morale is very high now. I think we have the upper hand," Col. Salah Osman, a former army officer who defected to the rebel side, said. He was speaking at a checkpoint near the eastern town of Sultan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/18/libya-fm-declares-immediate-halt-military-action-anti-government-forces
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