The Gaddafi regime is demanding NATO halt its bombing campaign as a precondition for talks to end Libya’s five-month-old conflict. Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi made the demand shortly after meeting with a U.N. delegation.

Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi: “The most important thing is that this aggression needs to stop immediately. After that, the Libyan people can make their own decisions. Other than that, we can’t have a dialogue. We can’t solve any problem in Libya, if we can’t move forward. But all this depends on one condition: ceasefire. As long as the NATO bombardment continues, no discussion and no debate is possible.”