Libyasyjd01

More than half of his 6.5 million subjects are under 18. Despite Libya's plentiful oil revenues, which represent most of the national budget, many children suffer from malnutrition and anemia. Corruption is rampant, dissidents are brutally suppressed, and many citizens are afraid to say Qaddafi’s name in public or in private for fear of attracting suspicion.

Unemployment stands at 30 percent.

Inspired by pro-democracy uprisings across the Arab world, Libyan dissidents had planned a "day of rage" for Thursday, Feb. 17. On February 15, security forces arrested a prominent lawyer named Fathi Terbil, who had represented families of some of the 1,200 prisoners massacred by Libyan security forces at Abu Slim prison in 1996. Once released later that day, Terbil set up a webcam overlooking Benghazi’s main square, where some of the families had been protesting. With help from exiled Libyans in Canada and around the world, the video spread rapidly on the Internet. Al Jazeera Arabic conducted a phone interview with Libyan novelist Idris al-Mesmari, who reported that police were shooting at protesters—and then the connection was lost. (Mesmari was reportedly arrested by Libyan authorities.) Shortly thereafter, thousands more began battling Qaddafi's troops, and hundreds are reported to have been killed. "Both protesters and the security forces have reason to believe that backing down will likely mean their ultimate death or imprisonment," says the New York Times.

Crisis in Libya also have a major impact on the price of crude oil.

Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning local time GMT, crude oil prices rose more than four per cent to U.S. $ 100 per barrel. On the London Stock Exchange, crude oil prices soared even five per cent to U.S. $ 111.25 per barrel.

the main causes of major jump in crude oil prices are anti-regime upheaval Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.

A Benghazi resident describing the demonstrations and funeral processions on Saturday said: "A massacre took place." He said security forces had used heavy weapons, adding: "Many soldiers and policemen have joined the protesters.

The president, with his letter, appeared to meet the requirements of the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which says only that in cases where the president doesn't seek prior approval from lawmakers, the president must notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and puts a 60 day deadline on such actions. House Speaker John Boehner doesn't believe the president always needs congressional approval to go take military action, a spokesman for the Ohio Republican said. However, "members of Congress from both parties, as well as the American people, are demanding the administration do a better job answering some basic questions about the scope and purpose of our mission in Libya, America's role, and how it will be achieved," said the spokesman, Brendan Buck. Michigan Republican Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence committee, who was part of a group of lawmakers who met with the president before the Libya action, offered his support after the meeting. Mr. Rogers said: "Bipartisan Congressional leaders met with the President at the White House today to hear his plan, and I like what I heard. It is in America's strategic interest to support regional stability, and to prevent the use or diversion of Libya's large chemical weapons stockpile while allowing those who aspire to be free a chance to have their legitimate grievances heard." —Siobhan Hughes contributed to this article. Write to Evan Perez at evan.perez@wsj.com

For Muammar Gaddafi, it was not a long tirade, but it was intense, a compressed version of his fury against colonialism and the great

We defeated Italy when it was a superpower like you," he said, comparing Washington to Rome, Libya's former colonizer. "You will be defeated like Hitler and Mussolini

We will not let these Christian nations take our oil ... We are now giving Libyans weapons, machine guns. Every citizen will be armed ... You will not be able to land here ... We will destroy those who support you in Benghazi ... We will defend our own country, inch by inch ... We will be victorious. The coalition of the devil will be defeated." And then the call ended.