LIBYA: Switzerland freezes assets thought to belong to Kadafi

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Switzerland announced Thursday that it would prevent the withdrawal of any assets from Swiss banks by Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi to prevent the potential expropriation of public funds from the restive oil power.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had taken the action ‘in view of the developments’ in Libya. Troops and mercenaries backing Kadafi have brutally attacked demonstrators demanding an end to his 42 years in power, killing hundreds, if not thousands in the bloodiest of revolutions consuming the Middle East in recent months.

It was not known whether Kadafi maintains personal or government accounts in the financial stronghold. He has vowed to fight the insurrection in Libya ‘to the last drop of blood,’ denying that he would seek refuge abroad to escape the swelling movement for his ouster.

-- Carol J. Williams