Rebels cheer cracks in Gaddafi rule

TRIPOLI: Rebels welcomed the defection of a Libyan minister as a sign that the rule of Muammar Gaddafi was in ruins, but U.S. officials have warned that it was far from beaten and said they feared the entanglement another painful war.

After former Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa arrived in Britain, London has urged others around Gaddafi to follow suit. "Gadhafi must be wondering who will be next to abandon it," Foreign Minister William Hague said.

Soon after, Ali Abdussalam Treki refused to take office by Qaddafi as ambassador to the UN condemning the "bloodshed" in Libya.

But the reports of defections by more senior aid Gaddafi remained unconfirmed.

Asked about a report from Al Jazeera that he was one of many who fled to Tunisia, a senior oil Shokri Ghanem told Reuters by telephone Thursday night: "This is not true, I'm in my office and I'll be on TV within minutes. "

However Koussa defection raised the spirits of the rebels who have been placed at the head first retreat in a cons-attack by the forces of Gaddafi this week.

"We're starting to see the Gaddafi regime collapse," the spokesman said Mustafa Gheriani rebels in the eastern city of Benghazi.

However, despite nearly two weeks of air strikes in the West, Gaddafi's troops used weapons and superior tactics to repel the rebels are trying to edge towards the west along the coast from their stronghold Benghazi Tripoli is the capital.

News that U.S. President Barack Obama had authorized covert operations in Libya raised the prospect of broader support for the rebels.