Libya regime talking to rebels, says Kadhafi daughter

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PARIS: Moamer Kadhafi's daughter said Wednesday that her father's regime is in "direct and indirect" contact with the Libyan rebels, during an interview with the France 2 news channel.

"At the moment there are direct and indirect negotiations. We are working to stop the flow of Libyan blood and for that we are ready deal with the devil," the 35-year-old Aisha Kadhafi said.

She insisted, during the interview in Tripoli, that the ongoing conflict had "strengthened" her family, and denied reports of "divisions" or "disputes."

She refused to directly answer questions as to whether her father would consider leaving power, saying only that he remained an important figure to the Libyan people.

"Where would you like him to? Here, this is his country, his land, his people (...) Where is he going to go? There is one thing that you will never understand, it's that my father is a symbol ... a guide," she insisted.

The rebels have on several occassions confirmed having indirect contacts with the regime through intermediaries.

But "these negotiations are never direct", spokesman for the rebels' National Transitional Council Mahmoud Shammam said on June 24.

The rebels have said they would consider allowing Kadhafi to stay in the country, provided he agree to leave power.

In her interview, Aisha Kadhafi appealed directly to "mothers and wives of the French pilotes" participating in NATO's continuing raids on regime targets.

"I have already lost one of my children ... Your husbands are not working to protect civilians in Libya. They are killing my people and our children," she said.

"And they are doing all this for what? To satisfy Sarkozy who believes that the more he kills the Libyans, the more votes he will win in elections," she told the French news channel.

Kadhafi's exit was on Thursday a key topic at the African Union's ongoing summit in Equatorial Guinea, where African leaders remain divided on the how to end to the conflict in Libya, although many have criticised NATO's bombing. (AFP)