Rebels say Qadhafi should face trial in Libya first

BENGHAZI: Libyan rebels on Monday welcomed a decision by the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor to seek a warrant for Moamer Qadhafi's arrest but said he should be tried in Libya first.

"The National Transitional Council welcomes the decision of chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, to request an arrest warrant," the rebel administration's vice president, Abdel Hafez Ghoga, said.

"We would like him to be tried in Libya first before being put on trial in an international court," he added.

Moreno-Ocampo asked the court's judges to issue arrest warrants for suspected crimes against humanity against Qadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam and his intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi.