Gaddafi: Al Qaeda Behind Protests

Well, that’s one way to explain it. Embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said during a phone call to state TV on Thursday that al Qaeda is behind protests that have rocked the country and threatened to unseat him. He argued that ringleaders were “loyal to [Osama] bin Laden” and—in a warning to parents—said they’d recruited teenagers to join them by drugging them with "hallucinogenic pills in their coffee with milk, like Nescafe." While Gaddafi is maintaining the eccentric tone that’s been a hallmark of his 42-year reign, he may be running out of opportunities to do so. Reports say he’s holed up in Tripoli, the capital, with loyal segments of the army plus mercenaries, but has lost control of most of the country.