EDITORIAL : THE SUN, UK

Tyrant target

LET us be in no doubt. Libya's citizens are not safe while Gaddafi breathes air.

This is the man who has used tanks, warplanes and attack helicopters to massacre his people for daring to rise up against his long and barbaric regime.

This is the man who told them: "We are coming tonight. We will come house by house, room by room. We will find you in your closets. There will be no mercy."

The Allies are authorised by the UN to use "all necessary measures" to protect Libya's civilians.

ALL necessary measures.

It will not be enough to ground Gaddafi's jets and repel his forces from Benghazi.

While the monstrous dictator who has ruled Libya by fear for more than 40 years still commands authority over his paid supporters, ordinary citizens are not safe.

So when our Armed Forces chief General Sir David Richards says targeting the dictator is not allowed under the UN resolution he's wrong.

It may not have been spelled out, but Gaddafi's swift end is crucial to the safety of the hundreds of thousands of Libyans we are now sworn to protect.

We would love to see him tried for his crimes. But it doesn't seem likely.

Britain must of course choose our words wisely to keep the Arab League and our UN partners on side. But they are unlikely to shed any tears should some terrible fate befall Gaddafi.

Warplanes, tanks and troops are only the blunt instruments of his murderous vengeance.

The main danger to the Libyan people is the tyrant himself.