West repeating 'mistakes' in Libya: Ahmadinejad

Addis Ababa (AFP) - African leaders meet Friday for their annual summit with conflict topping the agenda, especially Nigeria's Boko Haram insurgents, as well as efforts to stem Ebola.

Hardline Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday warned the United States against military intervention in Libya, saying such action would create a graveyard for its soldiers.Ahmadinejad, under whose presidency animosity between Tehran and Washington has heightened, said the current situation was completely different to what it was during the tenure of former US president George W. Bush."(Bush) used a deception named September 11 to prepare the ground to invade Iraq and Afghanistan," Ahmadinejad said at a public speech in the western province of Lorestan.

Switzerland on Thursday ordered an immediate freeze on any assets that may belong to defiant Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi and his entourage, the Swiss foreign ministry said in a statement."The Federal Council (government) condemns the violence used by the Libyan strongman against the people in the strongest terms," the ministry said in a statement."In view of the developments the Federal Council has decided to block with immediate effect any possible assets of Moamer Kadhafi and his entourage in Switzerland," it added.

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor applied for a warrant for Moamer Kadhafi's arrest for crimes against humanity, a day after the Libyan strongman's regime offered a truce in return for a halt to NATO-led air strikes.In Libya's capital, two explosions were heard overnight Tuesday in the Bab Al-Aziziya area of Tripoli where strongman Moamer Kadhafi's residence is located, an AFP journalist reported.A column of white smoke could be seen rising from the area after two explosions at about 1:30 am (1130 GMT Monday) and ambulance sirens could be heard.

Former Libyan soldiers who defected to the rebels will be pardoned if they surrender to government forces, state television said on Monday, quoting the military.The announcement came as forces loyal to Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi pursued their eastward drive towards the rebel capital of Benghazi, threatening the key town of Ajdabiya.A number of soldiers and military officers joined the ranks of the opposition in the days that followed the start on February 15 of a popular uprising against the hardline rule of Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi.

Libyan government forces attacked rebels in their last western bastions Wednesday and threatened their capital Benghazi in the east after strongman Moamer Kadhafi vowed to crush the month-old revolt.Kadhafi loyalists killed two rebel fighters and two civilians when they assaulted Libya's third city of Misrata, a rebel spokesman reached by telephone said.And an independent witness in Zintan, the first western town to go over to the opposition, said "things were starting" there, as Kadhafi's son Seif al-Islam predicted everything would be over in 48 hours.

Forces loyal to Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi attacked a key rebel-held town, as the major powers remained split on measures to ground his warplanes.Rebel fighters in Ajdabiya said four shells had crashed west of the town, while former air force colonel Jamal Mansur, who had defected from Kadhafi's army, reported air strikes.Mansur also said rebels had regained a foothold in Brega, 80 kilometres (50 miles) to the west, which the Libyan army said it had captured on Sunday.