Tunesia, Egyt and now Yemen: a domino effect in the Middle East?

Militias loyal to Moammar Gadhafi opened fire on protesters streaming out of mosques in the Libyan capital on Friday, demanding the regime's ouster, witnesses said, reporting at least four killed. Across rebellious cities in the east, tens of thousands held rallies in support of the first Tripoli protests in days.

Protesters chanting for Gadhafi's ouster streamed out of mosques near downtown Tripoli's Green Square and other districts after prayers, and they were confronted by troops and militiamen who opened fire, said several witnesses. Gunmen on rooftops in streets near the square shot down on marchers, they said.

One witness reported seeing three protesters killed in the Souq al-Jomaa area near the square, and another reported a fourth death in another district, Fashloum. The reports could not be immediately confirmed.

"There are all kind of bullets," said one protester near the Souq al-Jomaa, screaming in a telephone call to The Associated Press, with the rattle of shots audible in the background.

"The situation is chaotic in parts of Tripoli now," said another witness, who was among marchers in adjacent Algeria Square and said he saw militiamen firing in the air. Armed Gadhafi supporters were also speeding through some streets in vehicles, he said. Residents hiding in their homes also reported the sound of gunfire in other parts of the capital.

The call for regime opponents march from mosques after prayers was the first attempt to hold a major anti-Gadhafi rally in the capital since militiamen launched a bloody crackdown on marchers early in the week that left dozens dead. SMS messages were sent around urging, "Let us make this Friday the Friday of liberation," residents said. The residents and witnesses all spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

International efforts to respond to the crisis in Libya gathered pace on Friday, as forces loyal to embattled leader Moammer Gaddafi continued brutal repression of anti-government protests in that North African country.

The U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has begun meeting in emergency session in Geneva to discuss the crisis. Libyan ambassador to the UN did not reportedly turn up.

NATO Secretary-General has convened an emergency meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Friday afternoon to consult among member-states on the "fast-moving situation" in Libya.

The U.N. Security Council is expected to meet later on Friday in New York to consider further action, possibly sanctions, against the authoritarian regime in Tripoli.

The UNHRC is expected to demand Libya's expulsion - an unprecedented move against a member state - from the global body that champions protection of universal human rights, the BBC reported.

UNHRC Commissioner Navi Pillay condemned the Gaddafi regime's use of violence against unarmed protesters as "crimes against humanity."

She said reports from Libya, where access to media is severely restricted, indicated that thousands might have been killed or injured as the government crackdown escalated "alarmingly."

U.S. President Barack Obama has been in consultations with the leaders of Britain, France and Italy as part of seeking consensus on actions, and suggested a range of possible measures, from humanitarian assistance to sanctions.

But he can be a force for Good when he issues a fatwa for the murder of someone we actually want to die. Twisted Evil

(ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 25 - ''The most likely crime that Gaddafi could be charged with is crimes against humanity, on the basis of what one can read,'' underscored Cuno Tarfusser, judge at the International Criminal Court at the Hague, who spoke on Radio 24 on the possibility of bringing charges against Gaddafi at the Court. ''The court bases its jurisdiction - and therefore its powers to rule on those accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide - on a 'contract' between States, the Rome Statute. Only citizens of the States which have signed this contract can be prosecuted. So far 114 States out of 192 have signed it and Libya is not among the latter. Therefore, we can do nothing of our own initiative. However, there are two paths to enable us to take action: the first is that Libya itself agree to the jurisdiction, and this might happen only in the case of a new government. The second would be a decision by the UN Security Council, a resolution that would invest us with authority, as occurred in the case of Sudan.'' (ANSAmed).

NObody has suffers from a bug the size of JTT's.

Justice....hmph.