'Corpse' Gaddafi should step down - Kremlin source

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Reuters

MOSCOW, March 1 (Reuters) - A Kremlin source called Muammar Gaddafi a "living political corpse" and said on Tuesday the Libyan leader should step down.

Russia rarely criticises authoritarian leaders, but President Dmitry Medvedev last week condemned Gaddafi's use of violence against protesters calling for his overthrow and said continued bloodshed would be a crime under international law.

The Kremlin source told reporters it was time for Gaddafi to step down, calling him "a living political corpse who has no place in the modern civilised world."

Moscow supported a U.N. Security Council resolution on Saturday calling for an arms embargo and other sanctions. Russia currently has around $2 billion in defence contracts with Libya, the Interfax news agency previously cited a source as saying.

Read more: http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE7201FJ20110301?sp=true

[former9thward]

1. They want to maintain good relations and contracts with the next government.