President Obama and David Cameron have promised a joint approach to the Libyan crisis after Colonel Gaddafi went on state TV to blame the unrest on al-Qaeda.

Reporting from the Libyan city of Benghazi, John Simpson said today will be "a deciding day" in the country as Gaddafi's power is tested by protests in the capital, Tripoli.

After monitoring media in the country Nahed Abou-Zeid, of the BBC Arabic service, said that people were "talking up" the talks between anti-government forces, which were "not yet under a unified command".

"Once that alliance is forged, and happens, they think that the Gaddafi regime's days would be numbered," he said.

On the international front James Rubin, a former assistant secretary of state in the Clinton White House, said that the international community should consider using Nato air power to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the country.

While there were legal difficulties with imposing a "no fly zone", Nato could act "on a humanitarian basis without being in a regime change situation".