News In Brief

Quaddafi asks that a panel confirm his Chad pullout

Col. Muammar Qaddafi of Libya said Thursday an international commission should be set up to confirm that his troops have withdrawn from the former French colony of Chad.

Last month, Libya and France announced they had simultaneously withdrawn their forces from Chad, where they had been supporting civil war factions since mid-1983.

Western intelligence reports have indicated a continued presence of Libyan forces in northern Chad, including armored units, warplanes, and heavy artillery.

Asked whether the inspection would include the Aouzou strip, disputed borderland that has been annexed by Libya, Colonel Qaddafi replied: ''Absolutely not. Aouzou is an integral part of Libya."