International Criminal Court prosecutors want warrants for the arrest of Libya dictator Muammar Qaddafi as evidence shows he used children as human shields by building a playground over his compound in Tripoli.

The ICC prosecutors said Qaddafi should be charged for torture, murder and the brutal suppression of opponents. The Hague’s chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, told a press conference that Qaddafi’s forces have shot at demonstrators and at people leaving mosques and have shelled funeral processions.

Ocampo is due to file with ICC judges a 74-page document detailing alleged war crimes

An arrest warrant would make it difficult for Qaddafi to seek refuge in another country, leaving him the choice of either surrendering or continuing a “win or die” battle against rebels.

NATO forces are restricted by a United Nations Security Council mandate to use force only to protect Libyan civilians. NATO General Sir David Richards said he wants permission to increase pressure on the Libyan dictator.

Although he insisted that Qaddafi is not a target, he conceded that it would be “within the rules” if Qaddafi were killed as a result of an attack on his command center.

“We now have to tighten the vice to demonstrate to Qaddafi that the game is up and he must go,” he said, adding that “NATO is not attacking infrastructure targets in Libya."