Monday 28 February 2011

Excerpts: Gaddafi interview


Jeremy Bowen with Col Muammar Gaddafi Col Gaddafi tells Jeremy Bowen: "They will die to protect me, my people"
Continue reading the main story
Mid-East Unrest




* Fervour grips Benghazi
* Possible scenarios in Libya
* The Gaddafi family tree
* Who is propping up Gaddafi?

Excerpts of an interview given by Col Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli to BBC Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen, alongside ABC's Christiane Amanpour and a Sunday Times reporter.

Jeremy Bowen: "In recent years you had a rapprochement with Western countries, you had important Western leaders like Tony Blair coming here. Now there are Western leaders who are queuing up to say that you should go. Do you feel a sense of betrayal about that?"

Colonel Gaddafi: "Of course it's betrayal. They have no morals. Besides, if they want me to step down, what do I step down from? I'm not a monarch or a king."

Bowen: "But you make speeches at the UN and you identify very much with Libya even if you don't have a formal title."

Gaddafi: "It's honorary, it's nothing to do with exercising power or authority. In Britain, who has the power? Is it Queen Elizabeth or David Cameron? You don't understand the Libyan system."

Bowen: "I understand the system you have here, but internationally you are regarded as the leader."

Gaddafi: "You don't understand the system here. Don't say 'I understand' - you don't understand. And the world don't understand the system here. The authority of the people. You don't understand it."

Bowen: "How do the people show their authority then? Because some people here who have gone out on to the streets to protest say that your people have shot at them."

Gaddafi: "No demonstration at all in the streets. Did you see demonstrations?"

Bowen: "Yes I have."

Gaddafi: "Where?"

Bowen: "I saw some today."

Gaddafi: "Where?"

Bowen: "I saw some in Zawiya. Yesterday I saw demonstrations."

Gaddafi: "Are they supporting us?"

Bowen: "No they're not supporting you. Some were against you, and some were for you."

Gaddafi: "They are not against us. No-one is against us. Against us for what? Because I'm not a president. They love me. All my people are with me, they love me all. They will die to protect me, my people."

Christiane Amanpour: "If you say they do love you, then why are they capturing Benghazi and saying they're against you?"

Gaddafi: "It's al-Qaeda. It's not my people. They came from outside."

Bowen: "So they're the people pulling down the posters and putting up the flag of the king?"

Gaddafi: "It's al-Qaeda, they went into military bases and seized arms and they're terrorising the people. The people who had the weapons were youngsters. They're starting to lay down their weapons now, as the drugs al-Qaeda gave them wear off."

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More

 
Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | Modern Warfare 3