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Gaddafi: 'We do not need food and medicines from outside'

Says he does not have personal assets abroad

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in a rambling speech insisted today that the dignity and freedom of the Libyan people were being challenged by the whole world, but the Libyan people would triumph.

He also inisted that his country did not need food aid or medicines and those who called for such help were betraying the country.

In a speech of some two hours broadcast on Libyan state TV he insisted that the current strife was fomented by Al Qaeda operatives known to the United States. He said the UN Security Council had taken its decisions against Libya on the basis of mistaken mass media reports, and not on the basis of facts.

He said security officers were being forced to defect at gunpoint and people were being attacked at random, but the Libyan authorities were not retaliating in order to save lives. However, arms depots were being bombed so that the weapons would not fall into the hands of terrorists.

Gaddafi also called on the international community to send fact-finding missions and promised that he and the Libyan people would fight to the last drop of blood.

His speech was given indoors at a celebration to mark the 34th anniversary 'of the people assuming power'.

The crowd occasionally interrupted his address to chant slogans in his support.

Col Gaddafi said he wanted to congratulate the people on the establishment of the people's authority in 1977.

On that day, he said, he handed over his powers to the people's committees and he had not exercised any political or administrative authority.

The revolution, he said, had been carried out to liberate the territory and oilfields from the US and British forces and hand them to the people.

The people were free to exercise their authority in the manner they saw fit.

'REPORTS ABOUT ME MADE BE LAUGH'

He said he had laughed with surprise about recent reports about him. He led the revolution and then handed power to the people. Since then he was only a reference, a symbol.

He was challenging anyone, he said, who could claim that he was exercising power.

Col Gaddafi then went on to explain how the Jamahariya system works and said this had to be explained to the world.

Referring to the protests of the past few days, he said they had followed a dispute involving the lawyers (in Benghazi). He had not taken decisions about it because he was not the authority, he said. When the protests broke out, he said he was told that 'there was a challenge' and it was coming from the foreign mass media. The people, he said, felt they had been stabbed to their dignity and power.

'MILLIONS ARE SUPPORTING ME AND READY TO DIE'

He said millions were supporting him and ready to die for him because of this challenge from foreign forces. (applause and chanting of 'we stand by God and will never abandon our leader')

Col Gaddafi said such chants surprised him. He did not follow satellite TV stations because they were provocations, a nuisance and a waste of time.

The world, he said, was challenging the achievements of the Gaddafi revolution, the liberation and freedom of Libyan territories, but the Libyan people were standing with heads held high. The people would not stand for humiliation and insults.

Referring to himself, Col Gaddafi said Muammar Gaddafi had brought Italy to its knees and forced it to apologise for its colonialism. Italy was being forced to pay compensation for its colonialism.

Huge demonstrations had been held supporting him, he said, but none had been carried by the international media. The Libyan people, he insisted, were defying the world and backing their leader.

He insisted he had no post to surrender, and the Libyan people knew it was their freedom and prosperity that was being attacked.

AL QAEDA CELLS FOMENTING THE TROUBLE

He again blamed small cells of Al Qaeda for starting the current trouble. The CIA, he said, knew them by name and had informed the Libyan authorities. They were apprehended and then released, but now they were breaking their promises to Libya and were causing trouble.

These small formerly dormant cells had come alive, attacking police stations and stealing weapons at Al Baida.

Only between 150 and 200 had been killed, Col Gaddafi said, but the international media was speaking of thousands of deaths.

The security personnel had not launched any attacks but had themselves come under assault. He had told the security forces not to take up arms but to go home. Ordinary people fled and had dispersed.

The same infection had spread to Benghazi. An army battalion came under fire, and he also told the army unit to abandon the position and go home, to avoid bloodshed. The operatives then took control of the Benghazi streets and his supporters were not able to show their support to him. People were being executed in Al Qaeda Al Zarqawi style.

High ranking officers had also been forced to defect an gunpoint.

This was an unprecedented incident and the people were in a panic, Col Gaddafi said.

He urged his listeners not to believe outside media reports.

He said he had decided that any weapons depots had to be destroyed so that weapons would not fall into the hands of the terrorists. People defending their neighbourhoods and expressing their anger were also assaulted.

Al Qaeda operatives did not march in demonstrations and protests, Col Gaddafi said. It was a total lie that demonstrations had been held, in any place. The operatives had assaulted the security forces, taken their weapons and shot at them.

Nothing had happened except these incidents, but the whole world was being told differently. The operatives were now shooting at random, killing people, raping women and seeking refuse in mosques. Prisoners had been let out and they were siding with the terrorists.

MASS MEDIA DISTORTIONS

He said the international community was being urged to send fact-finding committees. They would find that the security forces were killed while defending their own positions. The authorities had not fired a single bullet.

To arm militias to defend themselves was legitimate, he said, but no counter-assaults had been ordered. The opposing forces were only besieged.

"We will fight to the last plot of blood to defend the Libyan territory, inch by inch," Col Gaddafi said to more chanting of support.

Referring to the evacuation of workers, Mr Gaddafi said this had caused a drop in oil production, as (his son) Saif had warned would happen. Diplomats were also being withdrawn, which was proof that there were no peaceful demonstrations in Libya. Had the demonstrations in Benghazi and Derna been peaceful, this would not have happened. This showed that there were armed gangs launching attacks.

'LIBYA HAS NOT FALLEN, IT IS THEM WHO WILL FALL'

"Libya has not fallen, it is them who will fall," Col Gaddafi said, adding that all those who had launched the attacks would be investigated and punished.

He asked how the Security Council could decide resolutions on the basis of media reports, rather than proper facts. What was happening in Libya was domestic and not international, he said.

e was sure the Council would eventually agree that it had taken the wrong decision. Should that not be the case, all states would have lost their sovereignty and been subject to the Council. He said the members of the Security Council were friendly states, but they could not stand up for Libya because the Libyan representative at the council had escaped.

Al Qaeda, he said, had no demands, they did not negotiate. They only perpetrated murder. Its operatives, including a former Guantanamo Bay inmate, were seeking to recruit young people and brainwashing them.

The people, he said, should not give an excuse for the Americans and the other colonialists to set foot on Libya. Thousands of people would die if America or Nato forces set foot in Libya.

Some wanted to set up an Islamic republic in Derna, like the Vatican in Italy. Let them. Then one would see what would happen to the people, to the women, Col Gaddafi said.

The people should remain free, newspapers should be free in the hands of the people, not the hands of armed groups.

'I HAVE NO ASSETS ABROAD'

Referring to recent reports that his assets abroad were being frozen Gaddafi told the applauding crowd that he had no assets. "My assets are my people. I don't take pride in keeping assets of American dollars... My salary is only 465 dinars and the assets they are referring to belong to the Libyan people."

"We cannot sacrifice our own glory for the sake of a bunch of dollars."

Gaddafi referred to footage of his property in Al Baida.

"They showed the property as if it was my own palace. It was a gift from the great Libyan people. They granted me a residence in each Libyan city. It is you who built this normal place of residence. Let's be clear on that, may God Bless you," he said.

Col Gaddafi said his country did not need anybody's help. It had enough food and medicines. But those distributing the food and medicines were being attacked. The oil fields were safe and secure but the workers had been attacked and left in fear.

There were no demonstrations in the heart of the desert, where the oil workers were, he said. This, again, was the work of armed gangs.

His speech was made as international media reported an offensive by Gaddafi forces against a number of rebel-held towns. Sources said some towns had been retaken while in other areas, the Gaddafi forces were repulsed.

Live broadcast on

http://www.guzei.com/online_tv/watch.php?online_tv_id=2145

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Jordan Bonello

Mar 3rd 2011, 16:31

I agree to some of your points. Media swallow whole all information and twist the truth to make it more attractive or acceptable for the viewers. But I disagree that all the arab countries need a dictator to keep things in check. Everyone in the world deserves to be free. We each have one life and noone is more important than another.

The Egyptians and Tunisians have JUST found their independence from their dictators so it will take years before their countries are stable like before. Besides, the Tunisian government is still made up of many corrupted officials which were appointed by the dictator himself.

Gaddafi is just simply mad. I've heard his and his son's speeches and they are ruthlessly and desperately clinging onto power to keep living in luxury. They'd rather bring the country down along with them rather than leave the country into the hands of the people. Pure greed. How ridiculous, His salary is of less than 500 dinar? What else will this clown invent to keep his reputation in tact? It's better he just stops all this lying and these abominable acts cos he's turning out to be another Joseph Stalin

Jason Coleiro

Mar 3rd 2011, 18:37

Totally agree with you.I have been living and working in Libya for a long time now and never had any problem especially in security, business was always rampant and money flowing like water,cars all new and expensive and villas allover, roads excellent, food and lifestyle were top, ok no alcohol but its their country not ours and not only in Tripoli but even Ghadames and far away places.Lies are being said now and i regret it that this emerging nation which gave me a hope for my life especially jobwise and financially is going down in the gutter.I wonder what the people want i really wonder.

Paul Montalto

Mar 2nd 2011, 17:07

The plan is to split Libya in two or more pieces. Sudan is the model for the new imperialists.
The phony genocide claim will be the ace in the hole for "The coalition of the willing" to move in and the news media will play the fake genocide angle to the hilt to convince the world the invasion of Libya is a just cause.

G Borg

Mar 2nd 2011, 19:21

J Galea & Paul Montaldo. All you have to do is to go on youtube, and look up 'Libya crisis'. You can add 'torture', or 'atrocities', and you will get a lot to think about! There is no need for CNN, BBC, or Euronews to show us any more clips. And you 'probably' heard the escaping refugees claim that all their mobile phones and cameras were being taken away from them!
Is it possible that you got the handout that Gaddafi distributed to 'his' followers??
Smells more like KMB than JG or PM to me!

Paul Montalto

Mar 3rd 2011, 11:49

Just open your eyes and brain G Borg and do not believe everything from the mass media, Remember the phony baby killing from incubators in Kuwait by Iraqis troops story put out by US mass media in the 1st gulf war? This is about the new imperialism and the reworking of the middle east and north african power structure, it is time to clean house and redecorate with a new model, and these happenings are more than grassroots phenomenas. I am not on anyone's payroll but haved lived long enough and seen too much hankypanky at high levels to make me very cynical. Always try find out who benefits in all this and it is certainly not the Libyan people, oh and if they ever do get democracy, they should come over here and show us how it is done.

Raymond Sammut

Mar 2nd 2011, 16:13

Ta' Benghazi waddbuh l-gebel, mhux int. Jekk trid tipprietka il-Bibja, mur x'himkien iehor, gharef ta' Salamun.

Ray Gatt

Mar 2nd 2011, 16:13

u inti daqshekk fidil li temmen dak li qal. Mhux kollha hekk jghidu. Ezempju car huwa Saddam Hussein.

J.Debono

Mar 2nd 2011, 14:48

Nissuggerilek li tinforma ruhek sew fuq il-pajjizi Gharab. Ma' mexewx il-quddiem ghaliex hafna minnhom huma imjassrin taht dittaturi bhal-Gaddafi li l-interess taghhom hu li jhallu lill-popli taghhom fil-mizerja u l-injoranza biex jibqghu imwahhlin mas-siggu tal-poter. Il-verita' issa qed tohrog u dawn il-popli waslet is-siegha taghhom. Il-protesti tal-Egittu kienu ezempju ghad-dinja kollha - Nsara mal-Musulmani jipprotestaw b'mod pacifiku. U Mubarak xeba' jbezza' lill-Punent li jekk jitlaq hu jibilghu kull m'hemm l-Musulmani fundamentalisti. Pero' fl-ahhar kellu jitlaq xorta miskien! U dalwaqt se jkun hemm ohrajn li se jkollhom jghidu BYE BYE!

wally vella-zarb

Mar 2nd 2011, 15:25

“jekk thares lejn il pajjizi gharab, ghalijhom ir religjon hi kollox; ir religjon hi l ligi, lkultura, l edukazzjoni, is sistema ta tmexxija u tal mod kif jahsbu, b hekk ma jistghu qatt jimxu l quddiem.”


Għandek tkun taf, Sinjorina Cefai, li dan kollu ma jgħoddx għall-Libya. Ftit wara li Gaddafi neħħa mis-setgħa lil Idris u rnexxilu jkecci lill-Ingliżi u l-Amerikani, waqqaf is-sistema ta’ Gemaħarija fejn it-tmexxija tal-pajjiż għaddiet f’idejn kumitati tal-poplu li jirrappreżentaw lid-diversi tribuwijiet li jeżistu fil-pajjiż. Tmexxija diretta tal-poplu mill-poplu. Gaddafi qatt ma ried li pajjiżu jitmexxa minn estremisti religjużi kif ģara f’hafna pajjiżi Għarab oħra. Tajjeb jew hażin, taqbel jew ma taqbilx mal-metodi użati, l-estremisti Iżlamici qatt ma tħallew jerfgħu rashom – s’issa…

D Vella

Mar 2nd 2011, 16:38

Where are these millions/billions..you obviously have the proof, and if so,why not publish it ,or are you another one who believes everything thats published in the press or television?

Joe Gatt

Mar 2nd 2011, 15:01

Get Smart buddy, look at Tunisian and Egypt.
This is not about freedom.
Ask yourself a simple question `Is all to to do with the Black Gold`

Jesmond Micallef

Mar 2nd 2011, 16:42

Martin Chetcuti, I also support the United States of America and on second thoughts wish that it will not join any military intervention against Libya. Maybe, as a nation it would cause itself more harm considering the "flak" generated from Afghanistan and Iraq. Whoever armed the Colonel's Army, Navy and Air Force should confront their own weaponry !!

Mark Jones

Mar 2nd 2011, 15:03

Rae the two planes that landed at Luqa an 'untruth'? I saw them arrive myself when I was waiting for gas at Qajjenza. Or the thousands of many nations who have passed through Malta in the last week or so? Or the tens of thousands fleeing over the Tunisian border. Get real.

Evarist Saliba

Mar 2nd 2011, 15:04

Could you enlighten us on what is the truth?

Philip Hili

Mar 2nd 2011, 15:50

Ghaddielek xi biljun milli ghandu jew?

Jew inkella qieghed tghix f'xi dinja ohra?

Allura il-media kollha ghamlet "mess" ghax il-media kollha qeghdha tirrapporta l-istess haga.
Mr jew Ms Sammut jekk ma tirrispettax l-inteligenza tal-poplu Malti li forsi ma jafx EZATT x'qieghed jigri, irrrispetta ftit l-inteligenza tal-komunita' Libjana f'Malta li zgru jafu x'hinu ghaddej f'pajjizhom.

Deo Catania

Mar 2nd 2011, 16:15

@Mark. I don't believe what those 2 pilots said. If Gaddafi really gave them orders to bomb the protestors but they fled to Malta don't you think that he would have sent out other fighters? do you think he only had those 2 planes? come on, get real. this protest was and is being blown out of proportion.

Camilleri N

Mar 4th 2011, 10:44

mr or Ms Sammut. What you have to understand is that the Maltese people are also directly or indirectly involved in this dramatic situation. We are witnesses of the situation seeing that we are the military base for planes coming from everywhere incl. China, US, UK... Apart from this we are people with an opinion and with a heart so please stop speaking like as if you dont accept opinions. Remember we are a democratic country with freedom of speech...Exactly what the Libyan population want to be.

joseph muscat

Mar 2nd 2011, 16:02

Stay shouting against Dom Mintoff but dont be shy to go collect the pension which he put in place at d end of d month!!!

Joe Borg

Mar 3rd 2011, 10:42

Comparing Gaddafi and Dom Mintoff is utterly idiotic. Not surprising considering the comments here.

mborg

Mar 2nd 2011, 13:37

Int bis-serjeta sur Bencini!!! Ma tridx izommu ghandek hux mela la int daqshekk kristjan.

G Borg

Mar 2nd 2011, 13:51

'Where is our Christianity?' Yes, our Christianity is with:
FIRST: The victims recuperating in many hospitals.
SECOND: Those who lost their lives, and the ones left behind.
THIRD: The Lockerbie victims and their familes.
FOURTH: Th hundreds of thousands who had to escape, thus losing their jobs, including Maltese nationals like you!
FIFTH: And last, but not least, people like you who try to create an angel out of a dictator.
And YOU call US hypocrites! The guts some people have!

Frans Sammut

Mar 2nd 2011, 13:58

Just for the record, mborg. The more Maltese word for Christian is Nisrani. I hope you don't take the latter to mean Catholic which in Maltese is Kattoliku. I regret having butted in like that on a secondary matter, but I couldn't resist the temptation to seize the opportunity since so many people, even on the national media have taken to the habit of using Kristjan instead of Nisrani. In fact they are even considering Protestants as non-Insara, whereas these are only non-Kattolici and very much Insara, if you asked them.

Mark Cassar

Mar 2nd 2011, 14:02

@M.Bencini
Very funny of you my friend...if you want, both Bla Kondixin and the Stand Up Comedy show are looking for new entrants for their sketches!

Kenneth Cassar

Mar 2nd 2011, 14:11

@ Michel Bencini:

"Don't you think it is a little bit too late to suddenly realize that he is some kind of a bad guy?"

Not really.

"What is this holier than thou attitude?"

It's simple, actually. You (Gaddafi) murder your own people. I don't. So I'm holier than thou. Literally.

"I think that Malta should give him asylum if he needs it, the least thing the Maltese can do after hugging him at every conceivable opportunity".

Actually, if he even as much as lands in Malta, we should hand him over to face trial for crimes against humanity.

"Where is our Christianity?"

Where is your sense of justice?

"Left at the convenient doorstep after mass is over? Sorry guys, but really!"

You'll probably find your sense of justice there, too. Sorry guy, but really!

Raymond Sammut

Mar 2nd 2011, 14:14

@ Michel Bencini

To obtain asylum, one has to fill a form. It is mandatory.

We spend most of our lives filling up forms. But here is one extraordinary guy who never filled a form in his entire life, and clearly has no intention of filling up a form ever. Now, can you tell readers here, Mr Bencini, the last time you had to fill up a form?

Karl Abela

Mar 2nd 2011, 14:17

We were hugging him for so many years because we were doing business with him.

Now, Michel, unless you have missed out on the news for the last few days, the situation is different. Now he is killing people.

J.Debono

Mar 2nd 2011, 14:17

The only place willing to offer political asylum to the Colonel is GUANTANAMO BAY!
( tent and extras included as a welcome gesture )
( sorry, but no Amazonian virgin bodyguards allowed......)

Philip Hili

Mar 2nd 2011, 15:59

Sur Bencini,
Inti bis-serjeta' qieghed titkellem jew tikteb dan il-kumment?

joseph muscat

Mar 2nd 2011, 16:06

i agree with you benici...maltese are hypoctrits just a few days ago our pm was hugging and kissing him now all malta is against him when he never done anything wrong to Maltese...why?? let them solve their own problems and libyans stay in libya not stay crying crocodile tears on xarabank...for me it is all show!!!

Michael Catania

Mar 2nd 2011, 18:53

I wholly agree with the sentiments you expressed. Malta has profitted a lot from businesses carried out with Libya, its a pity that a number of hypocrites have now come out of their hibernation and jumped on their masters band wagon and accuse Gaddafi of atrocities against his people among other things. Gaddafi is instrumental in giving work to a number of Maltese and to the thousands from other nations. I still have to see one mercenary. I just remember the lies we were told about Iraq. As to those libyans who are protesting here in Malta -if they are so patriotic why don't they all go back and protest with their brothers in Libya.

David Gatt

Mar 3rd 2011, 01:38

Jien naqbel mas-Sur Bencini. U fuq kollox hemm punt iehor li qisu hadd ma qieghed isemmi. Jekk Gaddafi qatel lil niesu (u jekk ghamel hekk ghamel hazin) ma nahsibx li l-protestanti armati bit-tankijiet tal-gwerra u bil-machine guns qeghdin ixerrdu l-fjuri. U fuq kollox jekk rridu nkunu precizi, lanqas ma kien hu li beda dan l-inkwiet. Jin minix favur Gaddafi imma l-ipokrezija fil-kliem ddejjaqni hafna. Ahna l-maltin veru pappagalli.

Tony Gatt

Mar 2nd 2011, 13:18

I dare say he will distance himself from the savage reprisals which will follow when any of his troops re-take a town or city. As in the famous case of John Profumo, Mandy Rice Davies said "Well he would say that, wouldn't he?" !

mborg

Mar 2nd 2011, 13:31

How wrong you are Dr Mifsud. Do not forget that there is also his son who like his father does not intend to back off. You cannot compare this man to Mubarak or Ben Ali. He is ready for war if need be and that is what's going to happen. It is written in all books and one must be blind not to see what's coming ahead of us. God be with us.

Dion Borg

Mar 2nd 2011, 13:51

@mborg.."ready for war"??..against his people though not against the Allies,the confusing thing is so far that there's no proof of what the Media is saying against him,and don't forget he still has a lot of people on his side,after all even the Maltese Govt was talking business with Gaddhafi only 3 weeks ago..!!

Corinne Vella

Mar 2nd 2011, 14:48

If authority were in the hands of the people he would have been the audience not the speaker.

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