Gaddafi ‘raped’ his female bodyguards
‘She refused his advances and he raped her’
Five women who formed part of Muammar Gaddafi’s select unit of female bodyguards are claiming they were raped and abused by the now hunted dictator.
The women have told Benghazi-based psychologist Seham Sergewa they were sexually abused by Col. Gaddafi and his sons before being discarded once they were “bored” with them.
One of the women told Dr Sergewa how she had been blackmailed into joining the bodyguard brigade, once believed to number as many as 400 women, after the regime fabricated a story that her brother was carrying drugs on his way back to Libya from a holiday in Malta.
“She was told ‘you either become a bodyguard or your brother will spend the rest of his life in prison,’” Dr Sergewa told The Sunday Times.
The woman in question knew exactly what this meant, Dr Sergewa explained, because she had been raped a few weeks before this by Col. Gaddafi.
“She had been expelled from university and was told to seek Gaddafi’s intervention to be reinstated. She was told she had to undergo a medical test that included an HIV test that was administered by an East European nurse.”
Eventually she was taken to meet Col. Gaddafi at his Bab Aziziya compound in Tripoli. She was led to his private quarters where she found him in his pyjamas.
“She could not understand because she saw him as a father figure, leader of the nation, that sort of thing. She refused his advances and he raped her,” Dr Sergewa said.
A pattern emerged in the stories. The women would be first raped by the dictator and then passed on, like used objects, to one of his sons and eventually to high-ranking officials for more abuse before eventually being let go.
The disturbing claims form part of a dossier being collated by Dr Sergewa for the International Criminal Court and possible trials that Col. Gaddafi and members of his inner circle may face in Libya if and when they are captured alive.
However, her work does not stop with the bodyguards. The women only stepped forward after the psychologist started investigating claims of systematic rape, allegedly committed by loyalist troops during the conflict.
It started about a month into the uprising, in March, when Dr Sergewa, a child psychologist by specialisation, was approached by the mothers of three children she was treating with harrowing stories of rape by militiamen.
The stories prodded her to pursue the claims, particularly as she already had experience of rape being used as a weapon of war as a young graduate working in Bosnia in the 1990s.
“At first I thought these were isolated incidents but I kept thinking about it and felt I should try to look into it further,” Dr Sergewa said.
She had been preparing a study on the psychological stresses associated with the ordeal of war among displaced Libyan families who sought shelter in the refugee camps that were set up in Tunisia and elsewhere, and decided to add some questions related to rape at the end of a survey. The responses started trickling in and the number eventually grew to 300. The stories were as grim as they get.
“Women came forward saying they had been raped by as many as 20 soldiers, sometimes in front of their husbands and children. In one case, a girl, around 18 or so, said she was raped in front of her father. She kept telling him not to look at her...”
Many of the victims have been deeply scarred by the abuse, with a number committing suicide orcontemplating it.
“Others have signs of psychosomatic stress and develop conditions like bulimia and anorexia.”
Her experience in Bosnia and the fact that she was a familiar face to many Libyans, on account of her TV appearances on a regular morning show dealing with children, meant that she was very well placed to help more women come forward.
Still, she feels the number of women she and her team dealt with is only the tip of the iceberg.
“I estimate that there might be as many as 6,000 victims of such rape. The problem is that we need resources to reach out to these women and give them the help they need.”
Since March, Dr Sergewa managed to secure funding from some Libyan charities and a Swiss foundation which helped pay for a team of some 15 psychologists dedicated to collating testimonies of rape and treating the victims. m The money is fast running out and the team is now down to five, but some other benefactor will keep the project going, she says.
Beyond the financial constraints, the researchers had to face the taboo associated with rape which in Libya is stronger than most countries.
“The shame is cast on the victim and her whole family, so it is very difficult for women to come forward with their story because it might mean they become socially ostracised and bring shame on their whole family.”
Some religious leaders criticised Dr Sergewa for publicising the subject, while some colleagues, including the head of Benghazi’s Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Ali Elroey, disputed her methods of study.
Even Amnesty International said it had not found evidence supporting the extent of rape reported by Dr Sergewa, even though the organisation did not deny it.
However, doctors and obstetricians in different cities have reported treating women for injuries that are clearly associated with rape.
Moreover, in June Dr Sergewa’s work received approval from the International Criminal Court when chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, announced he would be looking into charging the regime with ordering the systematic rape of civilians.
He even suggested there was evidence that the regime had provided soldiers with Viagra to encourage the attacks.
There was also the case of Iman Al-Obeidi, the woman, who burst into the hotel hosting international journalists in Tripoli to tell the world how she was savaged and gang-raped repeatedly by some 15 soldiers after she was arrested at a roadblock simply because she came from the town of al Bayda, where there had been an uprising against the dictator.
But Ms Al-Obeidi’s willingness to publicise her ordeal proved to be as rare as her story was shocking.
The ICC had approached Dr Sergewa to help convince victims to testify but the task is not plain sailing.
“So far I have managed to convince eight women to step forward to testify and it has been difficult,” Dr Sergewa explained. “Some women have been abandoned by their husbands, others are too ashamed to share their secret with their family.”
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Mr Alex Ellul
Aug 29th 2011, 23:21
Now that Libya has been successfully degaddafinated the Syrian opposition has emulated the Libyan freedom movemnet and created its own National Transition Council, appointing a Syrian academic lecturing at the Sorbonne, as president and three deputies.
After the Libyan success, the Syrian freedom movement has taken the que knowing that they will have the support of many countries, including the new Libya.
The UN has already declared its intention of protecting the Syrian population, same as it commenced with Libya's anti- gaddafi demonstrations.
I would like to see the same gaddafi apologists here making the same comments in trying to defend the other tyrant bashir al Assad.
There is one more point I would like to mention. Priot to the Arab uprisings and what is called now the Arab spring, there wa one loval organisation that was continuously shedding crocodile tears every time a US ship sailed into our harbour, or a maltese girl was shot in the leg by an Israeli soldier. Since the first day of the Arab uprising/Spring, this organisation has disappeared from the local scene. I am referring to Graffiti.
I just wonder what has happened to its members. have they disbanded/ Or are they just letting this Arab spring pass by, avoiding embarassment?
Joe Brincat-LL.D
Aug 29th 2011, 19:46
There are some sensible comments here. Stephen Zammit very aptly wrote that history is written by the winners. How correct !!! Once I was giving a lecture about Maltese Criminal law, and the question of treason was part of the subject discussed. In any internal armed conflict, the losers are the traitors. But what if the end result had been different ? Then the traitor becomes a hero.
Alfred Farrugia mentions an important fact. The leader of the rebels was a former Minister of Justice. The allegations are not coming from him, but from a psychiatrist who stated that she had a survey with questions. The Leader of the Rebels was not reported as endorsing such claims.
That Gaddafi surrounded himself with girls was no longer a secret after Berlusconi explained how the term Bunga Bunga came into his vocabulary. He said that it was Gaddafi who told him about his parties. This was said before any uprising.
None of us was there. So no one can say that it is true or not true. I have my reservations before I believe that rape was resorted to and that the bodyguards were victims of rape. Those ladies were armed. Who would arm a woman after ill-treating her ?
Another point is that it was too soon after the rebels entered Tripoli to issue such a report and survey. Did those girls who were personally defending the safety of Gaddafi running away to the East to tell their stories ?
Much more is needed to know the true facts. As for publishing such stories, a little sauce was missing from the plate. It adds taste.
Alfred Farrugia
Aug 29th 2011, 16:52
These serious allegations need to be lodged with a competent court. War is the worst form of violence, and this is the reason why I prefer a peaceful resolution of conflicts. What happened before the armed conflict in Libya also needs to be investigated. The leader of the Libyan rebels is a former Minister of Justice. Perhaps he may throw more light on these allegations if they happened when he was still in office.
Unfortunately, during armed conflict these kinds of actions happen in several countries. They happened in 1974 when Turkey intervened and occupied the northern part of Cyprus, and complaints about such violations were lodged with the European Court of Human Rights.
“These actions comprised the killing of civilians, including individuals subject to the order of an officer and others shot while attempting to recover possessions from property under Turkish control; the rape of women in empty houses and on the street; the arbitrary detention of civilians; cruelty to detainees; displacement of civilians; and military confiscation of property.”
See paragraph 121 of the Judgment of 7 July 2011 of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Al-Skeini and others against the United Kingdom, where the Court refers to a previous case concerning Turkey.
http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?item=1&portal=hbkm&action=html&highlight=British%20%7C%20Iraq&sessionid=73520099&skin=hudoc-en
Stephen Zammit
Aug 29th 2011, 12:16
history is written by the winner....
Joe Brincat-LL.D
Aug 29th 2011, 09:07
@ Alex Ellul. You have every right to your suspicions and opinions.
The problem is not with you but with me. I could not figure the presence of John Dalli, now EU Commissioner, within Labour Party ranks. He must have been one of the Labour party supporters " who were fed pro-Gaddafi propoganda by their mentors Mintoff and KMB decades ago cannot accept the fall of the gaddafi regime and the revlations coming out of Libya "
http://loubondi.blogspot.com/2011/08/john-dalli-reality-show.html
Joe Fenech
Aug 28th 2011, 23:47
She should stand trial in Malta for his rapes. Fancy a suspended sentence and a telling off by our Super Mario Judges?
Mr Robert Calafato
Aug 28th 2011, 21:47
Sounds a bit fishy to me!! The last time ( before the trouble started) I read about Gaddafi's female bodyguards, they were described as highly trained and armed fighting "machines".
Now if you consider that there were 400 of them, surely they could have overthrown Gaddafi all by themselves if they wanted to!!
Mr Alex Ellul
Aug 28th 2011, 20:00
The following will be in the news tomorrow morning:
from Today's Zaman: 'Captured by
opposition forces, 19-year-old Nasrin Mansur Alfarjari, a female sniper
in Gaddafi's Special Forces, confessed to targeting innocent people at
military training sessions during the Gaddafi era. The Libyan female
sniper was captured by rebels as she was running away from fighting in
Tripoli's Abu Salim district. Speaking to Today's Zaman yesterday
from the hospital in which she is receiving treatment, Alfarjari
uncovered the evil face of Gaddafi by confessing to mass killings as
part of military training. She said hundreds of 19 to 20-year-old women
soldiers like her fought with the Special Forces. They had to shoot
living people as target practice, she said. “The instructors threatened
to shoot me if I didn't kill some people.” Facing the threat of being
killed herself, Alfarjari said, she complied and fired. Accused of killing 16 people, Alfarjari said she regrets what she
did, crying. She has been receiving medical care in a special section of
Tripoli's military hospital. Guarded by an opposition soldier at the
door, she hasn't been allowed to communicate with the outside world.
Alfarjari's guard told Today's Zaman that she will be placed on trial
for the murders after she has recuperated. He says it is necessary to
keep her under guard to prevent any assassination attempts designed to
keep her from telling what she knows.
Mr Charles.C. Brown
Aug 30th 2011, 00:01
I apologize if my comment has offended anybody i forgot for a minute that all those whom i ve upset are cousins of those across the water down south!
Mr Alex Ellul
Aug 28th 2011, 19:55
I have a suspicion, nay, more than a suspicion, that the labour supporters who were fed pro-Gaddafi propoganda by their mentors Mintoff and KMB decades ago cannot accept the fall of the gaddafi regime and the revlations coming out of Libya. So they try to ridicuke these reports. But truly they are only ridiculing thmeselves and their 'new' leaders.
Mr Tony Camilleri
Aug 28th 2011, 21:59
Mr Alex Ellul don't you think that your PM was doing more than just that when he was the last PM who was hugging and kissing Gaddafi just before the trouble started?
Mrs j. Mifsud
Aug 29th 2011, 15:02
@ Mr. Tony Camilleri
ah but it was Labour who licked Ghaddafi's boots and something else in the past. We even had green passports, and looked upon with suspicion when ever abroad.
ANTHONY MANGION
Aug 28th 2011, 19:49
You don t buy the story.Good every one has his oppinion.I have been told by seamen inprisoned in Libya some years back that have been raped by male gaurds,And they where male.You cant immagine what type of annimals these so called people are
Mr Alex Ellul
Aug 28th 2011, 19:42
Libya has now been practically degaddafinated.
The truth has no enemies now.Peopleare not afarid to talk anymore.
Next: We'll know who were the international politicians, besides the African leadersGaddafi-fininaced of the AU, who were in Gaddafi's paylist.
More oil will be available, resulting in oil-price decreases, hopefully.
Libya will have a greater say in OPEC. hopefully putting some sense into it.
Also, the evil organisations spread acrosss the globe will lose a good part, if not all, of their finacial income.
The good times are coming.
Joe Fenech
Aug 28th 2011, 19:23
Send Gaddafi to Malta. He'll get a suspended sentence.
T Roy
Aug 28th 2011, 18:48
I don't buy it. Remember that this same Mrs Seham Sergewa claimed to have distributed questionnaires, in which 259 women are supposed to have volunteered that they had been raped, of whom Dr Sergewa said she interviewed 140 victims. However when Amnesty International's Libya specialist asked if she could speak to any of these women, Sergewa claimed to have "lost contact with them" and could not produce the filled-in questionnaires. See http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/amnesty-questions-claim-that-gaddafi-ordered-rape-as-weapon-of-war-2302037.html
This is of course highly suspicious and leads me to believe that Mrs Sergewa has made everything up. Because of this, these new allegations of hers are not much convincing to me.
angelo cilia
Aug 28th 2011, 19:25
The man was covered with wall to wall cooze, what do you expect to happen ?
Mr Alex Ellul
Aug 28th 2011, 19:44
Maybe you don't evven buy the fact that King of Kings Gaddafi is now THE Rat' hiding away in some subterrenean cave. living his last days' weeks' just like saddam Hussein did.
Mr Charles.C. Brown
Aug 28th 2011, 18:11
@EMMA GRIMA Youve showed yourself up, your little comment gives the impresion that youre either on prozacs or anti dipsressants!!
Mr Alex Ellul
Aug 28th 2011, 20:02
Your comment proves its futility. You don't win an argument with such stupid and inane statements. Are you on prozac yourself?
Emma Grima
Aug 28th 2011, 20:38
And by the way...did you bother to answer me because I was the only woman to answer you back. Looks like you one of those male chauvinist p.........
Kristina Mifsud
Aug 29th 2011, 15:24
Mr. C. Brown... your comment before is very ridiculous! If you do not want others to make comments on your opinion then give a vaild comment!
@Emma you are absolutely right on all your comments and I agree
Pule' Carmel
Aug 28th 2011, 15:03
Read your history of wars. In early wars it was common for the soldiers to rape and kill the enemy. It was after man's primitive agression were controlled that the enemy was used in slavery and later when we became a little civilized, the enemy served and were hosted as prisoners of war.
So one can fit in the mantal state and primittivitness of Gaddafi.
This is no news to me as having a female body guard, I could immagine the motive behing all this. You should read about how drug barons in Columbia humiliate the poor women around them, the least said about this the better. Incidentally in Malta we had people who had to emigrate because they, or their wives and daughters were humiliated in this manner.
Mr Joseph Calleja
Aug 28th 2011, 16:58
Mr Pule' I am sure you remember when they used to send unwed pregnant girls to Gozo till they gave birth to the baby, so they don't embarrass the family or the town for that matter? Gaddafi and his boys used women like they used camels and who knows what his daughter did? I hope there is a court that will listen to these abused, raped women so the Gaddafi family can pay.
Mr John O'Rourke
Aug 28th 2011, 14:50
The above article hardly deserves to be commented upon. But the overall situation is very serious. It’s much more so than many obviously believe. So let’s talk seriously.
At the onset of this, using Steve Lendman’s words, “Nuremberg level crime” of the aggression against the sovereign state and people of Libya I had written a letter to The Times (it even had a nerve to publish it) in an attempt to point out glaring incongruities in the statements of crooked politicians who represented the powers behind this undeclared war and coverage of it provided by the mainstream “bought and paid for” media. The response of one creature here, which had obviously failed to find any real arguments, was asking: “What is in it for you?”
What was, and still is, in it for me is one simple thing - adequate perception of objective reality. One can choose to lie to everyone including themselves in pursuit of one’s interests. One can even get away with it for a certain period of time. But the trick is that one cannot lie infinitely. It’s not even a moral but rather a mathematical question. The thing is that objective reality does exist. 2 and 2 does not make 5, the sky is blue, water is wet. And if you occur in the rain without an umbrella you are going to get soaked. Inevitably.
Not so long ago Western powers led by the US invaded the sovereign state of Iraq using as a pretext fabricated by themselves WMD ‘evidences’. This invasion was part of the West’s outright war of conquest, driven solely by its (or rather its elite’s) strategic and economic interests and caused more than one million civilians deaths there - which is twice the entire population of Malta and exceeds the US and the UK military and civilian causalities in WW2 combined. It’s an overt war crime. For such a crime the perpetrators would have been standing before the ICC had the latter in turn stood for anything but the “Imperialist Crime Cover-Up”. Now the pattern - first lies and fabrications, then killing in pursuit of special interests - prettily described as implementing the concept of “responsibility to protect” is being repeated in Libya.
Are those who support this war are really that dull and ill-educated not to understand that? Or just lazy to the extent of being incapable to apply a minimal amount of exertion to research and figure out what is really going on there? But they’ve been provided with all the necessary facts and evidences. Which were indisputable. And they have chosen to turn a bind eye. Is it not brains but will what they lack - being unable to face the truth they prefer to keep swallowing convenient lies? Or do they simply choose to be ignorant? Because they think that it somehow suits their interests? And, in fact, covertly consider cynical killing of little kids with someone else’s hands for money, oil and special interests not a bad idea at all as long as one can place the blame for one’s own criminal actions - or support of such - on everyone around, from Gaddafi to the Chinese, and be sure they can get away with it? Well, whatever the case or percentage of fractions may be here is some bad news for all these species.
You should realise one simple thing - those behind all these crimes are highly unlikely to have reserved a seat in their boat for any of you. So, regardless the outcome in Libya, when this house of cards that goes for US economy and a global Ponzi scheme that goes for world financial system fall apart - which is a quite imminent, though not quite encouraging perspective - and disastrous consequences of such an event inundate the landscape you will find yourself used. Used, thrown away and left to drown. Then you will admit the truth. But that will be way too late. Then you will acknowledge that adequate perception of objective reality is not just of the essence, but, in fact, should be considered the main universal principle of existence if this existence is not to have an abyss as its final destination. But that will be way too late. Because by that moment the face on the target from that of the Libyan people will have already started to morph irrevocably into your own features.
However it will be different. The people of Libya know what they are fighting for. They know what they can die for. And if it’s their fate they will do so like warriors. The fate of cowards who are killing them, their women and their children now with drones from a safe distance and those hypocrites who are observing it while babbling something about democracy will be different. They do not understand that the next ones on the list held by a handful of greedy sociopathic scumbags who are behind this butchery are they themselves. They will understand that and be treading upon each other and cutting each other’s throats trying to make their way to exit. But there will be no exit because that will be way too late.
This case of Libya can be considered exhaustively indicative. With it the “international community” has made a gigantic step towards its own decimation and inevitable subsequent acceptance of the NWO dictatorial rule by the remnants. Towards turning the entire world into a no-fly zone where people will be able to do one thing only - to crawl. This case also manifests that Nietzsche was probably right when saying that man deserves nothing more than contempt. Because at some point it becomes obvious that they act not out of ignorance but it’s their deliberate choice.
But there are still exceptions and it gives a flicker of hope. One of them are those who are alone now against this whole killing machine engaged by madmen spawned by our crazy world in which instead of shooting someone’s grandchildren in the head one can drop a bomb on them and call it a “humanitarian mission”. These people are fighting and dying now for their homeland. They are fighting and dying now for the truth. But they do not give up.
Go the brave people of Libya!
You are heroes, you are our hope.
Every single sentient being on this planet is with you.
Whatever waits us ahead you have already won.
Mr Alex Ellul
Aug 29th 2011, 00:44
@ORourke: I cannotunderstand your point; first you lambast NATO for bombing gaddafi's military assets, thus helping the Libyan people remove him gaddafi from power, then you hail these same Libyans as heroes, which, of course, they are. Can you make up your mind about the Libyan conflict? In my worls it is veryy simple. Libyans were just fed up with gaddafi's corruption, tyranny and atrocities. They just could not take it any longer. But more than that, they could not accept the fact that gaddafi's sons would take over for the next 40 years. So, do or die, they just went for the impossible and they won. They did it because NATO destroyed gaddafi's military power from the air while the people took care of the small arms fire power at ground level. NATO just made the ground level for both sides. Meanwhile, the Libyans were so much united against gaddafi that the latter could only muster an army of a few thousand Libyan soldiers threatened with instant death if they defected, and other thousands of mercenaries who were promised heaps of money if gaddafi won.
The Libyan people have practically oudone all negative predictions that came out from 'military experts' Arab analists, journalists and main stream media heavyweight commentators who were always predicting a long and drawnout war that would take years. BUT IT DID NOT. Because there was one thing gaddafi did, which many thought impossible: Gaddafi managed to UNITE all Libyans. This fact will reverberate for years and will be the main driving force for a successful democratisation of Lbya.
The Libyans are not fools, They have shown tot he world how intelligent they are. They have convinced the democracies of the world, the UN, the Arab Legue and all thatthey can meake it. They have won the respect of all level headed people, democratic politicians except for the African Union, an organisation run by corrupt pro-gaddafi cronies, and the o'Rourkes of the world.
The Libyans have sacrificed tens of thousands of their youths, men, woman and even children bombed by gaddafi's Russian-made grads and other missiles. They will not let Libya be run by any other sort of dictator. It was too big a sacrifice to forget what tyranny is.
The western democracies have always tried to save the world from tyranny, but the o'Roukes of this world seem to be always trying to re-write history and make us forget the harm, injustices, deaths, and suffering that was showered on our planet by that master of tyrants that was the Soviet Union, now putinised into a false democarcy, still trying to support dictators such as gaddafi, Assad, Ahmedinejad and their tryrannical club.
But time has always been on the side of the righteous and against the evil ones. That is how humanity has developed; The GOOD always triumphing on EVIL. hat is how we came out of the caves and built a society that has rules, courts, police, administrators, instead of anarchy, barbarism.
Alfred Falzon
Aug 29th 2011, 08:01
@ John O'Rourke
Lenghty and nauseating panegyrics in shamelessl defence of a Fascist killer regime led by a corrupt military madman posing as RAIS do not only fail to impress but are an insult to our intelligence!
We now look forward to the rebuilding of Libya on a sound, democratic basis, even though we know that sinister elements from the unwept and unsung Khadafi era are doing their best to sow chaos and pessimism, but they WILL NOT PREVAIL!
C Muscat
Aug 29th 2011, 16:33
Thank you Mr O Rouke. It is clear and simple to say it in lay terms that the people of Libya are the lambs for sacrifice to the Gods. This time the Gods - NATO - are in a better position because they just sent bombs over a small nation without inflicting on themselves any harm.
In my opinion, it is a shame the way the people of Libya were decimated by giant Goliath. It was clear that different measures were used between Libya and Syria. In Libya, the powers to be wanted to take it all without any compromise without any try to go round the table.
Mr Pat Hobson
Aug 28th 2011, 13:25
I can't believe this crap! And you know why? How can Ghaddafi, in this case, rape his bodyguards when these bodyguards are there to protect him! Is anyone in his right mind defend someone who has hurt and humiliated him/her? And as I'm sure of it, a woman if degraded knows how to revenge herself! Remember "A Woman Scorned, Hell brimmeth over!"
Emma Grima
Aug 28th 2011, 17:04
I'm so sorry for you!!!!!! Didn't you understand that they were 'bodyguards' only because they had no choice because they were threatened!!!!!!
Klaus Pedersen
Aug 29th 2011, 08:28
And you did not understand the phrase "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" either. Besides: women abused in marriage rarely stand up to their agressor, let alone when is the dictator who rules supremely over life and detah in the country.
Mr M Mealclaff
Aug 28th 2011, 12:10
Please bear in Mind that These are only Allegations .
Could be True or could not .
Mr Biker Man
Aug 28th 2011, 13:11
OH PLEASE !!! Yeah right .... allegations as untrustworthy as the sun rises every day at dawn ......
Emma Grima
Aug 28th 2011, 16:53
Whatever they are they are more probably true than not. Remember the iron fist that Gaddafi held on Libya. The truth is finally coming out after so many years of desperation, threatening and only God knows what, and this is only because he does not control the media any longer!!!!
Claire Busuttil
Aug 28th 2011, 12:04
A truly disgusting dictator.....should be caught, and killed.....the crimes, he committed are too many...
C Muscat
Aug 28th 2011, 14:05
.....should be caught, and killed I say should be caught and brought before justice. Being killed will mean we will never know his agreements with so many honoured persons from the whole world!!
John Zammit-Spiteri
Aug 28th 2011, 11:36
who are we to deny these reports! These incidents are common in a war torn area. For some it is very amusing to sit back and throw garbage.
Raped women is not a new thing, and I am sure 100% that in a masculine society like Libya run by a dictator who claims to own everyone , these incidents will go unnoticed unless someone speaks about them. And when they do speak we are here ready to poke fun and question their credibility! How low can we stoop?
Sandro Pace
Aug 28th 2011, 15:16
Exactly.
Mr Robert Callus
Aug 28th 2011, 11:33
Not to forget those poor Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor - framed for the heinous crime of deliberately infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV, a scapegoat for the inefficiencies of Libya's hospitals.
All the world knew they were innocent except for the people of Tripoli who only had access to Gaddafi's controlled media. Unaware of the most obvious evidence, not only that the nurses were tortured to sign false confessions but that the virus had been there for at least a year before the scapegoats were employed in the Hospital.
Mr Carmelo Micallef
Aug 28th 2011, 21:29
Thank you for reminding people of this sad tale of the Gaddafi regime
The serious allegation of the murder in a two hour killing spree of 1200 political prisoners in Abu Salim gaol is another ... no doubt there are more ... hopefully the appropriate Criminal Court will try him and ascertain the truth.
C Muscat
Aug 28th 2011, 10:58
At least there are some intelligent remarks from Mr Brown and Mr Vella Zarb. I fail to understand how in this world one side is 100% and the other is totally demonised. At least I do not feel the only one, not that it matters.
For the non intelligent readers(natually not for the ones with an agenda), do not believe all the is presented but think while you read.
Mr Charles.C. Brown
Aug 28th 2011, 10:07
Maybe it was that it was vaiagra that we were told some time ago he gave to his soldiers so time ago. this is all garbage from benghazi. usually arab women commit suicide after such acts and the last thing they do is go and tell the wold about it! unless these women where from the lampalhamra district !
John Zammit-Spiteri
Aug 28th 2011, 11:33
very funny! your romantic idea of suicide after rape is out of place here. All you could do is respect or shut up. It is a fact that woment suffer rape in times like this and compasion is in place at this time.
your comment ridicules!
Mr Robert Callus
Aug 28th 2011, 12:43
What a stupid comment!
Next we'll be hearing rapists defend themselves by: "How could have she been raped? She's still alive"
Emma Grima
Aug 28th 2011, 13:06
What an idiotic comment. I wonder what you would say if it were your mother, wife, daughter or sister who were raped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr Joseph Calleja
Aug 28th 2011, 15:51
Maybe Arab women are tired of being used as an object or treated less than a camel. Could be that Arab women are not slaves or properties anymore. Maybe Arab women are not afraid to speak up and brave enough to expose the pig men that have been abusing them for centuries. Mr Brown your comment makes as much sense as a sinking boat.
G Falzon
Aug 28th 2011, 16:12
Three senseless lines, Mr Brown, riddled with hiccups!
Alfred Grech
Aug 28th 2011, 10:05
Would be interested to read some comments from Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici.
Joe Brincat-LL.D
Aug 28th 2011, 10:34
I do not think that Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, who everyone knows, would be a suitable person to answer such questions. But if you seeking answers, it may be of help if you ask Bunga Bunga Berlusconi, who already had something to say about Gaddafi and his exploits. By the way, Berlusconi is also on our honours list of Gieh ir-Repubblika.
Peter Bonnici
Aug 28th 2011, 11:17
We don't need KMB to comment, we got Charles C Brown.
Mr Joseph Calleja
Aug 28th 2011, 16:48
Don't encourage the man, he is a one man disaster all by himself. They did not name him Zero for nothing.
S. BONAVIA
Aug 28th 2011, 09:50
The shame is cast on the victim and her whole family, so it is very difficult for women to come forward with their story because it might mean they become socially ostracised and bring shame on their whole family.”
Some religious leaders criticised Dr Sergewa for publicising the subject, while some colleagues, including the head of Benghazi’s Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Ali Elroey, disputed her methods of study.
This is were fundamentalisim or religious thinking in certain muslim countries takes place and makes as much harm as the dictators themselves,if there was an uprising against dictatorship there has to be an other one against these ignorances otherwise it will be a lost hope for a free and modern world in these coutries,stand up and fight for your rights,the women rights!!!!!!
Mr Wally Vella-Zarb
Aug 28th 2011, 09:41
I wouldn't be surprised if someone now crops up claiming that babies were barbecued instead of suckling pigs. In any conflict, the losers are always 'the bad guys' while the victors are always 'the good guys'. It is truly said that, in any conflict, the first casualty is the truth and that history is written by the victors. Even we, here on little Malta, have been through it.
Alfred Falzon
Aug 28th 2011, 12:19
Stop being an apologist of a gangster regime notorious for its heinous crimes against humanity.
The game is up for the whole Khadafi clan and there is absolutely no room left for any kind of negotiations with them!
They had 42 whole years to engage in a healthy debate with the people but they chose fire power against unarmed citizens and torture against anyone who opposed them! Now it's too late!
The International Criminal Court will be the judge or rather the people of Libya whose children and relatives were butchered by the ruthless regime's forces!
Mr Wally Vella-Zarb
Aug 28th 2011, 13:16
@ Alfred Falzon
I think that you should get someone to look up the word 'apologist' in a good dictionary for you and then ask them nicely to explain it to you.
Mr Manuel Mangani
Aug 28th 2011, 15:28
Mr. Falzon: if these reports are true one hopes that Gaddafi, his gulily sons and hangers-on will pay dearly for them. However, do you think that the rebels' behaviour has been beyond reproach? There have been reports of policemen being lynched and Gaddafi supporters being burned alive. Will miscreants, if any, be brought to justice.
The winning side is often painted with a halo round its head.
Emma Grima
Aug 28th 2011, 17:01
So does this mean that in your opinion Gaddafi was once a 'good' guy just because he is on the losing end now??? He was NEVER good, not in the way he held his people under control. It is only because he cannot control the media any longer that stories like this are leaking out....and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I hope he is captured, together with his sons and whoever else is involved in these atrocities, and brought to justice. I hope he is condemned to rot in jail like he did to others!!!
Emma Grima
Aug 28th 2011, 17:06
@ Manuel Mangani.
Two wrongs don't make a right mate!!!!
Mr Manuel Mangani
Aug 28th 2011, 20:52
@Emma Grima: My point was not that the rebels' misdeeds somehow neutralise Gaddafi's, but that one must not run away with the idea that Gaddafi is necessarily as bad as he is being depicted in these accounts. Were he truly such a monster how come that up till 9 months ago, the West - Malta included - was showering him with praise and honours and scrambling to be in his good books?
Alfred Falzon
Aug 29th 2011, 00:40
@ Wally Vella Zarb
Yes, indeed, I followed your wise advice and regret to say that you can NEVER impress by being a "defender by argument" ( meaning of "apologist") of a corrupt, fascist regime like the one of the deposed tyrant Khadafi and his clan!
The definition is as clear as crystal and drives my message in by exposing your baseless arguments and sweeping statements!
Vincent Galea
Aug 28th 2011, 09:38
In all his life did this monster ever sent a love letter or received one ?
Did he ever sent a rose to a woman ?
What are his ominous sexual fantasies ?
What kind of woman would approach and accept his inner being, so lifeless and empty ?
Please choose the reason of your report below: