http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=28503
We can kidnap Saadi Gaddafi from Niger - Libyan official
16/02/2012
By Khaled Mahmoud
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat- Following Saadi Gaddafi’s inflammatory comments earlier
this week that a pro-Gaddafi uprising in Libya is “imminent”, sources within
the ruling Libyan National Transitional Council [NTC] have stressed that “the
NTC may close Libya’s borders with Niger if its government does not take strong
measures to stop Saadi Gaddafi from threatening the Libyan revolution”.
An NTC official, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat from Tripoli on the condition of
anonymity, revealed that “NTC Chairman Mustafa Abdul-Jalil had a long telephone
conversation with Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou during which he asked him
to either silence Saadi or hand him over to Libya for trial on charges of war
crimes committed during the popular revolution, which broke out on 10 February,
2011, and resulted in the ouster the regime of the former president."
Speaking from Niger last week, Saadi Gaddafi warned of an imminent uprising in
Libya and claimed to be in regular contact with people inside the country who
were unhappy with the authorities following the ouster of the Gaddafi regime.
Gaddafi said that this uprising “is not going to be limited to some areas…it
will cover all the regions of the Jamahiriya, and this uprising does exist and
I am following and witnessing this as it grows bigger by the day.” He added
“there will be a great uprising in the south, in the east, in the centre and in
the west. All the regions of Libya will witness the new popular uprising.”
Saadi Gaddafi, who is a former football player, called on the Libyan people to
revolt against the Libyan revolution that ended Gaddafi rule. He said “the NTC
is not a legitimate body…and is not in the control of the militias” adding “we
call on all to be ready for the coming uprising.”
He added “The situation of the [Libyan] people is deteriorating. I am in
contact with the militias, the tribes, the NTC and the national army. I can
confirm that more than 70 percent of those who are in Libya now whether they
support the 17 February (revolution) or not...are not satisfied with the
situation and are ready to cooperate to change this."
Saadi Gaddafi also claimed that he would be returning to the country, saying
"as for my return, yes I must return to Libya and this will happen at any
minute. If I do return I will prevent any revenge."
Abdullah Nakir, leader of the Libyan rebel’s council in Tripoli called on the
Nigerien government to surrender Saadi Gaddafi to Tripoli otherwise the Libyan
authorities might take action to deport Nigerien nationals from the country.
Nakir stressed that Saadi Gaddafi would be well treated if he surrenders
himself to the Libyan authorities.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat from his residence in Tripoli, Nakir said "if he
[Saadi Gaddafi] does not give himself up, we will arrest him and he will face
the same fate as his father."
Nakir also stressed that Saadi Gaddafi is not an important person in and of
himself, as he was one of the first members of the Gaddafi family to flee the
country, well before the collapse of the former regime. He said “we think
Gaddafi is gullible, by any definition of the world, and we are not paying any
attention to him. However he has now fallen under the influence of some people
who are under the illusion that it is possible for the Gaddafi regime to return
to power in Libya."
Nakir also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “we have the capability to kidnap him
from Niger” adding “we will not allow any threat to our people's revolution and
its future.”
The leader of the Libyan rebel’s council in Tripoli said that he would be
closely monitoring the NTC’s actions in this regard, as well as the actions of
the Niger government to resolve this issue.
The Libyan News Agency revealed that a telephone conversation took place
between Libyan Foreign Minister Ashour Bin Khayal and his Nigerien counterpart
Mohamed Bazoum, during which the Nigerien foreign minister apologized to the
Libyan government and people for the hostile statements issued by Saadi
Gaddafi. However Niger government spokesman Marou Amadou said that his
government would not hand Saadi Gaddafi over to Libya at this time, in spite of
the fact that Gaddafi’s statements violated the conditions of his presence in
the country.
In the same context, sources within the Libyan Foreign Ministry have revealed
that "a number of people within the Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs have
said that they are very sorry about the statements issued by Saadi Gaddafi,
which were a violation of his promise not to undertake any [political]
activity." The sources claimed that the Nigerien government is considering
taking “strong” action against Saadi Gaddafi.
NTC official spokesman Dr. Mohamed Nasr al-Harizi stressed that "neither Saadi
nor anybody else will raise the Gaddafi banner on Libyan soil" adding “as long
as we are alive, he or his family and their supporters, will never be able to
challenge the revolution of the Libyan people."
Al-Harizi also said “it is not surprising that Gaddafi’s son Saadi continue to
lie and claim he is in contact with the tribes, the revolutionaries, and the
NTC, as well as that he will move to defeat the 17 February Revolution.
However, the NTC would like to take this opportunity to stress that it has not
contacted and will not contact, meet or negotiate with Saadi Gaddafi or with
any former regime official."
Dozens of Libyans demonstrated outside the Nigerien Embassy in Tripoli earlier
this week, chanting "Niger is a safe haven for killers." The demonstrators
demanded Tripoli cut relations with Niger. Civil society organizations in the
city of Sabha have also denounced Saadi Gaddafi’s statements at a meeting
earlier this week. They called for Libya’s borders with Niger to be closed, and
all Nigeriens in Libya to be deported.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
Post message: [email protected]
Subscribe : [email protected]
Unsubscribe : [email protected]
List owner : [email protected]
Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
