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Gadhafi's Son: Bush Plan Should Be Backed
AP via Yahoo! ^ | March 24, 2004 | MAAMOUN YOUSSEF

Posted on 03/24/2004 6:19:58 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John

By MAAMOUN YOUSSEF, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO, Egypt - The son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi said Wednesday Arab countries should support President Bush's campaign to promote democracy in the Middle East.

Numerous Arab governments have rejected Bush's democracy initiative, notably Egypt's and Saudi Arabia's, as an imposition unsuited to Arab culture and traditions.

"Instead of shouting and criticizing the American initiative, you have to bring democracy to your countries, and then there will be no need to fear America or your people," said Seif al-Islam Gadhafi. "The Arabs should either change or change will be imposed on them from outside."

Seif denied reports that he is a candidate to succeed his father, who rules Libya with little tolerance of opposition.

"Many Arab countries are now following the policy of inheriting the leadership, but there are hundreds of Libyans who are better (suited) than I," Seif said.

Seif even praised Israel, saying that unlike Arab countries, sons do not tend to succeed their fathers in power there.

"We don't put the appropriate person in the right place, but Israel is a democratic country," told the Al-Jazeera television station.

In Syria, Bashar Assad became president on the death of his father in 2000, and in Egypt, the son of President Hosni Mubarak is playing an increasing important role in affairs of state and the ruling party.

Seif said Libya has its own version of democracy. He said it was a formula based on "human rights, democracy, protecting the individual and the society."

Seif heads the Gadhafi International Association for Charitable Organizations, which has played a major role in trying to soften the image of Libya and return it to the international mainstream.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: arabs; arabworld; bushdoctrine; egypt; gadhafi; libya; moammargadhafi; seifalislam
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To: Cap Huff
I wonder if his old man signed off on this?

Back in the morning.
41 posted on 03/24/2004 9:57:59 PM PST by Valin (Hating people is like burning down your house to kill a rat)
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To: VOA
"That was my first thought...but then that's what I said when I heard about the Berlin Wall and the USSR breaking up!"

My opinion? You were right the first time.

If you thought it was patently ridiculous that the entire collective Communist leadership would just give up power one day without a single shot fired, that's cause it kinda was patently ridiculous. And call me crazy, but I still don't believe it.

Personally? I think it was the biggest scam in world history, and the plain purpose of it was to get the U.S. to relax it's guard and disarm.

Everyone knows that the old guard is the mafia now, and the guy in charge was in the KGB. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

If Gore had won, we would've disarmed more and we'd be dealing with USSR II already.

The Communists will retake and remake the Empire any time they want, on the drop of a dime. They lost no resources at all (since not a shot was fired) and they've absorbed tons of foreign investment on top of it. They're already playing the propaganda mill again over there, working the people up to get "nostalgic" for the old Soviet glory days. We'll see an openly communist Russia again in our lifetimes, have -no- doubt.

Qwinn
42 posted on 03/24/2004 10:09:47 PM PST by Qwinn
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To: Robert_Paulson2
Yeah, I agree. It will be interesting to watch this play out.
43 posted on 03/25/2004 12:49:16 AM PST by DoughtyOne
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To: Monty22
I think of them as a mean old neighbors dog, right after you taught it to respect your sling shot, it'll play nice but you have to watch it.
44 posted on 03/25/2004 5:28:47 AM PST by TXBSAFH (KILL-9 needs no justification.)
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To: doug from upland
Methinks he is destined for an "accident"
45 posted on 03/25/2004 5:30:18 AM PST by MrB
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