Posted on 03/02/2005 4:04:34 PM PST by Crackingham
Moammar Gadhafi said Wednesday he wants Libya and the United States to be friends, but the one-time international pariah slammed the United Nations Security Council for being controlled by a select group of countries.
In a wide-ranging address to the annual meeting of Libya's parliament-like General's People Congress, Gadhafi also warned Libyans not to support foreign extremists and to stand strong in the face of terrorism.
Gadhafi's comments, moderate in the main but typically inflammatory in parts, come as Libya returns to the international fold following years of being regarded as a state sponsor of terror.
"We don't say love the Americans. We are talking policies, and (on that level) there is no problem or animosity" between both countries, Gadhafi, wearing a white robe, told hundreds of often-cheering Congress members during an address televised live and monitored in Egypt.
Last year, the U.S. government lifted 23-year-old travel restrictions imposed on Libya, invited American companies to return to the oil-rich nation and encouraged Tripoli to open a diplomatic office in Washington. President Bush has also commended Libya's progress in scrapping its nuclear weapons.
Of the United States, Gadhafi said: "We are not enemies. We are not allies. We are not agents. We hope one day we will be friends."
Gadhafi, however, criticized the United Nations and the permanent five-member Security Council, repeating complaints he raised in a full-page advertisement that appeared in Wednesday's Guardian newspaper in England.
"They are suggesting to expand the Security Council. This is another attempt to fool the nations at the expense of international peace and security," Gadhafi said during his speech in Sirte, a coastal city 260 miles east of Tripoli.
"So long as you are not a great nuclear power, you will not be able to exercise your rights in the Security Council," he said. The U.N. General Assembly, he added, "can't do anything without orders from its master, the Security Council."
What the...?
First step for Gadhafi - Retire......
The Bush Effect......
You know, he's actually doing actions un-prompted. He turned over his nuke project that was completely unsuspected by the UN before the invasion of Iraq. He started reforms.
He may be crazy, but he ain't stupid. Also notice that he's pleased to see that his country is not a hostile nation to the US. He's 'seen the light', and you have to give him credit for that. One less terrorist shopping mall is good for us.
He's also about as trustworthy as a rattle snake.
Hey, don't be dissing snakes like that!
Dog- FYI
We lost a delightful young lady who was a close friend of 2 of my sons on PanAm 103------Forget Libya(I'm being polite here)
True, on the whole.
But he's voluntarily given up his 'cover'. A ton of it. Think about the implications to his actions. Suddenly he's gotten rid of his chemical, bio, and nuke weapons programs BEFORE we invaded Iraq and BEFORE anyone knew he had them.
That's a lot to give up. That's a ton of dictator-security to eliminate. (A ton of brush for him to hide under just got cleared away - to extend the rattlesnake analogy a bit.)
He's got fewer options than before. He's a dictator with his personal prestige on the line. Ever know a bully who publically gave up himself? One who publically refuted his prior actions? They're rare because it's a dong thing. And dictators are mightily aware of the dong-factor (as I put it).
He's repudiated over 30 years of business as usual.
It wouldn't surprise me to see him resign within the next 3 years as a "leader emeritus" after ensuring both a democratic government as well as immunity to prosecution.
"The Bush Effect......"
Yep, be strong, stay strong, never relent, never waiver.. others will follow.
Strike the last 8 words of the last sentence: "The UN General Assembly can't do anything." Otherwise it's weird to have Ghadafi agreeing with me. I suppose we both like water too...
the rodents in europe had no choice but to follow....
This is quite shocking. I have mixed feelings.
That's really sad. Sometimes we forget how these peoples actions have affected individual families and friends.
Too bad the once bad boy seems to understand the UN is corrupt and yet our own lefties here don't yet get it.
He didn't want to hide in a spider hole.
"It wouldn't surprise me to see him resign within the next 3 years as a "leader emeritus" after ensuring both a democratic government as well as immunity to prosecution."
I don't know if the true story will be known in the next decade, but underlying all this is that part of this is a real change in qadaffi. Who knows what caused it, i.e. his own health or increasing age would be my first guess.
Many on this thread assume he is lying etc., and you have to approach him that way, BUT they don't seem to see what you point out. His actions go above and beyond doing the minimum required (for that, see hussein the last 15 years). This guy is voluntarily throwing in the towel whole hog, and no dictator does that as a trick. This is a serious effort to get in the good graces of the West and particularly the US.
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