World to see 'surprises' in Libya soon, Gaddafi's son tells

CAIRO (Itar-Tass) - Son of the Libyan leader Muammar
Gaddafi, speaking in an exclusive interview to the Al-Jazeera television
network, has promised that "in the coming days the whole world will see
some surprises that will take place in Libya." In the interview, Seif
al-Islam looked very emotional and he touched upon the most exciting
topics concerning the events of the past few weeks in his country.
"In the west, in the south and in the central parts of the country
all is quiet," Gaddafi's son said. "But the people in some areas of the
country - I emphasize that - only in some parts of it, which are now
rioting with arms in their hands, very soon will realize that living on
like this is impossible. Because it's unbearable - the schools do not
work, the universities, the hospitals and the shops are closed, and the
people are not getting their salaries and wages."
"I want to emphasize one very important idea," said Seif al-Islam,
when asked, if it had ever occurred to him or his father that if the
regime of Gaddafi was out, then there would be no need to kill fellow
countrymen. "We are not killing our fellow citizens. We are not dropping
bombs on them. We and our loyal army have shown unprecedented tolerance
towards our own people, who are already armed with tanks and heavy
artillery. But even despite that we do not touch innocent civilians."
"Where have you seen a city square filled with people? Where have you
seen the millions of people who have turned out to demonstrate the foreign
media keep talking about?" he said. "There are none. The biggest
demonstration of all these weeks was in Benghazi - a couple of thousand
people took to the streets there. Of the one and a half million. All of
your ideas about what is happening in Libya are a huge illusion."
The son of the Libyan leader insists that the main culprits of the
events in Libya are terrorists. "They are not even trying to hide their
actions," he said. "Turn on the Internet, and you will see dozens of
videos in which these terrorists publicly execute soldiers of the Libyan
army, hiding behind the guise of peaceful demonstrators."
About the issue of so-called mercenaries who, according to numerous
media reports were fighting on the side of the Gaddafi regime and shooting
at civilians, Seif al-Islam said that they were a blatant lie.
"Show me proof, at least one mercenary," he said. "If there are
dark-skinned, this does not mean that they are African mercenaries. All
those whom different media present as mercenaries are citizens of Libya.
In the end, half of Libya's population are blacks! The former head of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also a black. The current defense minister
of Libya is a black. Or do you want to say that all of them, too, are
African mercenaries, who are also killing civilians? Libya does not use
mercenaries. Period," Seif al-Islam said.
"The armed bandits, who are sitting in the tanks, cannot lead the
people to democracy. This is where there lies the main problem," he said.
"Libya welcomes democracy, but we will not allow two or three hundred
people to take the whole country hostage."
"Foreigners and foreign media representatives, who come to Libya,
begin to lecture us on democracy, constitution, etc., without ever giving
thought to the real needs of our people," said Seif al-Islam. "And this is
because in Libya there are people who want to ruin the country. There was
no uprising in Libya. There are people who are eager to divide the country
into two parts - the East and the West. And it is these people who are
hiding behind the calls for democracy."
"Do you really think that in our country one man runs everything?" he
said. "Such things happen only in the movies. The government, the army,
the police, the intelligence, the cabinet of ministers and the army of
officials - do you really think that all of them are run by my father?
This is impossible even physically. In Libya, just as in any other
civilized country, there is a normal and functioning apparatus, which is
run by more than one person, by hundreds."
"Foreigners think we are failing to act, that we do not care about
what is happening in Libya," said Seif al-Arab. "But this is not so. Libya
for us is like one big family. Our family. And every day we exert efforts
to return the country to peace and harmony. And for all of us it is a real
battle for Libya. Not for my father, not for myself, nor for someone else,
but for our Libya, which belongs to every citizen."
"We know very well the games the West plays," said Seif al-Arab. "When
you're strong and you have the weight, the Western countries behave like
pets, who keep running about after you. But should you show them you are
weak - they turn into tigers. The U.S., NATO, the European Union countries
- we know them and their policies too well and no longer pay any attention
to all this."