Gaddafi urges violent showdown and tells Libya 'I'll die a martyr'

Source: guardian.co.uk

Muammar Gaddafi set the stage for a violent, final showdown to crush Libya's popular uprising by urging loyalists to take to the streets to fight "greasy rats" in the pay of enemies ranging from the US to al-Qaida.

In an angry, ranting and often incoherent speech, the beleaguered Libyan leader ignored evidence of repression and bloodshed, including new reports of death squads, to insist that he would die in his homeland rather than flee abroad.

"I am not going to leave this land," Gaddafi vowed in a live broadcast on state TV. "I will die as a martyr at the end … I shall remain, defiant. Muammar is leader of the revolution until the end of time."

Speaking in front of the Tripoli compound bombed by US planes in 1986, he invoked the spirit of resistance to foreign powers and warned that the US could occupy Libya like Afghanistan. He claimed protesters were on hallucinogenic drugs and wanted to turn Libya into an Islamic state. They deserved the death penalty, he said, waving his Green Book.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/22/muammar-gaddafi-urges-violent-showdown

Btw, Muammar, a martyr to what? Your own greed and lust for power?

take the right wing with you too.

Chavez, Castro, Ortega, and others. His opponents must be "counter revolutionaries".

"Chavez: What Bolivar is to us, Gadafi is to Libya" http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=479653&mesg_id=479653

"Fidel Castro says US plans NATO invasion of Libya" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/22/AR2011022203399.html

"Nicaragua prez call Gaddafi to expresses support" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/22/AR2011022203086.html

to Gaddafi.

At least early on Gaddafi was getting support from multiple peers, leaders of so called popular fronts, revolutions, and liberation movements against what were described as counter revolutionary elements in Libya.

For years he was the darling of many, being a popular hero and revolutionary, providing resources for many movements. Now all of a sudden he is a pariah. No wonder many like him are nervous, including...

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This is a dreadfull situation, with unspeakable brutality being unleashed against the courageous people of Libya.
It's no time to be taking cheap shots at Hugo Chavez or anyone else who is not involved.

Save your wrath for Gaddafi.

Giving the most prestigious honor a country holds and calling for caution on judging Gaddafi is 'like' support to me.

But I do agree they're not outright supporting him now, Chavez is mum on the issue, and that article on Chavez in particular is resurfacing an old comparison Chavez made (I doubt he'd make a similar comparison once the Libyans overthrow Gaddafi).

Shame on Castro for saying that we should 'wait' to distinguish fact from lie. I highly doubt the Libyans are slaughtering their own people and hiring mercs on their own. Gaddafi said he'd massacre his people wholesale if it came to his ousting. Castro's only saving grace is that he made that statement before Gaddafi went on air and rambled like a lunatic. I am sure by now Castro would not say that we should 'wait the necessary time to know with rigor how much is fact or lie.'

I expect both Chavez and Castro to keep their mouth shut from now on, as it's only going to get messier.

Now 15 % of Libyans are NOT attached to any tribe, but the real concern is the other 85% who are members of a tribe AND how strong such people view their Tribe.
http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=3&id=24257


http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/02/search-libyan-tribes-map/

Ethic Groups:
http://www.temehu.com/Libyan-People.htm

More on the importance of the Tribes:
http://abendjournal.com/2011/02/22/libya-in-lending-support-libyan-tribal-chiefs-legitimise-uprising/
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/libya/tribes.htm
http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=41130
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6511/is_4_44/ai_n28948866/
http://hbdchick.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/libya-land-o-tribes/

Basically, they are about 150 different tribes, but Gaddafi's Gaddafa's tribe controls the Air Force. The Magariha and the Warfalla are also two important tribes in Libya, the Magariha was represented by Qaddafi's Prime Minister till Gaddafi decided to resolve the Lockabie dispute by turning over two Magariha tribal members to the British. For this the Magariha joined with the Warfalla an attempted a coup in 1993 against Qaddafi. The coup failed and Qaddafi proceeded to remove the leader of the Magariha tribe from his Government.

"He said protesters who had apparently seized control of some cities and towns deserve to be punished in line with Libyan laws "because they took up arms against the nation".

"Surrender the weapons, free the prisoners ... and restore normal life to ports and airports," he said.

"No one in his right mind can allow the country to be torn apart and to fall into the hands of madmen."

http://www.smh.com.au/world/defiant-gaddafi-orders-revolt-crushed-20110223-1b4bo.html


It's too tragic and too sick to be funny.

I hope it will take the last drop of his blood - he's been a blot on the world for too long.