Moammar Gadhafi

[SjaaKTreKHaaK]

Libyan leader calls for cease-fire negotiations with NATO

 

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Saturday urged NATO to negotiate an end to airstrikes, accusing the international coalition of killing civilians and destroying the nation's infrastructure in a bid to take over its oil production.

"Come and negotiate with us. You are the ones attacking us. You are the ones terrifying our kids and destroying our infrastructure. You American, French and British come and negotiate with us," Gadhafi said during a rambling 45-minute address on Libyan state TV.

 

It was a rare appearance for the leader, who has not been seen in public since international forces began bombing regime targets last month.

The airstrikes started after the U.N. Security Council approved a resolution authorizing any means necessary to protect civilians demanding the ouster of the ruler, who has been in power for nearly 42 years.

 

At times, Gadhafi's address appeared to be a tirade against NATO and the United Nations.

 

"What are you trying to do? Trying to take the oil?" he said. "The Libyan people will not allow you ... The oil is under control of the Libyan government and for the people."

 

He called on the United Nations to review the NATO attacks, saying his country agreed to a cease-fire.

"We are the first ones who wanted and agreed on a cease-fire.

 

But the NATO crusader airstrike did not cease," he said. "It cannot be a cease-fire from one side."

 

A NATO spokeswoman called for actions, not words shortly after Gadhafi's address.

 

"The regime has announced ceasefires several times before and continued attacking cities and civilians," NATO deputy spokeswoman Carmen Romero said in a statement.

 

"Just hours before colonel Qhadafi spoke of a truce, his forces indiscriminately shelled Misrata, killing many people, including children. His forces tried to mine the port to block the access of humanitarian aid to the beleaguered civilians of Misrata. All this has to stop, and it has to stop now."

 

A spokesman for the Libyan opposition accused Gadhafi of lying and trying to play both sides.

 

"He's playing both parts. He's buying time at the same time projecting himself as somebody who's trying to find a solution to this problem, while the reality on the ground is he is the one who's seeking to kill and carry out all kind of crimes against the Libyan people," said Jalal al Gallal.

 

"The man has no credibility anymore," he added.

 

Gadhafi took to the airwaves after his government threatened to sink any ship approaching the besieged port city of Misrata. The declaration essentially threatens NATO patrols and humanitarian aid ships that have been bringing in food and medical supplies, and ferrying out refugees and the wounded.

 

The government threat came shortly after NATO said it intercepted government forces laying mines in Misrata's harbor, which has been a lifeline for humanitarian aid.

 

It also came as Gadhafi's forces were shelling Misrata in an attempt to re-enter the city after being pushed out by rebels. Misrata, the country's third-largest city, has been hemmed in on three sides for weeks by Gadhafi's forces, leaving the sea as the only escape route.

 

At least nine people were killed and 30 more were wounded in Friday's attacks in Misrata, said a doctor, who is a member of the medical committee in the city.

 

"There is an indiscriminate shelling now in Misrata," said the doctor, who asked not to be identified because he feared retribution by Gadhafi's forces.

 

Meanwhile, Libyan state TV announced that the military had successfully suppressed operations of the port.

 

"We will not allow any ship to dock at the port without being inspected by the Libyan government," said Musa Ibrahim, a government spokesman.

 

He said any aid to Misrata must be delivered through designated land routes.

 

Opposition spokesman al Gallal said reports of a government takeover of the port were untrue and that rebels are still in control of operations there.

[PHANTASM]

It's interesting that Syria is doing the same thing to its protestors, but there is no NATO reaction other than to send Turkey to lecture them to be nice.

 

Too bad Syria doesn't have oil. Or maybe it is good, it's hard to say.

[Neon]

Just because you can't do everything doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything. And why does everybody buy the stupid argument about stealing oil. How exactly do you steal oil? He might as well say it is because we are trying to eliminate the competition for the Olympics.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Neon

[PHANTASM]

Oil is the most important commodity on earth. The US dollar is on a so-called "oil standard", since most of the world's oil is sold exclusively in US dollars. It is a special arrangement between Saudi Arabia and the US set up by Nixon in 1971.

 

When countries like Libya are put on sanctions, they drop out of the legitimate market and sell their oil on the black market (like Iraq, Sudan, etc) or they switch to another currency (euro for example). They make special deals with larger countries for political cover in exchange for cheap oil. All these situations remove oil from the legitimate market, and reduce the value of both the US dollar and the oil that remains in the legitimate market.

 

That's why political influence over oil-producing countries is vital to the financial security of the US and the countries that rely on the US for security/stability.

[Neon]

Yes but it still has nothing to do with stealing oil. Not buying oil from Libya is not the same as taking the oil without paying for it.

[*Sypher*]

Todays bombing at Tripoli has done great damage to the military base where Gadhafi's residential palace is located.

His youngest son has been killed, just like 3 of his grand children.

 

 

This might result in a hell for the Libyan rebels.

[Neon]

This might result in a hell for the Libyan rebels.

 

Doubt it, he is already doing all he can to kill them.

[*Sypher*]

Doubt it, he is already doing all he can to kill them.

 

He has nothing to loose, he is under attack every day, he has nothing to loose.

I think he stayed quite nice to arrange a peace between him and the NATO and the Rebels.

But the time will teach us...

[PHANTASM]

Yes but it still has nothing to do with stealing oil. Not buying oil from Libya is not the same as taking the oil without paying for it.

 

True. The last thing the US wants is free oil. That would be an unacceptable outcome. It would be better for the US that oil be priced exclusively in US dollars at $200 a barrel. That is the unstated goal.

 

High oil prices are desirable for both the left and right wing politicians. Leftists want people to drive less, save the planet, and fund alternative energy sources. This can be helped by putting crushing prices on the US consumers.

 

Right-wing politicians want high gas prices for a different set of reasons: it increases the profits of oil companies who support the politicians, it provides an economic justification for our religious wars in the Middle East (for many people in the US it is about religion), and it provides a foreign outlet for the trillions of dollars the US is printing to keep its economy afloat.

 

As long as oil is priced in US dollars, the rest of the world must acquire dollars through trade. High oil prices allows the US to print more money since it will be absorbed by other countries.

 

This was all set up by Richard Nixon, a criminal US President who was eventually impeached for other crimes. Now the US is stuck with a dysfunctional foreign policy that is obsessed with oil-producing countries like Libya, Venezuala, Iraq, and Iran.

 

If the world were to find an alternative fuel source that replaced oil the US economy would collapse overnight. It is critical for the US government to delay and prevent alternative fuels. This is one reason why the right-wing opposes Obama so much, though they would never concede that this is a vulnerability.

[Crasher]

What we're seeing right now is the classic Domino Effect. This revolution is going to be happening for years to come..

[*Sypher*]

What we're seeing right now is the classic Domino Effect. This revolution is going to be happening for years to come..

 

Yeah, I agree that this is a typical to a domino theory, and some countries will indeed need a long time before it finishes.

 

Some countries will end up not archiving anything, and some will.

If you think of it, it is actually madness how those people live, under control of 1 single ruler for years, under those circumstances.