THE Libyan leader Muammar Al-Gadaffi has made a defiant 12-minute statement on the anniversary of the ‘1 September Revolution’ that was broadcast by Al-Ra’y TV on Thursday evening.
He said: ‘Oh, Great Libyan People! It is forty-two years after the revolution, after your victory over colonialism, liberating Libya and returning Libyan fortunes to the Libyan people, which they enjoyed for 42 years in freedom, glory, pride and dignity in the world! The Libyan citizen used to hold his head high and be well-known throughout the world thanks to the great 1 September Revolution.
‘The cottages and tents changed into buildings and villas. The shanty towns changed into buildings and modern roads. The roads, bridges, projects, farms, schools, universities, hospitals, factories, ports, airports and the modern infrastructure, which has now been destroyed by a handful of traitors ordered by colonialists to do this so that colonialism enters Libya to take it backwards. Colonialists are trying to re-colonise Libya after 42 years, and on this occasion in a clear-cut and blunt manner, so that they can take possession of the oil and take it away from the hands of the Libyan people and transfer its ownership by force to their own peoples, so that their peoples can enjoy the Libyan people’s fortunes and annihilate the Libyan people’s power over their land by force.
‘They are working to own the Libyan sources of water by force, as the NATO chief has just said. He said in front of us – we now have to secure the sources of water. What does this mean? This means the colonisation of Libya. This means the occupation of the Great Man-Made River and the oil. The water sources mean that colonialism, NATO, will lay its hands on Libya from the east to the west, and from the north to the south, because the Great Man-Made River extends from the south to the north, from the east to the west, and from the west to the east.
‘If NATO lays its hands on the sources of water, this means that it is occupying Libya, occupying its water and oilfields, and it wants to tear Libya apart by force and impose a civil war by force, which we do not need and we are not intent on.
‘We absolutely have no desire to fight each other. . .
‘Colonialism now wants to mobilise the Libyans to fight each other by force and rip Libya apart, and we do not need any ripping. It also wants to insult the Libyans by force. We reject the insult, but it wants to impose it on us by force and wants to bring Libya back to what it had been before the great 1 September Revolution.
‘It wants to bring it back by force, to seize the Libya people’s funds, in order to starve and subjugate them. It generally wants to possess the water, food, medicines, oil, electricity, transport and telecommunications. It wants all these to be in its hands. If these capabilities fall in the hands of the colonialists and its agents, then the purpose is to subjugate the Libyan people so that the Libyan people either live under repression or die.
‘Therefore, we prefer death to this choice which consists of having our capabilities in the hands of the agents and colonialism. They want Libya to be completely colonised and completely subjugated, insulted, and on its knees, bowing to them. That is what they want with these strikes which are supporting the traitors and agents and mercenary soldiers. Don’t be happy if the strikes stop in any area. It means that such an area has been subjected to colonialism.
‘If the strikes stop, it means that colonialism has won and the area has become colonised. They will continue striking until the area is subjugated. If it is subjugated, they will colonise it. Don’t be happy if they provide you with electricity and communication. This is bait, like a fish which is offered a bait until it gets caught. And then what? What would happen then if you are subjugated? But Libya will not be subjugated, it will not be colonised. They will not succeed in subjugating us because we will fight wherever they are. Let us burn the land under their feet.
‘You will not find sleep in our land.
‘Let the Libyan land become hot sand with its stones turning into embers, surrounded by devils doomed to Hell. You will not be stable on our land. You will not rest. Never! You will not find sleep in our land. Never! We have decided to die, therefore, we will win. It is impossible for Libya to be subjugated. It is impossible to colonise it today.
‘If the strikes on Tripoli stop, it means that Tripoli is not a capital any more. They have now turned their strikes on Sirte. They have killed 1,000 worshippers on Eid. Because they think that the news of this massacre will not reach the world because they have cut communication and telecommunications. The strike is now on Sirte because NATO has admitted that Sirte is the capital of Libya, the capital of resistance. The People’s Congresses have decided so when they held a secret meeting at the General People’s Congress and at the annual general meetings of the Libyan people’s activists. They have decided to set up Libya’s huge national administrative complex in Sirte. It means that Sirte is now the capital.
‘The resistance is increasing in Tripoli to free it inch by inch. The green flags are flying everywhere, from Algeria’s borders, to Niger and Chad, to the shores of the Mediterranean.
‘You will not be able to take the oil for your peoples. We will not allow doing so. We are the masters and lions of our Sahara. We will not let you to take our fields and ports. Libyan men and women! Be ready for the fight against colonialism as your grand-fathers and fathers did. Be ready for a long war, imposed on us. Colonialism will not be able to stage it for the long run. Colonialism will be defeated. Colonialism is losing ground day after day and your resistance must increase day by day. Be ready for a guerrilla war, urban warfare, a guerrilla war, the bees’ war, which sting and run and sting and run.
‘Be ready to spread people’s resistance all over Libya. The aim now is not occupying a place or liberating a place. But the aim for us now is to kill the enemy, whether they are Libyans or foreigners.
‘The aim is to eliminate the enemy wherever it is. It is not about taking of the land. We will get back the land soon. Fight the enemy day and night. Attack their element. Attack their checkpoints, their rallying points and communications. Tighten the noose on them from all places. March from inside and outside towards the liberation of Tripoli. The number of enemies is limited. Their support is limited. The overwhelming majority is with you. The crushed minority is with the enemy.
‘Let colonialism know that the issue is not about subjugating cities through strikes. They carried out 68 air strikes in one night on Bab al-Aziziyah in Tripoli until Bab al-Aziziyah was turned into ashes and 2,500 enemy soldiers were killed on the walls of Bab al-Aziziyah, as admitted by the enemy itself.
‘This doesn’t mean anything. We are the Libyan people. Turning Bab al-Aziziyah into ashes because of your bombs and missiles, shame on you! This doesn’t bother us, doesn’t terrorise us. The proof is that the resistance has spread to all over the country. You will not be able to occupy Libya or subjugate it beyond the sea. You also believe that your agents will lead Libya and you will give them orders from beyond the sea, as Bashir the Turk was receiving the orders from Istanbul. No! We are armed tribes. All the tribes are now armed. Members of our tribes in the eastern area have been prevented from being armed. We will arm them and they will join the fight with us. . .
‘Stop your aircraft. Let the Libyans reach an understanding between them…
‘Don’t bank on your aircraft and your agents to lead this or that area…
‘We are ready for a long war. Long, long war. Until we defeat them…
‘We will not bow. Forward you the armed people.’
