TRIPOLI – On June 22 at 21.50 gmt, Libyan state-owned Al-Jamahiriyah TV broadcast Colonel Gadaffi’s speech condemning NATO’s bombardment of Lt-Gen Al-Khuwaylidi al-Humaydi’s Surman home and the heavy loss of life incurred by his family and neighbours.
Gadaffi stated: ‘Dead or alive, Al-Humaydi is a hero.’
The Colonel expressed his grief over the ‘sad but glorious’ day while honouring the ‘martyrs’ who fell, before accusing NATO of ‘masterminding the murder attempt’ against Al-Humaydi.
‘28 crusading, Christian NATO member-states decided to kill Al-Khuwaylidi al-Humaydi and his family at dawn. We tell them that Al-Khuwaylidi is a hero. It does not matter whether he dies or lives.
‘He is a hero and one with an important role in the historic, great September 1st revolution which liberated Libya from US, British and Italian colonialism,’ Al-Gadaffi said.
‘They decided to kill Al-Khuwaylidi al-Humaydi, one of the revolution’s heroes, just like they attempted and are still attempting to kill Muammar al-Gadaffi, the leader of the revolution,’ he continued.
‘Barbarians, are those houses legitimate military targets? Even the devil finds himself ashamed from saying those lies and nonsense,’ Al-Gadaffi said, before indicating that NATO knew there were civilians inside the homes they targeted in Surman.
‘You kept on looking for him, through spying and reconnaissance missions, until you discovered the residential neighbourhood where Al-Khuwaylidi and his family live.
‘You knew those houses were inhabited by kids and families because you conducted your reconnaissance, you took photos and you made certain that Al-Khuwaylidi lives there. So you followed him to where he and his family live so you can kill him. You say this was a legitimate military target. What legitimacy is this? Are our homes legitimate military targets?. . .
‘You criminals; you said before the entire world that you were “accurately” striking your targets. This means that you had accurate information about the target.
‘You knew that there was a mother sleeping with her two children in that home. How could you say that you bombed a legitimate military target? This means you wanted to kill Al-Khuwaylidi. You are certainly aware of this as you are looking for Al-Gadaffi and Al-Khuwaylidi.
‘But even if that were the case, who allowed you to attempt to kill Al-Khuwaylidi? By which law do you want to kill him? When was it lawful to kill leaders and politicians?
‘This is a new law, the jungle’s law, the tyrants’ law, the infidels’ law. You do not have a conscience and therefore the jungle’s law is your law. . .
‘You are hitting Libya with missiles with no deterrent. Had the Soviet Union still existed, you could not have carried out those shameful acts.’
‘You have turned the world into a jungle but roles could be reversed and the laws by which you live would one day be applied upon you.
‘Your homes will become our legitimate targets. One day your children will become our legitimate targets. We will treat you as you are now treating us.
‘Just yesterday, the Jews were poorly-treated and burned in Europe. You subjected them to the Holocaust. But now, they have nuclear missiles. Even you are scared of it, of Israel.
‘Fire could again rage between Africa, Asia, Europe and America and you will be responsible for it. The Mediterranean and Europe could go up in flames. At one point in time, we might even be able to move the war to Europe. You will regret it,’ he said.
He added: ‘I want UN inspectors. We will ask the UNSC members, less the three criminal states, to send inspectors to Al-Khuwaylidi’s home and see whether it is a legal military target.’
Gadaffi then explained the duties of Lt-Gen Al-Khuwaylidi al-Humaydi, mocking NATO explanation that his home was a command and control centre.
‘Imagine the command and control components: We have financial accounting, financial military accounting, payrolls accounting, inspection and military police. Are those part of command and control?
‘Are military police, military accounting and inspection offices important strategic military targets so that they would be destroyed?
‘So that his office would be hit four times? You do not have this right. This is an office run by mostly non-militaries.
‘Permanent-UN Security Council member USA, where are you? Where are you? You who is in charge of international security? You where the UN is based in? Obama, where are you? You of African, Muslim and Arab descent, you have sold all those values for the US presidency.’
Gadaffi then taunted NATO for refraining from sending troops into Libya because of the ‘resistance’ they will meet on the ground, but are rather ‘playing’ undeterred in Libya’s skies after they destroyed the country’s air defences.
‘There will no longer be any understanding between us after you killed our sleeping sons and grandchildren.
‘We no longer want anything. We no longer want to live. We want to die. It is better for us to die than live with your jets flying overhead.
‘We all want to die as martyrs. We wish to incite you so you can strike us with atomic bombs and be done with. We are not afraid. We are not looking for life nor survival.
‘We have our backs against the wall and you know that those with their backs against the wall have nothing to lose.
‘In contrast, you have nothing behind your backs. You can back away. You can be ashamed of yourselves,’ he said.
Al Gadaffi concluded his speech by asking Muslims to rise up against the 28 ‘Christian’ states which are striking Muslim countries and blaming the sheiks in Mecca and Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the two most revered Islamic institutions, for not declaring Jihad against the ‘crusaders’.
Gadaffi promised to honour the memory of his son Sayf-al-Arab and Al-Humaydi’s granddaughter, Khalidah.
‘I have pledge to erect a commemorative monument for Khalidah, so that it remains eternal. We will erect one for Sayf-al-Arab and her. It will be the highest in North Africa. This is an honour for Al-Khuwaylidi al-Humaydi, his family, his tribe, the Free Officers, and the September 1st revolution.
‘We will remain steadfast. We are not afraid; we are not shaking in fear. We will not surrender. We will not ask for a truce or peace. We will not bargain,’ Al-Gadaffi concluded.
