AT 1636 gmt on 15 July, Libyan state TV Al-Jamahiriyah broadcast a ‘live’ audio address by Libyan leader Muammar al-Gadaffi directed at a ‘one-million’ rally in Zlitan.
Al-Gadaffi began his 27-minute audio message by addressing the people in the square saying: ‘Dear rebellious people, dear challenging people, may glory, supremacy and immortality be with you, those alive and those who have been martyred. The souls of the martyrs of our beloved sons and grandsons flutter above you and salute and bless you.’
The Libyan leader then pointed out that Libyan people are facing ‘foreign invasion’; encouraging them to face the ‘agents of occupation’ saying: ‘Their resolutions, meetings, recognitions and statements are all beneath your feet; trample upon them! This is the reply to all confessions of betrayals and resolutions they have made against the Libyan people.’
He directly addressed America, Europe, NATO, France and Italy saying: ‘Listen to the voices of the free people of Libya, they are challenging NATO and are not appealing for its help. They are challenging it and shall destroy it. . . Look and die of envy oh aggressors, look at the people as they trample on all the resolutions you have made against the Libyan people. . . you do not want peace and security amongst nations. . . you want the destruction of your people, the destruction of Europe, the destruction of the Mediterranean; you are the enemies of peace, the enemies of humanity’.
He later came back to this point, saying: ‘Look at this rally! You in America, you in Europe, you in Russia. . . look at this global referendum, no money, bribery or forgery is involved in this. Millions have appeared here, these are the Libyan people. More that 5 million Libyan people are carrying pictures of Al-Gadaffi, and are carrying banners proving challenge and willingness to fight and be martyred. Trample on their resolutions with your feet!’
Addressing French President, Nicolas Sarkozy Al-Gadaffi said: ‘Sarkozy you idiot, you madman, you worthless person; you have ruined the interests of France. You have abused the friendly relations our countries held. We respect the French people, we respect the French nation; you abused the French people. We want peace with the Italian people, the French people, the British people, the American people, the people of Europe; but you the advocates of war, the enemies of humanity, the war criminals you don’t want the benefit of your countries, you do not want benevolence for your people, you wish evil for them.
‘And evil has come your way, take it, we shall come forward with the evil that you want. . . you are facing millions who would like to be martyred, millions who would like to die. . . You committed a historical error; get out of this plight before it is too late. . . you who were my friends in Europe, I advise you to get out of this plight before it is too late, we are offering you one way out, take it and go back to your countries. Withdraw from our airspace and our waters and leave the traitors to face their fate.’
Al-Gadaffi then moved on to pledge ‘sacrifice’ for the sake of past and future Libya; he said: ‘When they speak of the Libyan people and Libyan internal issues, this is an insult to the Libyan men and women.
‘They insult you when they speak of your political and administrative life; are you an occupied country to be granted independence for them to talk of its system? We are an independent country; we gained our independence by blood.
‘We shall not betray the souls of our martyrs; we shall not betray the sacrifices of our forefathers, we shall not betray the future of our children and grandchildren. Never!
‘We shall perform our duty as I told you a number of times, we shall perform the necessary sacrifice to its full extent; we shall sacrifice till the end, till the end. We do not fear death, we do not seek victory, we do not care for life; we care to practice our duty and not betray our great past, and not fail our future!’
Al-Gadaffi then stressed that Libyan people are prepared to go into combat, even the Libyan women ‘are jostling to receive arms training. There are now battalions of women throughout the Jamahiriyah ready for combat. The women are now racing to enter the battle’.
Referring to the huge rally in Zlitan, Al-Gadaffi ridiculed the idea of elections and referendums by referring to the huge rally and asking ‘is there a referendum after this referendum? Are there elections after these elections? We challenge you. Get any leader in the world and see if he could obtain one thousand of this support, of this referendum.
‘This is the referendum. Do you not want to understand you ignorant people? Do you tyrants not want to understand? Can your eyes not see, your ears not hear, and your brains not understand?
You, the enemies of peoples, the enemies of humanity, you are destined to destruction. All the enemies of humanity have fallen.
‘All the peoples’ enemies have fallen under the peoples’ feet. The masses carry Al-Gadaffi on their shoulders, but the masses tread on you with their feet.’
Turning his attention to the NATO-backed Benghazi council he stressed that ‘the traitors should surrender’, and asks NATO to take them away with it. He stressed that these traitors should ‘surrender quickly, run away quickly. You traitors run away quickly before the inevitable day arrives when the masses will tread on you with their feet. I advise you to escape quickly’.
As to the issue of ‘recognition’, Al-Gadaffi said ‘whoever wants to recognise, must recognise the Libyan people. Whoever is listening, must listen to the voice of the Libyan people. Muammar al-Gadaffi himself, who led the revolution, and achieved historical gains, pride and glory for the Libyan people, does not represent the Libyan people and cannot do anything on behalf of the Libyan people.
‘I myself do not represent the Libya people, not to mention the traitors you brought by parachute to represent the Libyan people’.
Al-Gadaffi then addressed the West saying: ‘You can recognise the traitors in any way you like. You recognise them one million times. To hell with this, all your recognitions are under the feet of the masses now in Zlitan’. The Libyan leader assures the West that ‘your recognitions are worth nothing.’
Al-Gadaffi advised Western countries to ‘surrender and raise the white flag in front of the Libyan people. Say that you are wrong and ask for forgiveness. We shall forgive you so long as you raise the white flag, ask for forgiveness, admit your mistake and say that we shall never achieve interests for our countries before reaching an understanding with you, establishing a friendship with you, respecting you and dealing with you on equal terms.
‘We want peace with the French, Italian, British and American peoples and the peoples of Europe. We want peace with the EU. We want trade, tourism, joint investments, cooperation, friendship and security. You are the enemies of your peoples and you do not want this.’
He also advised Libya’s opponents to ‘keep quiet and respect the Libyan people, the Libyan people’s will’.
Muammar al-Gadaffi concluded his address by shouting out ‘forward, forward, forward, forward, forward, forward, Allahu akbar (God is Great), Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, glory to the people, glory to the Libyan people, glory to the Libyan people, pride to the Libyan people, live in pride, live in glory, live with your heads raised high. This is life. It is glory. Forward.’
