TRIPOLI – Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi on Thursday evening appealed to people in Tripoli to capture and kill the ‘rats, street by street, house by house’, in a short audio address aired on pro-Gadaffi Al-Urubah TV.
He said: ‘The fight against the enemies, the rats. We will defeat them, God willing, with the fight of the armed people. We will defeat them with the determination of freedom, sovereignty, dignity and glory. Never fear them. Fear God. You are closer to God than them.
‘They are unbelievers, renegades, Crusaders and unbelievers. They will have no mercy for you at all. Therefore, don’t have mercy for them.
‘O Tripoli youths, get fighting, street by street, alleyway by alleyway, house by house. Fight them. They will be crushed with rifles. They will be crushed with pistols, with the fighting of men and women.
‘Women can fight from inside their homes. Men can fight in the field, on the streets and in the squares. Fight.
‘O you, our tribes in Al-Jufrah, march, march towards Tripoli, like when you marched towards Tripoli when the Italians attacked it in 1911. The same march is repeated now. Confront them. Confront them and cleanse the great Tripoli from these rats and the agents of colonialism.
‘Our tribes in Al-Warshafannah, in the four areas, march towards Tripoli. Continue with your march towards Tripoli like your ancestors did towards the battles of Al-Hani and Abu-Miliyanah. Now, the battle is indeed taking place in Al-Hani and Abu-Miliyanah and Al-Shutt.
‘The same battles are carried out once again. Bring back the habits of your ancestors. Bring back the habits of your ancestors. Bring back the habits of your ancestors to the men and women this time around. They must march towards Tripoli to cleanse it.
‘As for the youths in Tripoli, in all districts of Tripoli, they must fight and fight and never surrender. The enemy will be defeated. NATO will be defeated God willing.
‘The tribes outside Tripoli must march towards Tripoli and continue their march now towards Tripoli. Each tribe must get the situation under control in its area and prevent the enemy from setting foot on this pure land.
‘O you Shaykhs of mosques, imams of mosques, preachers, clerics, agitate the masses to take up jihad, agitate the youths to take up jihad, go out and lead them. Take to the streets and fight. This is the hour of martyrdom or victory. Lead on everywhere.
‘The enemy will be defeated everywhere. The enemy is weak. The enemy is weak and relying on NATO. NATO is also weak; NATO is retreating. NATO cannot persevere. NATO cannot persevere in the air; and to hell with it if it does stay in the air.
‘Advance in all areas. The enemy will be defeated in all areas. The enemy is weak. The enemy is weak and is relying on NATO. NATO is also weak. NATO is reconsidering the situation. NATO is not able to continue for ever. It is not able to continue for ever in the air. And the hell with it if it stays in the air.
‘These (rebels) will harm your honour. These will harm your honour and will attack your dignity in your houses. These are their manner. They have no manners.
‘They are monsters. Don’t let them be the advanced post of colonialism. Don’t leave Tripoli to these rats. Don’t ever leave them. Fight them. Kill them. Kill them quickly. You are the overwhelming majority.
‘You have staged the million-strong marches. Now stage the same million-strong fighting marches. Take to the streets and cities. Don’t be afraid of the bombardments. Don’t fear the bombardments. The bombardments will not reach you. They will hit themselves. Don’t you ever fear the bombardments.
‘These are grenades. You fear them. Don’t fear them. Don’t fear them. Don’t surrender Tripoli.
‘Let tribes march from everywhere to liberate Tripoli. Take hold of mosques, take hold of high-rising buildings, take hold of houses’ rooftops, take hold of shops lining both sides of the streets and fight from there.
‘There will be no safe haven for the enemies. There will not be a safe place for the enemies. Fight them and kill them. They are small groups. But you are the overwhelming majority.
‘You are the boisterous masses. Libya is for the Libyan people and not for the agents. Libya is for the Libyan people and not for colonialism.
‘Libya is for you and not for France, not for Sarkozy, not for Italy. It will not be the fourth coast for Rome as they want it to be once more. Fight them. Libya is for you, Tripoli is for the people of Tripoli. It is not for the agents who are relying on NATO.
‘These are agents. They are not from Tripoli. They are not the sons of Tripoli. They are foreigners. They are traitors. Tripoli is for you, men and women. Get out and liberate Tripoli. Destroy them wherever you find them. Fight them. Punish them. Let the masses march from everywhere towards Tripoli. Forward, forward, forward!