Sunday, May 20, 2007

Reaction to Gaddafi's interview on BBC haveyoursay


The Libyan leader has taken part in a Have Your Say special recorded at the Oxford University Union. These are the questions I sent for an answer from him.

Colonel Gaddafi,

1) Do you still believe in the possibility of Arab political & economic unity, now your main focus is on Africa through the African Union, whose creation you were behind.

2) It seems that the Arab Maghreb Union is practically a piece of paper. Do you think the regional unity among Arab Maghreb countries can be a reality, now there are just ministerial meetings between Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria and Tunisia without any summit among the heads of states since 1994?
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Colonel Gaddafi,

Do you still believe in the political and economic integration of North African countries ( Morocco, Mauritania, Libya, Algeria and Tunisia) under the Arab Maghreb Union which was created in 1989? Or will this Union remain just an occasion to remember the date of its creation without implementing its basic objectives? Needless to say the peoples of these countries have seen little implemented on the ground because of among other things the issue of Western Sahara.
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This is what he had to say when asked by a Tunisian student, Tarik, at Oxford University:

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Muammar Gaddafi was evasive in answering Tarik's question on the state of the Arab Maghreb Union. He just have good wishes its leaders, distancing himself. One of the impediments to its becoming effective is the issue of Western Sahara. But he was behind the issue as he was the main supporter of the Polisario through arms and money. He let it down later, but the problems he caused are continuing. Unfortunately, he made no statement on how he stands now on the issue of Western Sahara.
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On the issue of Israel-Palestinian conflict this is what he said:

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Gaddadfi learnt to sound and be moderate through hard ways. He’s started to see the reality of the world as it is after past international isolation, sanctions and US military strikes. His reconciliatory attitude towards Israel is an indication of his deep changing attitudes towards the notion of Arab Nationalism. His notion of Isratine is unlikely to be a reality as there is little indication that radical Israelis and Palestinians cherish the idea of a confederate Isratine.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hello,

Can anyone tell me where to find more information about Gaddafi's speach at Oxford University - besides on his own website?

I am to write a synopsis about it using rhetorical methods (Perelman, Aristole and more). Fell free to comment with your opinion on Gaddafi's rhetorics.

Thanks a million