Thread: The Libyan Crisis

FRANCE 24 - Gaddafi's son

Latest update: 20/04/2011

Gaddafi's son ‘very optimistic’ of victory


Saif al-Islam (pictured), son of Libya's embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi, voiced confidence in his father's regime on Tuesday, saying he was "very optimistic" loyalist forces will crush a two-month uprising calling for Gaddafi to step down.

By News Wires (text)

AFP - Saif al-Islam, the son of Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi, said Tuesday he was "very optimistic" that his father's regime will prevail as the country is in the grip of a two-month uprising.

"I am very optimistic and we will win," Saif said on Allibya television.

"The situation changes every day in our favour," he said before a group of about 50 attending the television broadcast. He did not give details. Saif vowed that his father's regime would "not seek revenge" against the rebels fighting to oust him.

But he warned that "the use of weapons and force will only be met by force and those who cross the four red lines, set in 2007 (Kadhafi, Islam, state security and national unity) will have to bear the consequences".

"The aim is not revenge. We will not seek revenge for anybody and we will not kill anybody," he said.

Saif accused rebel leaders in the western cities of Misrata and Zenten of being "drug dealers, or businessmen trying to avoid to pay back loans" of tens of millions of dollars.

Kadhafi's son also said that projects worth billions of dollars were currently in limbo because of the prevailing insecurity and the departure of tens of thousands of foreign workers.

"Everything will return to normal" eventually, he said. "The projects and services will be resumed and the foreigners will return," he said. He added that "Libya will not be the same" after the unprecedented uprising against Kadhafi who has ruled the north African country for more than four decades, hinting at a constitution whose draft version was recently presented to the press in Tripoli.