Rome: Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi`s son
Seif al-Islam told Italian newspapers published on Saturday the Army
had regained control over "90 per cent of the country" and
would totally defeat rebels.
"Now 90 per cent of the country is under our control
and soon it will be all over," said Seif al-Islam, adding that
compromise between the regime and the rebels was out of the
question.
In interviews with Italian newspapers Corriere della
Sera and Repubblica, Gaddafi`s second son swore there would
be "a war to the end" with the rebels, describing the
insurgents as "a snake that strikes without warning."
"These terrorists are not speaking about democracy,
elections or values. They are simple terrorists," he said.
Poised and fluent in English, Seif al-Islam was until
recently his father`s best public relations asset, presenting
himself as a progressive defender of human rights.
But in recent weeks Gaddafi`s high profile son has
publicly defended the Libyan regime`s heavy-handed crackdown
on protesters and rebels, even warning that "rivers of blood"
would flow if the country slipped into civil war.
In the interviews published Saturday, Kadhafi`s son
recognised his father`s regime had made some mistakes, saying
Libya was a "bit late in building a modern army, a modern
police, a new economy and a freer society."
When asked about France`s recognition of the rebels in
eastern Benghazi as the true representatives of the Libyan
people, he dismissed French President Nicolas Sarkozy as
"bizarre."
"He is talking about people who proclaimed themselves
the `Council for Libya.` But who are they? Did you see
elections take place? A referendum?"
Seif al-Islam also blasted Italy, Libya`s key
commercial partner and its former colonial ruler, accusing it
of "treason" and threatening "economic retaliation."
"We are shocked and even irritated by your position,"
he said, addressing Italy. "When you betray a partner how do
you think he will react?"
Seif al-Islam said Italy would be the "first victim"
if rebels took control over Libya "as terrorists and illegal
immigrants would set sail from Tripoli to Lampedusa and
Sicily."
"The message to Italy is very simple: the Libyan
people are united and soon we will win against the terrorists.
Then we will settle accounts with the rest of the world."
"It will be very easy to replace Italy with China or
Russia," he said.
PTI
