Cairo- Ahmed Mohmamed Gaddaf al-Dam, cousin of the late totalitarian leader of Libya Muammar Gaddafi, says that reinstating the old regime –the one which rose to power after the 1969 Gaddafi-led coup- is unrealistic and that both he and his supporting group understand that fully, affirming that they only seek the restoration of Libya for the better interest of its people.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Gaddaf al-Dam mentioned a new movement rising in Libya, one which includes both Gaddafi and 17 February Revolution supporters. The movement includes military battalions, to supposedly save Libya the ‘right’ way, referring to a national reform.
However, he did say that the movement will resort to other methods should political negotiations fail to salvage the situation.
The 17 February Revolution, an armed conflict in 2011, was fought between forces loyal to Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. Libya went into civil war and Gaddafi was killed on October 20, 2011, in the Libyan city, Sirte.
To top all that, many Libya leaderships have been frequently paying al-Dam visits at his Cairo residence.
What is more is that the faces seen walking in and out do not necessarily support same political set of ideals—Libyan political figures have started meeting outside the sponsorship of the United Nations.
In his talk, al-Dam warns of looming chaos especially with ISIS still getting supplied with arms and fighters while the international community stands idle. Eventually, he added that Western countries are driven towards opening up a battle front in Libya’s largest city, Tripoli. The front will launch after battles in the southern coastal city of Sirte are done.
All this aims at spreading the chaos, in preparation for Libya’s occupation, al-Dam explained.
When addressing the rumored joint military council between both Libyan bloc’s- led by Fayez al-Sarraj and Khalifa Haftar- al-Dam believes that it would serve as a temporary calming factor, given that chief parties are still kept out.
Al-Dam reiterated deep concerns of the international community overlooking ISIS’ flow into Libya and the arming campaign it has being supported with. Accusing the West of desires to march into Libya, the Libyan leader described the chaos back home.
He also added that any political negotiations casting ‘al-Fateh Revolution’-otherwise known by 1 September Revolution – out is not fair given that it fails to include at least half of the Libyan people’s representatives.
Muammar Gaddafi became the de facto leader of Libya on 1 September 1969 after leading a group of Libyan military officers in a coup d’état against the regime. Winning over the public and driving the King out of the country, the Libyan Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) headed by Gaddafi abolished the monarchy and the old constitution and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic, with the motto “freedom, socialism, and unity”.
But Gaddaf al-Dam broke with Gadhafi in the first few days of a later 2001 rebellion, disagreeing with the government’s harsh repression of the uprising and fled to Cairo. Al-Dam wanted protesters to be dealt with a different way than the one Gaddafi was using.
He said the popular protest movement did not at first amount to a revolution but that NATO’s intervention, which was ill-advised, transformed it into one.
Since Gadhafi’s fall, Libya has splintered. In December, United Nations diplomats and Western leaders announced the creation of a Government of National Accord, but the House of Representatives still hasn’t recognized it.
Al-Dam explained that the West wishes to whitewash the damage it caused Libya’s infrastructure and society, hence resorts to endorsing and promoting political talks and agreements, such as the Skhirat, Morocco deliberations.
Moreover, he reiterated the West’s plans to exploit Libya’s strategic location and ample resources, including uranium and oil.
The cousin to a notorious and highly controversial leader said that the Libya war has its aftermath extending worldwide, whether it be terrorists being imported from their newly found hub to the whole world, or turmoil creeping up borderlines with neighboring countries.
He cited that some of the arms used by extremist attacks in Europe can be traced back to Libya.
After calling the intervention in Libya unconstitutional, al-Dam requested that Libya’s case file be taken out of the United Nations and handed back to the League of Arab States and the African Union.
On 19 March 2011, a multi-state NATO-led coalition began a military intervention in Libya, ostensibly to implement United Nations Security Council resolutions. The resolution was taken in response to events during the Libyan Civil War.