Gaddafi, in an interview with the French daily Le Figaro, said his troops' aim was to liberate the people from "the armed gangs" that occupy Benghazi.
"If we used force, it would take just a day. But our aim is to progressively dismantle the armed groups, through various means, such as encircling cities or sending negotiators."
Asked if dialogue with the rebels was possible, he repeated his assertion that they were linked to the al Qaeda Islamic militant group.
"These are not people with whom we aim to talk, as al Qaeda does not talk with anybody."Wait a second. The US Government is contemplating air strikes against the Libyan forces that their dictator claims are associated with al Qaeda. I thought that al Qaeda was our international bogeyman behind everything nefarious (or against our "national interest) coming from the Middle East. If so, then wouldn't it stand to reason that Moammar Qaddafi is actually our friend, since we both share in common the same enemy?
In all actuality, I find Qaddafi's claims that those opposing him are directly influenced by al Qaeda to be ridiculous. I also find many of my own government's attempted linkages of those it claims to be enemies to al Qaeda -- such as Saddam Hussein as the most glaring example -- to be absurd. However, it is interesting how readily those who wish to avoid public scrutiny or questioning will roll out such a hobgoblin in order to try and distract others from the real source of their actions, which is often more about holding on to or expanding their own power and control.
While Moammar Qaddafi may not be our "friend," this article also highlights how similar he and those who wield power in our own government may actually be....
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