Reaction to Gaddafi's speech
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appeared on state television on Tuesday to denounce a popular uprising against his 41-year rule.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appeared on state television on Tuesday to denounce a popular uprising against his 41-year rule.
Following are edited highlights of reaction to his comments.
Maajid Nawaz, director, British think tank Quilliam
Gaddafi's speech perfectly illustrates why this man is unfit to run a country. Gaddafi and his family are willing to destroy the entire Libyan nation in order to cling onto power. A man who threatens his own country with civil war forfeits the right to rule. It is time for him to go. The international community should stand up for Libya's democrats and work with them to bring the era of Gaddafi to an end.
The West should not fall for Gaddafi's predictions that al-Qaeda will take over Libya if his regime falls. The West should recognise such bluster for what it is. While Islamist terrorism emanating from the Middle East is a real danger to us all, the threat from al-Qaeda cannot be used to justify propping up tyrants and despots across the Middle East. Rather than preventing terrorism, the propping up of dictators like Gaddafi has helped to create modern Islamist terrorism.
