Tripoli, July 05: The son of Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi says Western powers attacking Libya have made themselves “legitimate targets” for retaliation.
“We have to fight for our country and you are going to be legitimate targets for us.” Saif al-Islam told the French TV channel TF1.
On Friday, Gaddafi threatened to attack Europe if NATO refused to stop airstrikes on the country.
Seif al-Islam said Libyan authorities are prepared to make concessions to end the conflict there but will fight on for their homeland.
“We will never surrender. We will fight. It’s our country.”
He emphasized that Western powers will lose their military campaign against Libya.
“You are not going to win. You have no chance, zero chance, to win the war here.”
He noted that France and other Western countries launched war against Libya because they had lost their interest in the oil-producing country.
“If you are angry with us because we are not buying the Rafale airplanes, you should talk with us,” he said
Sources say that Paris had been trying to sell Rafale jet fighter aircrafts to Tripoli before the uprising against Gaddafi.
“If you are angry with us because oil deals are not going well, you should talk to us. Rebels will not give you anything because they are not going to win.”
Seif al-Islam also rejected calls for his father to quit Libya.
“To tell my father to leave the country, it’s a joke.”
The Libyan regime has also called for volunteers to take up arms to fight the revolutionarily forces who are battling to oust Gaddafi from power after four decades in power.
A popular uprising to oust Gaddafi began in mid-February. The protests then turned into an armed conflict after the government’s deadly crackdown on demonstrators.
Revolutionary forces want an end to Gaddafi’s decades-long rule.
NATO has recently intensified its attacks on Libya in an alleged attempt to increase pressure on long-time ruler Gaddafi.
The US-led military alliance also admits that its forces have killed dozens of civilians and wounded several others in the ongoing aerial attacks on key Libyan cities.
Experts say the main motive behind the Western attack on Libya is the vast oil reserves of the country.
——Agencies