By Hasan Abu Nimah
When, in March 2008, the Libyan leader, Muammar Qadhafi warned the Arab leaders that their “turn was coming”, they laughed. It was one of many habitual outbursts of an eccentric, uninhibited Arab head of state, many at the time believed.
The occasion was an Arab summit hosted by Syria, with President Bashar Assad presiding. At some point while delivering his statement, Qadhafi turned to Iraq, reprimanding the assembled Arab heads of state for acquiescing to the US-led invasion of Iraq.
“A foreign power occupies an Arab country and hangs its leader while we all stand watching and laughing,” Qadhafi roared.
“Your turn is coming soon”, he warned.
Every one present, including the Syrian chairman, broke into laughter at the supposedly outlandish quip. And there was more laughter when clearly undeterred Qadhafi went on to say: “Even you, the friends of America. No, I will say we – we, the friends of America. America might approve of our hanging one day.”
That might have sounded somewhat insane at the time, but not really anymore. Read more
The speech of Ghadaffi at the UN was probably presented in a somewhat ‘eccentric’ manner, however, the contents were nearly all very correct. (UN = the most undemocratic institution for instance).