Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s Statements Raise Suspicions

A circulated photo of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, attributed to the New York Times.
A circulated photo of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, attributed to the New York Times.
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Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s Statements Raise Suspicions

A circulated photo of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, attributed to the New York Times.
A circulated photo of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, attributed to the New York Times.

Statements attributed to Saif al-Islam, the second son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, have divided Libyans who questioned the authenticity of circulated photos of him.

Saif al-Islam has not been seen since his release by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade in 2017.

Supporters of the former regime celebrated the alleged appearance of Saif al-Islam, despite the objections of some to his interview with the New York Times, which it said was conducted last Ramadan and which carried criticism and insults against the Libyan people.

“I’ve been away from the Libyan people for 10 years. You need to come back slowly, slowly. Like a striptease. You need to play with their minds a little,” Saif told the newspaper.

Khaled Al-Ghail, foreign affairs advisor to the head of the Supreme Council of Libyan Tribes and Cities, and a former regime loyalist, said: “Soon to the lights...stay tuned for the next.”

For his part, Saad al-Senussi al-Barasi, a leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the photos were of Saif al-Islam.

He described skeptics as “the enemies of the nation, and those who cling to power.”

If authentic, only part of Saif al-Islam’s face appears in the photos. The man has a long gray beard. The photos do not show the severed thumb and forefinger of his right hand.

He was dressed in a gilded black cloak, a scarf neatly draped around his head, and sat on a stately chair. The newspaper also reported that he lived in a two-story villa, which appeared to be luxurious.

Gaddafi saw that the administration of former US President Barack Obama, and not his father, was to blame for the destruction that befell Libya.

In the interview, which was titled, “Son of Gaddafi is still alive and wants to restore the lost unity of Libya,” Saif al-Islam described the spring and summer of 2011 as a series of surreal crises.

Ashraf Boudwara, head of the Preparatory Committee for the National Conference, said that the man in the picture was Al-Saadi Gaddafi, “not his brother Saif al-Islam.”

He asked: “I don’t know what the purpose of this interview is at this time?”

He went on to say: “If Saif Gaddafi is alive and doing well, even if he is sick and paralyzed, let him address his father's supporters, or give a speech in audio and video, instead of having it delivered by his lawyer on his behalf.”



Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
TT

Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo

Lebanon's new government will negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a new program and will work to deal with the country's financial default and public debt, according to a policy statement approved by the cabinet late on Monday.

The statement, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, said the government would work for an economical revival that could only be achieved through restructuring the banking sector.

Lebanon has been in deep economic crisis since 2019, when its financial system collapsed under the weight of massive state debts, prompting a sovereign default in 2020 and freezing ordinary depositors out of their savings in the banking system.

Beirut reached a draft funding deal with IMF in 2022 - contingent on reforms that authorities failed to deliver.

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who took office as part of a new government agreed earlier this month, told Reuters an IMF mission is expected to visit Lebanon in March.

Jaber said he had met the IMF's resident representative in Lebanon, Frederico Lima, and confirmed that the government plans to move ahead with reforms.

Lebanon's political landscape has been turned on its head since the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, long a dominant player in Lebanese politics, was badly pummelled in last year's war with Israel.

Reflecting the shift in the power balance, the government policy statement did not include language used in previous years that was seen to legitimize a role for Hezbollah in defending Lebanon, saying instead "we want a state that has the decision of war and peace".

The statement said it was required to adopt a national security strategy and a foreign policy that works to 'neutralize' Lebanon from conflicts.

In the field of energy, the Lebanese government will seek to resume work in oil and gas exploration, according to the cabinet statement. It said the government planned to establish a Ministry of Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

With a new administration in neighboring Syria, the statement said the Lebanese government believed it has an opportunity to start a serious dialogue aimed at controlling and demarcating the borders and working to resolve the issue of displaced Syrians in Lebanon.