Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi offered on Tuesday to mediate between U.S. President George W. Bush and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to try to halt the slide towards a new Gulf war.
"I wish I could have the opportunity to talk to these two persons, to address them, President Bush and Saddam Hussein," he said, speaking to CNN television while in Addis Ababa for the summit of the African Union.
Gaddafi said there was no "rationale" for a U.S.-led war on Iraq. Asked if he was offering himself as a mediator between the two he replied: "Why not? After all it is necessary. I would like to save international peace."
"I would like to get rid of mass destruction weapons not only in Iraq but in the whole region of the Middle East and then from the world all over."
"We can solve problems peacefully," the Libyan leader said, adding that Saddam should allow the U.N. arms inspectors to get on with their work inside Iraq without hindrance.
On Monday, he warned that terrorists would retaliate and be victorious if the United States attacked Iraq and that Saddam Hussein would rather die than leave his country for exile.
"Terrorism will be victorious if you follow this road, the road of war," Gaddafi stated.
"Don't believe the lie that says that Saddam Hussein would leave Iraq. He would stay or he would die in Iraq," he added, when asked if Libya would be prepared to welcome the Iraqi Leader should he decide to go into exile. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
