(2 of 3)
On U.S. arms sales to Egypt. While making propaganda about peace, the U.S. is increasing the danger of war. [Gaddafi argued that the new Egyptian arms are likely to be used not against Israel but against Libya. In July 1977, Egypt launched sharp raids against Libya in a border dispute.] If the Americans seek to change the balance [of power in the region] in a way that is threatening to Libya, we will be forced to seek Soviet assistance to counter that threat. When reactionary regimes threaten us, we will resist.
On Soviet and Cuban involvement in Africa. If there are countries that use Russian and Cuban military aid, then they are forced to do so in order to counter American aggression. We don't see that as Soviet military interference.
On his view of a just Middle East peace. Peace will not be realized unless the Palestinian people have been returned to Palestine and Arab unity has been reestablished. That means that all foreigners must leave Palestine and return to their countries of origin. Only Palestinian Jews should stay in Palestine, as citizens of a secular state where they would live with Palestinian Arabs and Palestinian Christians. Israel is a colonialist-imperialist phenomenon. There is no such thing as an Israeli people. Before 1948, world geography knew of no state such as Israel. Israel is the result of an invasion, of aggression.
On his own reputation as a backer of terrorist organizations. That is malicious propaganda used against us, and there is no proof of those charges.
On Libyan backing for the Irish Republican Army. We regard Northern Ireland as under British colonization. The Irish struggle for independence is a just struggle. We don't consider the Irish fight for freedom to be terrorism.
On the Libyan revolution. Our revolution is based on an international ideology, not on a national movement. We have established what we call a "jamahiriya, "which can be defined [Gaddafi shifted from Arabic into English] as "a state run by the people without a government." We believe if governments disappeared and the peoples of the world governed themselves, peace would prevail. The main elements of our new socialism are the vanishing of wages and rents. Employers would disappear; those who are paid wages should become partners in work.
Gaddafi's curious blend of utopianism, anarchism and militant Islamic fundamentalism is reflected in his own rather vague political status. He is clearly the maximum leader. His picture is everywhere. Often he is pictured with Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, his hero, who died in 1970. The "traitor" Sadat is frequently shown in the Libyan press with Moshe Dayan's face in the background—a photo taken during Sadat's speech to the Knesset in 1977. Yet Gaddafi has no official title or post in the Libyan state or government, and he has never allowed himself to be promoted above colonel. He prefers to be addressed as "Brother Muammar " by fellow Arabs.