Gaddafi’s daughter denies fleeing her country
By IANSFriday, February 25, 2011
Tripoli, Feb 25 (IANS/AKI) Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafis’ daughter has denied reports by Arabic media that she had fled to Malta amid serious unrest in her North African country.
Speaking on state television, Aisha Gaddafi Thursday dismissed reports she had left the country as “foreign lies”.
“I say to the Libyan people who I love and who love me, that I am steadfastly here, in front of this wreck of a house,” said the 33-year-old lawyer.
Wearing a headscarf, she appeared in front of her residence in Gaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya military compound in Tripoli, which was bombed by the US airforce in 1986.
“The Libyans who know me are well aware that I will stay here as a goodwill ambassador for Libya’s people,” she said, claiming she was unaware of the UN’ announcement Wednesday that she had been dropped as a goodwill ambassador amid violence which has reportedly killed at least a 1,000 people protesting against her father’s rule.
Her strongman father chose the Bab al-Aziziya compound as the backdrop for his defiant televised address Tuesday.
In his address, Gaddafi denied reports he fled to Venezuela and said he would remain in Libya as leader, die as a martyr in the land of his ancestors and fight to the “last drop” of his blood.
Gaddafi also pledged to deploy the army and police to quell the week-long rebellion and vowed protesters would be executed. He has ruled Libya for 41 years since he toppled King Idris in a bloodless coup in September, 1969, at the age of 27.
The Al-Jazeera Arabic satellite TV channel reported Wednesday that Aisha Gaddafi was aboard a 14-seat passenger plane which entered Maltese airspace without authorisation and was denied permission to land at Valletta’s airport.
–IANS/AKI
