RIYADH, 3 March 2003 — Local newspapers yesterday accused Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi of serving the enemies of Arabs, following his attack against Saudi Arabia at an Arab summit in Egypt.
“(Qaddafi’s) mission at the summit has revealed his real intentions and his secret role of serving the enemies of the (Arab) nation,” Al-Riyadh daily charged in a front-page editorial.
The previous track record of Qaddafi indicates “that this personality needs to be treated by psychiatrists,” the newspaper added.
The paper said that Qaddafi was brought to power in Libya in 1969 “by an American tank” and has exploited the Libyan people under various slogans.
Television viewers across the Arab world were able to see Crown Prince Abdullah rebut Qaddafi’s criticism of Saudi Arabia at the summit.
“Who exactly brought you to power?” Crown Prince Abdullah asked the Libyan leader, alluding to suggestions that his 1969 overthrow of the British-backed monarchy had US support. “You are a liar and your grave awaits you,” the crown prince said.
Al-Watan newspaper described Qaddafi as a “comedian hero”, a “peacock who rides on lies, deception and forgery” of history, and said the “biggest catastrophe” was for the Libyan people.
Other local newspapers poured scorn on an Emirati proposal for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to step down.
“Iraqis alone — and no one else — have the right to change the regime in Baghdad,” wrote Al-Bilad newspaper, commenting on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) proposal dismissed at the summit in Sharm El-Sheikh.
“Arab countries must safeguard and support this logic, so it does not become a pretext for the United States to hit the whole region,” the daily said.
Al-Yaum newspaper said changing regimes could not be enforced by foreign powers.
“Interference in the internal affairs of any people completely contravenes the principles of international law... The Iraqi people alone can decide whether to change their leadership or not,” the newspaper said.
