RIYADH, Feb 25(Arab News): Saudis have expressed anger in reaction to Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi's allegation that Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, a Saudi, and his followers are to blame for the protests wracking his country.
Gaddafi was quoted on Thursday by the media, including the BBC, as saying that Bin Laden had been manipulating Libyans who have risen up against him to take control of large parts of the oil-rich country.
"Gaddafi does not know what he's talking about. He's blaming Bin Laden when he should look at himself instead and ask why widespread Libyan protests are tearing the country apart," Dr. Ali Al Enagy, a professor at the King Saud University (KSU), told Arab News on Thursday night. He claimed that Qaddafi had not done anything good for his people.
"Libya is a rich country, one of the oil producers in the region, and yet its people had not benefited because Qaddafi had not done anything for them. That is because he's not a good leader. He does not have the qualifications of a good leader," he added.
"Look at Gaddafi's record. He does not have culture and believes that he's above the Libyan people. He's a mad man and out of touch with reality.
"Gaddafi acts as if he's the Libyan founder when in fact he's not. He feels superior to his people, who deserve a much better leader than him."
Dr. Hezab Sadoun, a professor of mass communications at a local university, said that Gaddafi was way off the mark with his claims.
"There's no foreigner or foreign force involved in the turmoil that has engulfed Libya. What stokes the anger of the Libyan people who have risen in arms against him is top-level corruption," he said.
He added that Gaddafi should look at himself instead of blaming Osama bin Laden. "He has not done anything for the Libyan people. The country does not have enough hospitals. When Libyans get sick, they go to adjoining countries like Jordan for treatment," he said.
He added that Libya does not also have enough schools despite the fact that it is a rich country. "This is because Qaddafi's leadership had been reeking of graft and corruption. That's the reason why the Libyan people want him out of power," said Sadoun, educated at Iowa University.
Sihaam, a Saudi working in a local establishment, expressed surprise that the Libyan leader was blaming Bin Laden for the protests that have engulfed Libya.
"I think Qaddafi is not being objective. If the Libyan people want him out, that means that they don't like him anymore. We have read in the newspapers how he had mismanaged his country's affairs. While he and his family were wallowing in luxury, the Libyan people were not benefiting from the wealth of the country," he said.
He added that while Qaddafi has announced that he'll die a martyr, it's only a matter of time before the will of the Libyan people prevails.
"If and when that happens, I can see in the mind's eye their euphoria and jubilation that we saw when the Egyptians drove their former president out of office by staging mass protests," he said.
Naser Al-Shehri, deputy chief-editor of Saudi newspaper Al-Bilad, said: “Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi accused Al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden of interfering in the internal policies of his country and trying to overthrow the leadership.”
He added that his tone had changed that he had played his last hand after using tribal differences, civil war, immigration issues and interference from neighbor countries’ as excuses.
“The man had ruled for 42 years and he is stunned and shocked when people after all this time decided to force him to leave. He feels it’s his own country, and all the achievements, if there are any, are his doings, therefore no one should speculate how he will leave,” he said.
“International pressure is cornering him now, which means the end is near. External interference in the events in Libya was delayed because the country has a strong partnership with Europe and USA, on economic levels. It’s a country that is rich with oil, therefore, international powers might have waited to see what direction the scales would tip before they announced their involvement.”
Al-Shehri claimed that Gaddafi always played a role of supported the US in the fight against terrorism, even though he himself supported terrorism, and he had struck a deal to give away weapons of mass destruction weapons in return for reassurance of maintaining his leadership.
Dr. Faiz Al-Shehri, professor of security science at Prince Naif College and a member of the Ministry of Interior national committee for combating narcotics, said Gaddafi’s strategy was to divide his enemies who were united against him, whether they were educated, politicians, tribe members or members of the elite class.
“He has lost his credibility, and using Al-Qaeda as a last resort to spread fear in the area and create an illusion of threat,” he said.
“The people are seeking their rights and it is his own policy of ‘letting the people rule’ that turned against him. The people are ruling. The end is very near for Gaddafi. I believe he has one of three scenarios, to flee the country, which is not acceptable for someone with his self indulgence and ego, commit suicide or be killed at the hands of tribes who already hold grudges against him.”
“It is obvious that Gaddafi lost control over the situation in Libya, he is even in his last speech using Al-Qaeda to spread fear in the whole area,” said Turki Al-Sudairi, chief editor of Arriyadh newspaper.
“He is both a psychopath and a dangerous man, and no one can predict how things will turn out at the end, which is coming closer.”