Background:
Opposition leader Mahmūd Jibrīl al-Warfalī discusses his viewpoints on the Libyan regime under Muʿammar al-Qadhāfī. The Lockerbie bombing in 1988 is brought up for discussion. Just days before the sabotage of the aircraft, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) had warned security forces in European countries regarding a potential terrorist attack on the Pan Am Flight 103 in order to undermine the then on-going dialogue between the United States and the PLO. Jibrīl accuses former president al-Qadhāfī of somehow being behind this attack.
Furthermore, Palestinian diplomat and representative at the Arab League, Saʿīd Kamāl, shares his take on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in particular the displaced Palestinians situated in Libya and what can be done according to him to solve the on-going issue.
Side A:
Jibrīl advocates that al-Qadhāfī was behind the Lockerbie bombing. Jibrīl argues that according to al-Qadhāfī, the Lockerbie bombing was a result of the Cold War between the USSR and the U.S. Although the USSR does not exist anymore, the issues between the superpowers pursues. Jibrīl believes al-Qadhāfī thinks he can get away with such crimes like the Lockerbie bombing, and criticises also al-Qadhāfī’s tendency of throwing with government money. Al-Qadhāfī allegedly spent 200 million dollars in an attempt to bring back one of his political opponents from the U.S., and Jibrīl believes such a ridiculous amount of money could be spent elsewhere. Furthermore, Jibrīl repeatedly advocates al-Qadhāfī’s need for security. Al-Qadhāfī allegedly puts a lot of pressure on the Egyptian government to work harder in order to “save” al-Qadhāfī and in turn save Egyptian interest in Libya. Jibrīl argues this to be intimidation from al-Qadhāfī’s side and not very smart as Egypt is one of the few friends Libya has left. Additionally, al-Qadhāfī has allegedly been spreading the message to neighbouring countries that if any harm faces him, the neighbours will suffer at political costs. This has caught the attention of both the Egyptian government and the PLO.
Side B:
Saʿīd Kamāl describes the Israeli occupation of the Palestinians as a massacre and compares it to the holocaust. He does not understand why the Israelis would repeat history the same way as it had happened to them. Kamāl speaks about the many displaced Palestinians still living in Israel, but also now in Libya. He mentions that he wants the Palestinians to leave Libya eventually and return to their land but not through hostility (i.e. deportation). Kamāl believes that once Israelis retreat from West Bank and Gaza, 90% of displaced Palestinians will be able to return and the diaspora will be more or less solved as long as the Arab League also fulfils their duties.
