A Libyan rebel leader urged the West on Thursday to supply helicopters and anti-tank missiles to insurgents, warning Muammar Gaddafi could resort to mustard gas in a desperate bid to stay in power.
Abdulfatah Younis, a former Gaddafi interior minister now a leader of the rebel armed forces, clamoured for arms during a visit to Brussels to garner support from the European Union and Nato.
“Gaddafi is desperate now. Unfortunately he still has about 25% of his chemical weapons, which maybe he will use since he’s in a desperate situation,” Younis told a news conference.
“So we have to stop him. We have to cooperate to stop him,” he said.
After working by Gaddafi’s side for 42 years until switching sides this year, Younis dubbed the Libyan strongman an “arrogant man” who “never accepts retreat” and would likely battle to his death after refusing to go into exile.
“He will fight up to the final drop of his blood,” he said. “He refused all the chances [to leave Libya]. Most probably he will be killed or commit suicide.”
Younis urged the United Nations to force Gaddafi to stop his siege of Misrata, the sole rebel-held city in the west, where children were being forced to drink sewage water. Nato should hit regime forces stationed on the outskirts, where it is now “easier to hit them”, he said.
“I beg civil society and the UN to force Gaddafi to leave Misrata by all the means. And Nato has all the capabilities to do that, to save these children in Misrata from a dark future,” he said.
Meet with the alliance
Nato said the representative of the opposition Transitional National Council had asked to meet with the alliance in Brussels, but Younis and Nato officials refused to say whom he would see.
Younis said the talks would be about how to protect civilians and the future of Libya. “I am optimistic that they will understand everything. And they will give all the necessary arrangements we need,” he said, refusing to elaborate.
The question of arming the ragtag rebellion in Libya has divided the international community.
Italy, a former Gaddafi ally which now backs the opposition, supports arming them but other Nato allies are lukewarm, or oppose this outright.
The Libyan regime accused Qatar earlier this month of providing anti-tank missiles to the rebels.
Younis indicated the rebels had been given a “small quantity” of arms but they are “still waiting for our friends to supply us with new weapons”.
“We did not actually receive the proper weapons we need,” he said.
“Of course we are not talking about light or small weapons. We’re talking about more advanced [weapons] like Apache helicopters, anti-tank missiles as well as fast boats equipped with torpedoes,” Younis said.
He refused to name the countries the rebels are seeking weapons from.
“We are still waiting. Unfortunately the arms are delayed up to now,” said Younis, who arrived in Brussels late on Wednesday.
US Senator John McCain, during a visit to the rebel bastion of Benghazi in eastern Libya last Friday, urged the international community to arm the opposition and recognise their Transitional National Council.
Italy and France are the only EU and NATO nations to have recognised the council along with Qatar, which is contributing fighter jets to the no-fly zone over Libya.
The two European nations, along with Britain, announced last week that they were sending military advisers to assist Libya’s rebel shadow government in Benghazi.
“We have now gathered all the military advisers, French, Italian, Qatari, Libyans, all in one joint operation room in Benghazi,” Younis said. “Now it’s easier to cooperate and more efficient.” — AFP