AL-QADHDHAFI ADDRESSES BASIC PEOPLE'S CONGRESS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05-01559R000400430014-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 2, 2012
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: January 18, 1988
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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He said he is particularly concerned with continuing the
talks in light of current events in the occupied territories
and the two UN Security Council resolutions pertaining
to these events.
He added: We are anxious to continue consultations
with our Egyptian brothers. Referring to the escalating
Palestinian uprising, he declared: It is our duty to
address ourselves to the results of this uprising and to
seek to influence the development of positions, both the
position of the United States and that of the UN Security
Council.
Abu Mazin was met at the airport by Zuhdi al-Qidrah,
the PLO representative in Egypt.
Meets `Abd Al-Majid, AI-Baz
NC191504 Cairo MENA in Arabic 1400 GMT
19 Jan 88
[Text] Cairo, 19 Jan (MENA)-Dr `Ismat `Abd al-Majid,
deputy prime minister and foreign minister; and Dr
Usamah al-Baz, first under secretary at the Foreign
Ministry and director of the Preident's Office for Polit-
ical Affairs, held an extended session of talks today with
the members of the PLO delegation which is visiting
Cairo.
The delegation includes Mahmud `Abbas, also known as
Abu Mazin, and 'Abdallah Hurani, members of the PLO
Executive Committee, and Said Kamal, PNC member.
Zuhdi al-Qidrah, the PLO representative in Cairo, was
also present at the talks.
`Abdallah Hurani stated that during the meeting the
conferees reviewed the latest developments on the Pal-
estinian scene in the wake of the recent full-scale uprising
which has emphasized the Palestinian people's rejection
of the occupation.
He said efforts must be made to exploit the uprising
politically and to seek the international community's
help in restoring the Palestinian people's right to self-
determination and to the establishment of their own
independent state. He added that Dr `Abd al-Majid and
Dr al-Baz have shown full understanding of the upris-
ing's significance. He asserted that Egypt plays a major
role in the Arab and international arenas and that the
members of the Palestinian delegation are certain that
President Mubarak will promote the Palestinian people's
cause during his coming tour of Europe and the United
States.
`Abdallah Hurani added that the Arab world must sup-
port the Palestinian uprising politically and materially.
On the political level, he said, the Arabs must adopt a
unified stand urging the Israeli occupation be terminated
and that the Palestinians be enabled to attain their
legitimate rights. He further noted that the Arabs must
extend material aid by providing food and medicine so
the Palestinians may carry on with their uprising.
Abu Mazin and the delegation accompanying him
arrived in Cairo yesterday to hold talks with Egyptian
officials on the latest developments in the Palestinian
revolt, the Palestinian issue, and relations with Egypt.
Support Withheld for PLO Government-in-Exile
PM200959 London AL-MAJALLAH in Arabic
13 Jan88p9
[Unattributed report: "Egypt Does Not Back Govern-
ment-in-Exile"]
[Text] Egypt has refrained from supporting the PLO's
intention to form a government-in-exile, which was
raised during Egyptian-Palestinian talks held in com-
plete secrecy during a visit by a Palestinian official to
Cairo a few days ago. Cairo has confirmed that the
objective conditions for such a decision are not yet ripe
and that the PLO ought to prepare for that immediately
after the objective conditions are in place.
Some Palestinian circles have explained the Egyptian
rejection as being due to Cairo's wish to prepare the
ground for the announcement of the formation of a
government-in-exile from Cairo.
Statements have emanated from Palestinian officials
over the past few weeks indicating that the PLO is
studying the matter and they predicted that the
announcement of the formation of a government-in-exile
will be made shortly.
Libya
Al-Qadhdhafi Addresses Basic People's Congress
LD191332 Tripoli Television Service in Arabic
2231 GMT 18 Jan 88
[Speech by Colonel Mu'ammar al-Qadhdhafi at a session
of the Basic People's Congress in Hay al-Andalus in
Tripoli on 18 January-videorecorded]
[Text] I want to intervene in this session with some
observations. The first thing I have deduced from the
members of the congress who have spoken is that there
appears to be information available in the people's
congresses that seems to be important, such as the
information offered by the engineer. Also heard at the
people's congresses are important new ideas on the
proceedings of such congresses, on the organization of
the meetings, and, through the discussion of the memos
submitted to the congresses, some new conclusions. All
of this leads to the development of the jamahiri system,
which stresses popular authority. At every meeting and
at every session every year we advance and learn more.
This is the objective, until future people's congresses no
longer need an instigator, a leader, or a revolutionary
committee.
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Is this a drafting committee? [Unidentified person
responds: The congress is a drafting congress] When they
elect a secretariat to the congress, they should select
those who have the ability to administer the congress.
Therefore, the drafting committee should be selected
from among those who have the ability to formulate
ideas and thoughts and come to a conclusion. It is the
quality of the talk, not the quantity. Someone might
speak for 1/2 hour when 2 minutes would suffice.
I want to tell you again that the decisive phase and the
result of these debates will be epitomized at the munic-
ipal congresses, after the basic congresses, and then at the
General People's Congress. All that you have said will be
reflected at the municipal congresses, where the people's
committees will select and discard. The rest will be
reflected at the General People's Congress and by the
general people's committee, and will be accountable
before the General People's Congress, according to what
you said at the municipal congress. So everyone must be
aware of what he is saying. One should not speak idly.
Everything that is said should be reflected in the draft
when the secretary of the congress carries it to the
municipal congress to present your ideas. The drafting
committee at all congresses should be attentive and
select the most important things said.
What we are drawing attention to [passage indistinct] is
when new information, new ideas, new conclusions,
serious information do appear in the congress, they must
be disseminated among all the congresses through the
secretariat of the municipal congress to which that basic
congress belongs, and in turn inform the secretariat of
the General People's Congress. It in turn will inform the
secretariat of the General People's Congress tonight, and
tomorrow this will be changed; that is to say, this
memorandum or this new issue will be attached to the
memorandum.
He who does not come up with the correct information
should be held accountable for his actions. This issue
deserves questioning. Will the conferences, when debat-
ing this, refer it to the municipal conference and then to
the General People's Congress so that we can hear the
result? Otherwise, the conferences may say: Let us set up
a popular court to try those who ask for the pipes to be
maintained before they are used. What is the reason for
that? Why are these pipes worn and torn before they
were even put to use? Should all this stay on the record
until all the information is collected against this estab-
lishment, because the latter is responsible to the General
People's Congress or because this establishment is part
of a general people's committee which is responsible to
the General People's Congress? When someone comes
up with a new idea-such as the doctor who spoke about
foreign currency-yes, this is a new idea, we should ask
him to submit a memorandum containing his thoughts;
that is to say, how this issue should be dealt with. He said
that centralization should be abolished. The conference
should have asked him to clarify this view or to include
this clarification in the memorandum. We would then
debate that.
ARAB AFRICA
At the same time, the memorandum should have been
circulated-I mean the conference should have said that
there is a view saying effectively that there is centraliza-
tion, that the latter is not beneficial, and that it should be
abolished. ,We also have the municipalities; there is a
proposal to abolish the municipalities. What shall we
replace them with? How can we establish the jamahiri-
yahs which the doctor is talking about? Why can we not
have the municipalities instead of the jamahiriyahs he
referred to, and so on and so forth? We examine the idea
and see whether it receives the attention of the confer-
ences and whether it can be regarded as worthy of
debate. Otherwise, it will be thrown out at any level.
Something positive has been realized when an engineer,
or a lecturer; a-'doctor, a technician, or an administrator
start to attend the sessions of a conference as a member
when the debate becomes beneficial. More facts will
emerge; we will learn from them because they have
experience and education-I mean they have experience
from their practices in such spheres. We will benefit
from them. The exchange of words in the debate will be
responsible. Some of them already are responsible before
the popular conferences because they are in charge of
certain aspects, such as industry, agriculture, education,
etc. Their words will be responsible words and held in
high regard, unlike the words spoken by those who are
not responsible-they speak irresponsible words.
Someone in Tobruk once said: Industry is a failure; he
said nothing more.- This: is not enough. When we say
something, we should provide evidence. But when an
engineer working on the gas project came to the meeting
and spoke, he talked to us about specific things. He said
that the pipes were not used and that they suffered wear
and tear; he told us why. Then we were able to say that
those responsible for the pipes' wear and tear should be
made accountable. He said that such and such a com-
pany. was handed.on a silver or golden platter money,
interests, and priviliges, etc. He asked: Who was respon-
sible for that and why? This is good. Previously such
things were done by some administrations but nobody
made them accountable for their deeds. These adminis-
trations were run by ministers and nobody made the
ministers accountable for their deeds, or they were run
by the government and nobody made the government
accountable for their deeds. The people's interests were
sacrificed by some who did not have a conscience and
the poor people were continuously losing. This is how
the people used to lose. Now this cannot happen, as
anyone can come to a` basic people's congress and say
what he wants ' to say. Such a conference can try and
make any party accountable for its deeds. This is the first
observation.
The other observation concerning the issue submitted
for your attention is about the problems and obstacles
which accompanied production operations at cement
factories. We will recap what this says: Report on indus-
trial projects. It is my opinion that the congress should
focus on these obstructive problems which accompanied
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the production operaiion?at cement factories. After all,
the report says at the beginning on figures [words indis-
tinct], it says that there was a delay in opening credits
which (?led) to a shortage of operational requirements,
spare parts, and equipment for operating the factories'
quarries.'
Alright, this is one 'point; there was a delay in opening
credits. Congresses will discuss this point. Why are
factories' or companies' credits delayed? You will find
this point in many items; even in suits. Why did winter
clothes come in the summer and summer clothes in the
winter? The owner of the importing company will reply
by saying it was a result of delay in the opening of
credits-on the basis of last year, the year before, and
this year. Indeed, we find that winter clothes come in the
summer. We go to them and ask them what is this you
have brought to us? Are they teasing us? What is this
joke? Where were they? Where did they go? Why do
winter clothes come in the summer? Why did you not
bring them in the winter? These must be studied on their
merit. Sometimes he may be unjustly treated; he may
come and say that. the credits have been delayed. What is
the reason for the delay in the opening of credits? This
issue has to be looked into.
We then go on to ask questions. We are meant to set up
people's committees at all congresses. Where is the
member of the General People's Committee for Indus-
try? [Unidentified person responds: He is not here due to
personal circumstances. He was present yesterday] He
should be present to answer our questions; but there is
still a query. Who is responsible for delays in the opening
of credits and why? There may be convincing reasons. As
members of congresses, there may be a reason which will
convince us that credits are bound to be delayed and,
consequently, the cement industry and importation will
face difficulties.
For unforeseeable reasons we receive summer clothes in
the winter. Such reasons may not be so' unforeseeable! It
may be due to someone not performing his. duty. We
bring him to task and make him accountable. The other
point which refers to obstacles concerns the shortage of
technical manpower used in production and subse-
quently maintainance work is not carried out on a
regular basis. That is to say, if factories suffer from
delays or their production stumbles, then this is because
there is a shortage of technical manpower. Alright. The
company which is responsible or the People's Commit-
tee for Industry should be questioned. We should say to
them: Do you train Libyans? Have you provided them
with training schedules? Have you employed foreign
technical manpower from abroad and if not, why not? If
you have not imported foreign technical manpower from
abroad, why not, and what prevented you from doing so?
Have you no money? If you have no money say so. We
will then discuss the matter. If they have no money, it is
possible to transfer money from another part as this is
important.
We can compare two aspects and see which is more
important and then transfer money to the one which is
more important and bear the deficit. We say that pro-
duction shall be reduced and that we accept this as we
are convinced that production of factories can fall short
because we have no Libyans trained to do the job. We
say that we are still training Libyans and that foreign
technical manpower is expensive; therefore, we have
delayed the process by importing some foreign technical
manpower and not all. Or we can equally say that those
people responsible for running the factories are not
doing their job efficiently and thus have caused such
delays.
All these points have been mentioned. Those who men-
tioned them may be the very people who are responsible.
It makes no difference who is responsible for such
delays. The delays may be caused by force majeure, for
which we are all responsible. We will then accept them as
such. There is the problem of transportation and distri-
bution; these cause bottlenecks for production and mar-
keting. Let us discuss the transportation system. How
can you distribute something which you manufacture
throughout the country? Who will transport the goods?
Private vehicles? Public vehicles? It is a problem and it is
inevitable that we should have a transportation system.
There are 35,000 private vehicles used for transportation
in the country. Therefore, how come we have bottle-
necks? This is a problem and it should be solved; this
problem of transportation should be solved. It can be
solved. Why can it not be solved? They say that there are
no spare parts for the vehicles, as you have not imported
them. Why have you not imported spare parts? Who is
responsible for that? The instability of the administra-
tive machineries in these factories. When there are
delays in factories and these matters are referred to
people's committees, the latter should be given an oppor-
tunity-the longest period possible and as much as
possible-unless it has been proved to be useless.
Then there is the question of a shortage of financial
liquidity and its role in the nonfulfillment of develop-
ment programs. We should ask: Where has the budget for
this factory come from? How come it is short? Some
people may say: There is money but the Central Bank has
banned its transfer abroad. As one brother said: Where is
the budget for this factory? This is an independent
company and it has vast production and sales. Where is
its revenue? If we are talking about something from the
general budget, then why does the General Treasury
refuse to provide it with such liquidity? We can ask the
General People's Committee for the Treasury or the
bank: Why have you not provided this liquidity? We will
hear their answer and after that they will either stand
convicted or we will be convinced of the reason.
There is the problem of a water shortage, especially in
Suq al-Khamis and Madah factories. Why were there
assessments of the availability of water in Suq al-Khamis
and Madah: whether there was water or not for the
factory? Why have the factory in Madah if there is no
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water? Why have it in Suq al-Khamis if there is no water?
Why not build a dam in these regions? There is rainfall in
Suq al-Khamis and Madah. You can collect this water
[words indistinct].
We have a general problem with electricity. This may be
outside our [word indistinct], because we need one or
two large steam powered generating stations which will
cost hundreds of millions [currency not specified].
Maybe we delayed their implementation because we are
not able to do so at this stage. This is due to bottlenecks.
When it is like this, we have to be convinced that this is
an acceptable matter subject to [word indistinct] bottle-
necks in this factory or others. Why? Because, to avoid
bottlenecks in electricity we need a generating station
with a specific capacity. We need 4 or 5 years to build it
and we need so many millions-it is not available and we
need time.
We have to bear this; it will be known. When we say
known, we are not saying that the electricity sector
[words indistinct] has come from God or somewhere
else. We create electricity. Electricity does not come
from God. Perhaps God has guided us to create electric-
ity, but it comes from us. We started off using candles
and have reached the stage of building stations that
generate electricity for us. We can say that rain, wind,
heat, and cold come from God and we cannot change
them. But electricity we can pursue. Why has it been cut?
Concerning the availability of private transportation;
this is a trivial thing. Workers, engineers, and others
have no private means of transportation. Give them
buses and let them look after themselves. This is not a
problem, and it should not even be submitted to people's
congresses. What are you doing [words indistinct]? The
difficulty of obtaining explosives is even more trivial
than the first. What does it matter who handles the
explosives? Whether they should be in the hands of the
Armed Forces, engineers, or others [words indistinct].
These are the [word indistinct] we follow. That is it, we
will dismiss it [words indistinct] and we will not discuss
it. They will have to manage private transportation and
explosives themselves [words indistinct] explosives for
security material and how to bring in material to blow up
a quarry?
There is a shortage of paper bags [words indistinct].
Where is this [word indistinct]'to tell us the reason for
the shortage of these bags; whether they were not man-
ufactured at home, not imported from abroad, whether
or not we have money or do not have money. [Word
indistinct] the congresses' about what you have done.
Generally, these are to be discussed. You discuss. the
items that are before us and express your opinions about
them. What are your opinions regarding them; the opin-
ions of the congresses?
Good, this is from A to [sentence incomplete as heard].
This also includes nine items. This one reveals problems
such as those at the sand processing plants. When there-
ARAB AFRICA
is a shortage of cement, it is not distributed, output is
insufficient, and we have not exported the quantities
agreed, we ask why. [Words indistinct] obstacles and
problems from money to manpower, transportation, and
electricity. I want to point out the item we must discuss
so that our discussion is poignant when debating these
items-without saying general things about these facto-
ries.
The last point in these observations is not on this
blackboard because I do not know whether you discussed
it before I came-strategic industries. However, the
thing I want to draw attention to and which may still be
under discussion in a number of conferences is the
question of imported consumer commodities.
The budget allocated for importing consumer goods, like
the one we had last year and the year before, is the
money we earmark for importing goods from abroad. In
fact this is the problem. We in this country do not
complain at all about Israel's treatment of the Palestin-
ians or the delay in realizing Arab unity, or that we have
not succeeded' in exploiting the sea or in manufacturing
the laser or making the atomic bomb-I do not believe
we complained last year, the year before, or this year
about these issues, or about the aggression agaist us in
Aozou, or about why there is ambition in the Gulf of
Sidra, which is inside our borders. As a matter of fact,
there were no complaints. Opinion polls and coexistence
have proved that no one complained about these issues.
The complaints we made concern the markets and these
imported goods, so much so that the Americans concen-
trate their anti-Libyan propaganda on this issue; Arab
reaction does likewise. Those who gloat over this do so
too. Those who treat us as simpletons, confuse our
thoughts, brainwash us, plunder our revolution, and
steal the people's authority do this. They all concentrate
on this point.
They see you standing in a queue and they photograph
you, they publish these photographs. They say that there
is a shortage of canned food. You yourselves complain
about this. You say: Where are the clothes? Sometimes
you say these clothes are good and on other occasions
you say that these clothes are useless. You ask: Where is
the underwear? You complain about the underwear. You
complain about children's shoes. You ask: Where are
they? You are told: They have not arrived yet. When
clothes arrive we say we do not want these because they
are of bad quality. Sometimes we say that the clothes
have arrived but not during the correct season. These
constitute most of the complaints.
The things which people who are alert can complain
about are serious problems. We do not complain about a
shortage of money and we do not suffer from a high cost
of living, which other nations suffer from. We have
money and goods are cheap. But the. complaint is: Why
have you not imported them? Or, why have you
imported poor quality? All our talks concentrate on this.
The enemy, meantime, probes our internal front, not by
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satellites or aircraft, but through listening to reports
which he discusses, or through reading about you. He
disguises himself in so many ways. You may imagine
him to be an American smoking a pipe; and you may say
that he is an American and therefore I shall not reveal
secrets before him. No. A Muslim Arab or non-Arab, or
a friend, a brother, or a foreign journalist, may come to
Libya and send his reports on you via radio which you
may hear later by radio; he may recruit a person living in
your street or a cousin of yours working in a committee
or in a factory or in a shop-this is how agents of U.S.
intelligence, Zionist intelligence, and British intelligence
operate. They know that these goods are available and
they know that Libya is a paradise. But they hear the
complaints. They delay this or that; they may sabotage
this or that; they may maintain silence over this or that;
they may present a false image.
All these things can happen. Do not answer any unnec-
essary questions; do not talk about certain issues. This is
because some of you may answer without even being
asked, and when asked you may answer in such a way
that it may be harmful. Do not answer more than the
question you are asked. Why voluntarily give additional
information? Do not answer without questions. You
may say: We train at such and such a place because the
weapon is new. How nice! Why do you give such
information? The same thing applies to the home front.
You should not give away information.
I think the issue of the budget is important. When it was
decided during the past 2 years, in a revolutionary
manner, at least to save money out of this budget which
is earmarked for importing consumer goods-I mean by
decreasing the import of consumer goods in order to save
money for building factories, buying weapons, running
education, and providing medicine-complaints began.
We forgot what we said-that we would save money in
order to buy this or that or to make this or that. We
forgot that. For a whole year we said: Why are we short
of this or that? Why is this cheap? It is cheap because it
is useless. This is what we used to say. We used to say: It
is cheap; therefore, bring us something better. We can
import gold, silk, and everything else. But this means
that we will exhaust our money. We will not be able to
save. If we want to save, then we have to buy little of this
and little of that. We forgot all that.
Since we forgot that, the enemy has exploited us and
rejoiced, saying to himself: There is no need to fight the
Libyans militarily; let us continue fighting them econom-
ically. But in reality they could not fight us economically
and they cannot succeed. In such a country no economic
blockade can succeed. What does an economic blockade
on Libya mean? In any case, it does not exist.
First of all, politically, we are not boycotted. The. largest
diplomatic representation in the world exists in Libya,
with nearly 100 embassies or representatives of foreign
states; we have between 90-100 embassies in one city. So
where is the political blockade? There is no such a thing.
Presidents from throughout the world come to us and we
go to them. Why do we not visit Europe, naturally
Western Europe, and why don't they visit us? It is on
U.S. orders. This is an honor for us. Al-Qadhdahfi is
forbidden to visit West Europe. Let us say I ask to visit
Germany-impossible. The United States says that Al-
Qadhdahfi cannot visit Germany. If I want to visit
France, it is impossible. I want to visit Canada; they say
no. I want to visit Sweden; they say you cannot. Austria,
which extended an invitation to me and which I visited,
was the object of harsh criticisms and the former prime
minister was deposed; they conspired against him and
they ousted him. Then they turned to another who
became president of the republic and they said that he
was with, the Nazis. Why? Because this country wel-
comed me twice.
But as for the rest of the world, I can visit the whole of
Latin America, the whole of East Europe, Asia, and
Africa. Any state will welcome me. Their presidents,
their representatives, their ministers, and their delega-
tions visit us frequently. On the contrary, Libya is'
well-known in the world and it has wide-ranging rela-
tions with the whole world. Yet they talk about isolating
Libya politically. This is a laughing matter when some-
one knows the truth.
As for the economic blockade which they talk about, let
us say that if they impose an economic blockade 'on
Japan, it is possible that it will have an effect on it; or if
they impose it on Germany, it might affect it as it might
affect Britain. But as far as Libya is concerned, what kind
of economic blockade are they talking about? First of all,
we can buy equipment from anywhere in the world,
including Western states which the United States has
pressured to blockade us. These states run after us asking
us to buy goods.
The United States has.withdrawn its oil companies; good
riddance. The losers are the companies and they are
determined to elect 'a new U.S. President who will be
friendly with the oil companies so that they can return to
Libya, because they are the losers. They tell us: Please, if
we elect a friend of ours, let us return to work in your
country and work with you. They say: Please, if we elect
someone else after this insignifcant man, if we bring a
president who is on the side of the oil companies, please
reinstate the U.S. oil companies. They also say: We will
return and we will cooperate with you, but wait until this
Zionist is finished.
The United States tells them not to sell arms to Libya;
that 'is true. The important arms are possibly the only
thing that can be blockaded by West Europe. Companies
want to sell arms but their governments will not allow it.
France and even 'Italy are confiscating Libyan arms. We
bought them from them and we have them repaired in
those countries. And they confiscated them. They say:
We cannot give them to you while you are fighting our
friends. The . United. States has told us that Libya's
military capacity must be reduced. We do not allow that.'
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You will find these facts in the report of the People's
Bureau for Foreign Liaison so that you may understand
how many planes, how many vessels, and how many
guns there are in Italy and France.which we have brought
from them and returned for repairs and they held on to
them. Engines that needed maintenance were confis-
cated by them, naturally, on U.S. orders.
But we were buying arms which were. available in the
socialist camp. These are similar to those available in the
Western camp, if not better. You can buy according to
your finances. You can buy from China, Argentina,
Brazil, and from the whole world. You can buy; there is
no problem. But when they confiscated our arms it was
not because there was a blockade and that the blockade
may continue and continue and the war may continue
and continue. We know that this was not the case. We
were not affected at all by such measures because we are
not an industrial state of the first grade, such as those
states which I have mentioned. If we had vast exports,
we would have been affected because we would not have
been able to find markets. If we had vast imports which
included raw materials, they would' have blockaded us
and we would have found it difficult to import such
materials. Not at all.
The things we need are very simple. We have no exports.
We export oil and they need oil. They say: We no longer
buy anything from Libya. But they buy oil. You do not
export anything else. Do you export anything else? No.
What can they blockade then? What ban can they
impose? But the point they saw and considered to be a
point of weakness in you is your need, regrettably, for
these trivial things-these simple things. If there is a
shortage in some commodities, we import them from
abroad. They have no way of stabbing you except with
these things. They say that they should continue to fight
Libya economically so that the Libyan people and the
revolution will fall and that all this will make the Libyan
people-like the Egyptian people-kneel before us; then
we will enter Libya to the sound of music and without
resistance. This is the point which you should be aware
of. All Libyan men and women should be aware of this.
point. We should not sell our dignity, our stance, and our
future, which can be strong and successful, and which
can unite the Arab nation, liberate Palestine, and create
economic opportunities. We should not compromise all
this for the sake of shoes, underwear, food, and canned
food. Therefore, I want the congresses to concentrate on
this; they should be aware of which commodities need to
be imported.
Here I see you have written food. You import food
valued at more than 250 million dinars. You say.this
much should be imported in 1988; it is stated here. This
includes various supplies, meat, dairy products, and
other things. Who pays for this? I spoke about this last
year and the year before. We said: Brothers, we should
save all this. Instead of spending 250 million dinars we
should spend 150 million dinars and save 100 million
dinars. When we saved 100-million dinars and decreased
ARAB AFRICA
our, imports of these commodities, we,began to.shout.
The Americans said: 'Look at the Jamahiriyah, it is
challenging the people; the state is saying no to the
people. They do not say that the country has saved 100
million dinars. They do not say the country spent only
150 million dinars. They say: Poor people, instead of 250
million dinars for imports they can only spend 150
million dinars; they are 100 million dinars short to buy
what they need. But we have decreased that sum. We
should decrease it because if we continue to import these
things in.the future it will create a problem. Their experts
have prepared a report, now under study, which says that
in 10 years Libya will have doubled its present popula-
tion. If it continues,the way it is, now, we will have a
famine.
It is assumed that famines occur in India, China, Egypt,
etc. But not in Libya. This is what I want to draw your
attention to. If you do not heed what I told you last. year
and the year before, your children and their children will
actually suffer from famine. You may not be able to find
food for your 5-year old.child when he is 15. I told you
that the water resources of this country are poor, and
that' it is inevitable for us to do something to provide
ourselves with food. .
The war is all about food. The war between the Arabs
and the Israelis in.theMiddle East at this phase centers
on one thing-the Israelis,want to seize the water. They
want to capture the Jordan, Asi, Yarmuk, and Litani
rivers in the first phase so that they can settle 12 million
people in that region. Then they want to capture the Nile
and the Euphrates to settle 24 million Jews from various
parts of the world there. The battle is for water, the entire
world is fighting for water because water provides food,
and the battle is for food. When they manufacture the
nuclear bomb, by which they can',make a nation like
Japan or any other kneel before them, it is because they
want these nations to open the way to the water resourc-
es. They want to capture, the roads leading to water and
food resources.
Why do they fight among themselves? For food. The
important thing is food. Discussing the budget ear-
marked for importing consumer goods in a., serious
manner is very important, as it concerns all Libyans who
want to eat and drink water., Therefore every Libyan-
educated or otherwise, woman or man, at home or
employed-should be concerned with this budget
because consumer goods are either bought by a house-
hold or their, shortage is felt by a' household. Even a
veiled woman should be concerned about this budget.
This evening and through the Basic People's Congress of
Al-Andalus, I would like to draw the. attention of all basic
people's congresses, when they debate the. budget ear-
marked for importing consumer goods, to the fact that
imports should not continue and that we should save
money from this budget to manufacture these things
ourselves. I have been disturbed by.the,report that says
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Libyans are going hungry because they import every-
thing and neglect their land. Egypt is hungry now
because it continued to import after launching the open
door policy and because it neglected its land. They lured
them by money-by the dollar. Egyptians began to look
for taxis, hotels, nightclubs, coffee shops, cinemas, exhi-
bitions, etc, because these are money makers. They
neglected the Nile, the land, and the cattle. Now they beg
from the United States.
This is what the United States wants. The United States
makes them reach such a point to compel them to kneel,
and when they do kneel the United States imposes its
conditions on them.'Now they cannot withdraw their
ambassador from the occupied land while the Israelis
persecute the Palestinian people; they are unable to do
so.
Why? Because the United States feeds them. This is what
Al-Sadat did. The United States makes every state kneel
before it and then realizes its objective by imposing 'its
will. After it finishes with one state it turns' to the
others-the United States is an imperialist state and
wants to seize the globe. This is the policy of subjugation.
To resist it means we should not be compelled to import.
We are presently at the beginning of the road. If we now
spend 250 million dinars to import food, then next year
we will spend more, and in 5 years even more, and in 10
years, if you are still alive, even more than that. But
where will you find the money? The 250 million will
become a billion spent on food. This is because the
population will increase and prices will go up. Unless
national production increases, imports will not be
reduced, and if imports are not reduced we will not be
able to keep pace with this budget. This year 250 million;
in 5 years it will be 500 million and in 10 years it will be
1 billion. Where will you find 1 billion dinars a year to
buy food? This is not the solution. This is a dangerous
path. It will lead to our subjugation. The correct path is
for us, as of now, instead of spending 250 million dinars
on food, to buy 150 million dinars worth, and thus save
100 million dinars and give it as loans to the people to
establish plantations, keep cattle, and make water tanks
and dams to preserve water. We can use the money to
sink wells. We can use the money for fisheries. Medicine
and medical equipment; this has been allocated 60
million dinars. We will say nothing about this.
Perhaps we cannot say anything about this so that we can
save and cut down on something. It is not possible for us
to manufacture'medical equipment or medicines now.
Medicine is necessary; 60 million dinars may become
100 million and after 5 years it becomes 300 million.
You have to think about how to save for this. You will
need to import medicines and medical equipment for
many years. When there is a shortage you will start
saying there is no [word indistinct]; there is money. Why
is a certain type of surgery not carried out? Well, the
equipment is not available. Why? We could not buy it.
ARAB AFRICA
Why is a specific medicine not available at the drug-
store? Well, medicine is expensive; a few tonnes costs a
few million. As of now, you will have to think about ways
of saving in order to buy goods which are not available
here. People still do not have medication; they become ill
and come to you with tuberculosis. Why should you
provide them with surgery?
Then there are essential goods. The essentials are clothes
and sundries=--clothes, shoes, bedding, cleaning materi-
al, and stationery. For these they have estimated 250
[amount not further specified] a year. When you cut
down on stationery, cleaning material, fabrics, and suit-
cases, you may save 50 million a year, even 100 million.
Add to this the 100 million we have saved on food and
we would save 200 million. With this we could operate
something else, provide loans for some of you which you
could invest and obtain more money to operate the
projects you were talking about such as the dams, water
tanks [words indistinct]. Things which would help pro-
duction-even if they are not food-which are in
demand in the world. We can produce them for export
and make money. There is no point in exporting wheat
to a country which does not want to import wheat. You
will have to produce something else needed by the world,
then you can sell it. With that money you can buy other
things; or you can tell them to buy some goods and some
wheat; take this orange and give me wheat [words
indistinct]. You sell something which will bring you
money to enable you to buy what you need. Anything
other than gasoline; gasoline is not production at all and
it, has a limited life span. However, oranges, wheat, and
dams have no limited life span. Gasoline has a limited
life span. You cannot plant gasoline-it is not possible.
The gasoline industry will come to a halt when the
gasoline that exists underground is exhausted. The agri-
cultural industry will not come to an end as long as you
plant. There is no limit to agriculture; it is a continuous
process.
Essentially goods such as clothes, shoes, cleaning mate-
rial, stationery, and others require 250 million this year.
You will have to discuss whether the Libyan people
should pay 250 million for stationery, blankets, and
clothes, or save a quarter, a third, or a half. An alterna-
tive is to shut their eyes and tell them that this year we
will do without and save the 250 million. We need a
miracle for this.
During the year 1986, let us say, it [not further specified]
was 230 million and in the year 1988 [words indis-
tinct)-that is to say, it has increased by 26 million
during the period 1986-88. The basic [as heard] has
increased by 245 million. Then there is the agricultural
sector. For this you import goods to the value of approx-
imately 70 million-fertilizers, machinery, pumps,
insecticides, etc. These we need for agriculture; they may
be necessary. Then we have the other basic commodities
and household goods, gold, sportswear, games, musical
instruments, various building material, construction
machinery, timber, steel, security devices, wire, rope,
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cables, asphalt machinery, oils, grease, gas appliances,
and insecticides. Some people say that Flit [a brand of
insecticide] is scarce and that they have to buy it on the
black market. We should understand that if we need this
commodity and we decide to decrease the amount we
import this will cause a shortage. We should know this
and know why we have decided to do this. We should
know how much we need in order not to cause a
shortage.
In addition to the items I have mentioned, there are
chemicals, telecommunications equipment, lifesaving
equipment to be used at sea, equipment for fighting
pollution, passenger vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, bicy-
cles, spectacles, furniture, radio and television transmis-
sion equipment, watches, tobacco-all these will cost
you about 370 million dinars.
We should discuss all this and ask: Is all this necessary,
and do we need all this? Some things we can import in
smaller quantities. The aim is to save money. You will
only know how to ensure your future if you know where
you are heading, and only when you discuss these issues.
This is because the money is estimated. I told you that
you annually sell 900,000 barrels of oil, and that will
bring you I billion [currency not specified]-this is a
possibility because the figure may be less or perhaps
more.
We say that we earn about 100 million dinars a month.
In some months it might not [words indistinct] If we stop
exporting or if a problem crops up we will have to do
without. And on other occasions it is quite enough or
even more than enough and instead of 100 we get 110,
120, or 150. At least you know that what you are selling
is oil and this is its price. You earn so much money from
it every year. And now here are the things you need. It is
exactly like one's own family. You earn 100 dinars a
month. And you have a list of the things your family
needs like clothes, shoes, food, car, medical treatment,
education expenses, and so on.
You decide for yourselves. For instance you decide that
you will have do without sweets or that you do not need
to buy sweets every week; that you do not need to go to
the movies every week but only once a month. The
children don't go to the zoo every Friday and thus save
so many dinars each week. Instead of buying flour we
buy wheat; instead of wheat we buy barley and vary our
food-one time we buy wheat, another time barley, and
another time corn.
As for clothes, we do not need to buy new clothes for
every festival. We should buy clothes once then perhaps
clean them, thus we would save a little bit.
A person receives a salary or an income from whatever
source, whether from his workshop, his farm, or his
pension, and has a family. He thinks out what to buy and
what to spend on the farm every month [words indis-
tinct] is better to spend it on farm animals or spend all
ARAB AFRICA
the money and sit and wait.. The money we save will
make income go further. Instead of 100 the income will
appear to be 200. This is because we will start a work-
shop, a poultry farm, or a place of some sort. The annual
income becomes 1,000.
The Libyan people will have to decide. For example,
they would say: Brothers, instead of spending 1,000
abroad to buy goods let us spend 700 and save 300. We
will decide what to do with the 300 that we have saved in
1988. It is most definitely a 100% improvement when we
can save 300. This means, however, that 10 things will be
reduced by 3. Throughout the year you would know that
10 have been reduced by 3. For example, if you have
been getting 10 boxes of Flit you should only expect to
receive 7. And if you use one every month you will be
without for 3 months. You should not say that you have
had none for 3 months. because you had gone to the
shops and found none. It is quite right you will not find
any because from the first day we decided that we were
going to save 30%. Instead of 10 suits we import 7 and
save 3. If you use 10 a year, you would be using 7 instead
of 10.
If we were importing cars we would import 7 cars instead
of 10 for every 10 people. We would have three people
without cars; in other words, 30% of the people without
cars. Those 30% would complain because they did not
get cars: Why has one managed to buy a car? Correct; it
is because we have decided to tolerate a 30% reduction.
Three out of every 10 people will not get cars. However,
those seven who get a car should get them in an approved
way. We apply certain conditions, for example, for those
who pay early, or live far away, or apply early. If we
discover that someone has given it to a friend or a
relative we bring him to court for trail, because we have
said from the start that for every 10 people there are 7
cars, and 3 people must remain without cars this year.
Those seven people must get their cars deservedly. That
is how things should be.
You decide to reduce certain things and when you feel a
shortage at the end of the year you start to complain and
journalists begin to write about you, saying that those
three have no car, no clothes, and no teachers. They
would laugh and say: Very well, increase the pressure on
them and reduce oil purchases so that the three become
five and the number of those complaining would
increase. What is the aim of this? It is to submit to the
United States. They come and tell ,you that you should
not stand in a queue, that you should have a car, [words
indistinct], what sort of revolution is this? What sort of
socialism is this? What sort of [words indistinct] and
what sort of Al-Qadhdhafi is this? Is he really defending
you and feeling for you? He is deceiving you so that you
spend all your money on goods, so that you consequently
destroy yourself, and this is what he wants. I beg your
pardon; he is like the devil deceiving people and on the
day of judgement he would say: I simply invited you and
you have followed me. It is said in the Koran: I fear
Allah, I lied to you and deceived you, however, why did
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you respond to me? I deceived you because you are weak
and walked along with me. I knew it was deception and
I laugh at you so that you will fall in the fire.
This is what happens on the last day. The United States
is the same on the last day. It would say: I have deceived
you, I am an imperialist state and this my policy and my
interest; I would not think of the Egyptian people's
interests. I have deceived you, you followed me and you
fell, and that is it. You, the Libyan people, I have
deceived you, I told you such and such and I laughed at
you; you listened and followed me and this is what is
required; it is my policy. Why did you not say no, you
were free. You then repent when it is too late.
This is what we want to draw attention to at the basic
people's congresses so that they will debate this budget
adequately, in freedom, and with the majority of the
people attending the congresses, in order to decide that
instead of spending this budget on buying goods from
abroad we should save it and invest in internally manu-
factured goods.
I foresee that food is most important. No one can tell me
differently. Lie to your legs and they will walk you where
you want; lie to your stomach and hunger will leave you.
You can put anything or nothing on your feet, yet they
will walk. However, you cannot lie to your stomach. If
you become hungry, you remain hungry. You can die
from hunger and thirst. The world knows this wise
saying. The imperialist powers know it and they deprive
people of food so that they will fall. Hunger is not a play.
He who suffers from hunger will fall. We must not fall, so
we must not be hungry; and to make sure that we will not
be hungry, we must think how to provide our food. The
struggle continues.
Further on Assassination of Iraq's Al-Hakim
No Suspect Held Yet
JN191813 Khartoum SUNA in English 1753 GMT
19 Jan 88
[Text] Khartoum, Jan 19 (SUNA)-Security authorities
have not yet detained any person suspected of killing
Shiite leader Mahdi 'al-Hakim who was slain here last
Sunday, Police Director General Ibrahim Ahmad 'Abd
al-Karim stated here Tuesday.
General'Abd al-Karim said the Iranian charge d'affaires
here has asked for sending the body of the killed to the
latters family in Iran adding that central investigation
police director general had told the Iranian diplomat that
diplomatic measures will be made regarding delivery of
the body of assassinated Mahdi al-Hakim who was
carrying a passport issued in the United Arab Emirates
(UAE).
On the other hand the Secretariat General of the Council
of Ministers has issued, here Tuesday, a statement on the
said incident expressing the Council's deep regret regard-
ing the horrible crime.
The Secretariat rejected the style of political assassina-
tions and physical liquidation saying that Sudan's terri-
tory will never be a scene for such ugly crimes.
`Important Clues' Found
JN201211 Khartoum SUNA in Arabic 1056 GMT
20 Jan 88 `
[Text] Khartoum, 20 Jan (SUNA)-The security forces
have uncovered important facts connected with the
assassination of the Iraqi Shi'ite leader Mahdi al-Hakim.
It is certain the police will soon be able to identify the
culprits.
The attorney general has reaffirmed that the committee
formed by the security services has found important
clues in the case that will lead to finding the culprits. He
declined to give any further information.
Interior Minister Sayyid Ahmad al-Husayn has also
refused to disclose any details about the assassination.
He said the security services, which are still investigating
the incident, have all the information.
The director general of the police force said investiga-
tions of the assassination are proceeding steadily and in
total secrecy. He said all units have been called up to
work on solving the case.
The director general of the police force denied reports
published yesterday.on the arrest of some suspects. He
said the security authorities have not arrested anyone
but are continuing their investigations and interrogation
of witnesses and others.
The charge d'affaires at the Iranian Embassy yesterday
met with the Foreign Ministry under secretary and
conveyed the Iranian people's condemnation of Al-
Hakim's assassination and expressed Iran's desire to
transport the body of the deceased to Tehran, as the
victim's brothers are there. The Foreign Ministry under
secretary explained to the Iranian charge d'affaires that
the deceased carried a passport issued from the UAE and
that the Foreign Ministry has sent a cable to that effect to
the UAE..
Some newspapers reported today that Al-Hakim's body
was transported aboard a private plane to Tehran yes-
terday and that more than one Arab embassy in Khar-
toum had played a part in directing and implementing
the assassination of the Shi'ite leader Mahdi al-Hakim.
Official sources here have not confirmed these reports.
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Body Will Go To Iran
JN201138 Khartoum SUNA in Arabic 1050 GMT
20 Jan 88
[Text] Khartoum, 20 Jan (SUNA)-The responsible
Sudanse authorities today decided to transfer the body
of the late Mahdi al-Hakim who was assassinated on
Monday at the Hilton Hotel in Khartoum to Iran. The
reason is that most of the late Mahdi's family is living in
Iran. There are two brothers, two daughters and a son
there, while only one son is in Dubai, UAE.
The decision came after contacts between responsible
government authorities and relatives of the late Mahdi in
both the UAE and Iran. Each party requested that the
body be transferred to it.
A special Iranian plane will arrive later today to transfer
the body to Iran.
Al-Turabi Condemns Killing
JN201118 Khartoum SUNA in English 1030 GMT
20 Jan 88
[Text] Khartoum, 20 Jan, (SUNA)-The secretary gen-
eral of the opposition National Islamic Front "NIF", Dr.
Hassan al-Turabi, yesterday condemned the killing of
the leader of the Iraqi opposition Shi'ite Moslem Move-
ment at the Hilton Hotel here last Sunday as a form of
"political terrorism."
Speaking at a press conference here yesterday, Al-Turabi
described the assassination of Mahdi Al-Hakim, who
had come to Khartoum to attend the second national
congress of the NIF, as a violation of the sanctity of the
Sudanese territories.
Al-Turabi told the conference that the deceased had
come to Sudan despite an apology by the NIF that he
could not attend its congress for security reasons.
He said Al-Hakim had arranged the procedures of his
entry into the country and residence in the Hilton Hotel
by himself.
He said he had met at his house with late Al-Hakim who
told him that he had planned to meet with the Supreme
Council president and the prime minister.
Pointing out that he did not want to comment on the
issue of the assassination while investigation is under-
way, Al-Turabi described the incident as having "secu-
rity indications and political suspicions." He did not
elaborate.
Meanwhile, the Council of Ministers yesterday issued
statement condemning the assassination of the Iraqi
opposition leader Mahdi al-Hakim.
ARAB- AFRICA
Deputy Premier Meets EPLF Officials 16 Jan
EA 162239 (Clandestine) Voice of the Broad Masses
of Eritrea in Tigrinya 0400 GMT 16 Jan 88
[Text] The deputy prime minister of Sudan, Sid Ahmad
Al-Husayn, [title as heard] has received and held talks
with representatives of the EPLF [Eritrean People's
Liberation Front], Comrade (Muhammad `Ali Umar),
member of the EPLF Central Committee and head of
:foreign relations in Sudan, and Comrade (Uthman
?Salih), member of the EPLF Central Committee and
representative for refugees.
The Sudanese official told the EPLF representatives that
Ethiopia is not ready for peace and this is demonstrated
by its failure to solve the Eritrean issue in a modest and
legitimate manner.
He added that we in Sudan are trying to solve our
internal conflict, thatis the southern Sudanese question,
in a modest and peaceful way.. He said we have no
intention,of making the Eritrean-issue [words indistinct]
with that of the southern Sudanese question.
SPLM/SPLA Detail 12 Jan Kapoeta Capture
EA 191802 (Clandestine) Radio of the Sudanese People's
Liberation Army in English 1300 GMT 19 Jan 88
[Excerpts] The official SPLM/SPLA Military High Com-
mand has just released the details of the capture of
Kapoeta enemy garrison, which took place last week, 12
January 1988. According to the'. official SPLM/SPLA
spokesman, the release of the details was delayed for two
reasons..
1. The SPLA forces were pursuing the remnants for the
last 7 days and that 91 of these remnants were killed. The
fleeing forces were dispersed in two [as heard]: One
group fled toward Uganda and the other toward Kenya.
SPLA forces pursued these remnants until yesterday,
when they entered Uganda territory. Out of respect for
the international boundary, SPLA forces stopped pursu-
ing them into Uganda. The SPLA does not mind if the
Ugandan authorities hand them over to the Sudanese
Government directly or through the ICRC [International
Committee of the Red Cross]. The group that fled
toward Kenya has been blocked from entering Kenya
and are now completely surrounded.
The second reason for delaying the announcement was to
give Sadiq enough hope to make a fool of himself by
publicly lying and being caught behind in his lies, as he
was until yesterday saying that his forces were in control
of Kapoeta, when the SPLA commander in chief raised
the flag on 12 January 1988, 7 days ago, and left for
operations in another front:
According to our correspondent in the area, the total
enemy force that was annihilated in Kapoeta was an
infantry brigade consisting of Battalion 107, Battalion
439, Battalion 129, Battalion 128 and support units, all
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