Farrakhan: Qaddafi Still a Friend
Huffington Post reports:
Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan said Sunday that he considers Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi a friend and won't distance himself from him despite the deadly crackdown on protestors in the turbulent North Africa country.
Farrakhan didn't talk specifics about the uprisings in Libya as he spoke to thousands of followers during his Chicago-based organization's annual convention in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont.
"Name one ruler that has the 100 love of his people," Farrakhan said. "You can't find one."
Gaddafi is in the midst of a desperate and increasingly violent bid to retain power, and has used his military and foreign mercenaries to try to crush the revolt.
Farrakhan, 77, visited Gaddafi in the 1980s and has since considered him a friend. He said that if Gaddafi is persecuted for crimes against humanity, the same should apply to former President George W. Bush for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also said the U.S. shouldn't intervene in Libya with an armed response.
"I'm warning you this is a Libyan problem, let the Libyans solve their problem," he said.
Farrakhan also said he expects that uprisings happening in the Middle East will soon come to the U.S. He mentioned Tunisia, Egypt and other countries but didn't offer specifics on his stance on the unrest, except to say that leaders should not attack innocent protesters.
Click here to read more.
