WHERE KHADAFY IS STILL A HERO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505250098-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2010
• Sequence Number: 98
• Publication Date: December 3, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000505250098-9
ARTICLE APFEARELD
ON PAGE Il
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
3 December 1981
By A.M. BabU Khadafy replied, "It depends upon ghat you mean by
1ti'[TH TFIE ever-increaser dangerous. I can tell you why America call's me the most
States
action in Libya Weoverthrow allies the might
regime e artCol.? preparations for the conquest of Libya. America intends to
Moammar Khadafy, Libya and bring it under its domination again." t
y, it is crucial for Americans to take stock Thus, any tyrant in Africa or the Middle East today who
of possible consequences. wants to-remain in power despite the
'For the simple truth is that Khadafy is not perceived in invoke the threat of Khadafy to-qualify for U.Srmillitary
the Middle East propaAfrica as he is ganda a fortspo dived in t h Uni ed supplies. Much too often, these arms are used for suppres
could backfire -r a . reci. b -sing their own people. Sudan has recently locked away more
Sion already. . beset.. by political,, : than 10,000 of its citizens. And the new leadership in Egypt is.,
economic, and social turmoil. credited with rounding up 30,000 government critics.
In addition, to ignore the view of Khadafy from Khadafy's
own hemisphere'--is to ignore some of the. more painful THE FACT IS that Khadafy's real tbi aL'does not spring
lessons, in the history of U.S. foreign policy during the last from his military might but from his: genuine popularity
three decades. The habit of American Presidents to.pinpoint -? among the inhabitants of neighboring courtrie . His progres.
special villains in the Third World has had the regularity of sive social and economic policies - and his general support
a law of natur+;c. for the oppressed - have enormous appeal with ordinary
people, especially when . they. compare the Libyan colonel
TRUMAN,? PICT ED North Korea's' Kim' 11 Sung 'as his 'with their own leaders who so frequently are exploitative at
.arch-villain; F.tsenhoorerchose- Vasser-of Egypt; Kennedy s --home and subservient to the West.
nemesis was Fidel Castro: Johnson's was Ho Chi Minh; . To a large. extent, the Moslem uprising in the Middle East
Nixon settled on Allende of Chile, and Carter on Khomeini. and Africa is a repudiation of Western economic and cultural
Now Ronald Reagan has his Khadafy.- ' ? - - domination, a repudiation. which also underlies Khadafy's
All of these villains, in one way- or. another, indeed have political stance. He has not engineered it, but-he does'
challenged U.S. policies in their regions. But none of them symbolize it, and this is the essence of his popularity.
seriously posed a security threat to the United States. Just before the Organization of African Unity (OAU)
Nevertheless, they have been presented consistently to the summit in Nairobi in June, the United States mobilized all of
American public as though their power was deeply danger- its support' among African heads of state to oppose
ous to . U.S.' survival and to world peace-.and that their Khadafy's election to the 'presidency of that organization
removal was essential for the good-'of humankind.-'. next year. But to no avail: Khadafy will be the OAU
The great paradox, however; is that invariably these ? president 'for 1982-3. after all, and host its summit in Tripoli.
villains also happened to be extremely popular in their own ` At Nairobi, both France and the United States attempted
countries, and in their respective regions as well. In fact, it to make a major issue of the invasion of Chad by Libya's
now has ? become axiomatic that if a leader, is fanatically 'army - again without success. In fact; the OAU acknowl?
villified by the United States, he must be good for his people. edged that Libya's army has helped reestablish peace in
Conversely, those political figures- who are favored by the Chad after 20 years of a French-manipulated civil war which
United States more often than not tend to be- unpopular was terribly costly in lives and property-
among their own people. Anwar Sadat is the latest case in "French President Francois'Mitterrand's assertion Oct. 23
point. at Cancun to the effect that Khadafy is about to overthrow
The obvious conciuaion to be drawn from this aradox is President Goukouni Oueddei of Chad suggests a continuing f
p Western strategy to embarrass and isolate Khadafy in I
that U.S. policymakers either are hopelessly out of touch. ' preparation for his forcible ouster.
with reality or their policies are in fundamental c_ontradiq.
tion with 'the aspirations of Third World people. IT IS AN open secret that the United States is readying In recent months particularly, Moammar Khadafy has.. *Rapid Deployment Force for potential use in such a move in
been characterized by'the U.S. government and the Ameri- conjunction with Egypt and Sudan, As early as July of this
.can press as the rrestdangerous man-onearth, the primary" year the U.S. press was discussing a CIA project to set u
cause of all -its eviis hijacking, kidnaping, revolution. - "large-scale for toppling Khadaf . `~~`
Indeed, reports recently, surfaced" in the American- media -The Saassassination and the shaky condition of Sudan-
that security was increased around President Reagan, Vice ese president Gaafar Nimeiri have provided an ideal pretext.
President George-Bush, and two top Cabinet members after for action. ,'
U.S. intelligence officials- learned of possible assassination . But unlike-the assassination of Sadat, any attempt on
plots by Khadafy_ Khadafy's life would, be bound to set off civil strife, not only
in Libya but in Egypt, Sudan, and probably throughout most
Last Aug. 19, two Libyan aircraft were shot down over the `of the region.
Gulf of Sidra by fighters of the American 6th Fleet. In the - It is well to remember the consequences of Western aggres-
wake of that incident, editors from Der Spiegel, the West 'sion on Egypt in 1956, when the Conservative Anthony Eden
German magazine, asked Khadafy if the West's suspicion of of England. and socialist Guy Mollet of France attempted to
bim as the most dangerous man in the world were justified. oust, Nasser over the Suez issue. - "- .
Instead, both Eden and Mollet were thrown out of power in
A.M. Baba is..the former minister for economic develop- their own countries, and Nasser emerged as. the leading.._I
went of Tansrria and ' an ? authority on Africa. He now figure in the Middle East and Africa for. more than a decade.
teaches. at Amherst College, Amherst, Mass plane nags s