Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Tuesday slammed the West and his former ally, the Italian prime minister. In an interview to the Italian Il Giornale newspaper, the embattled leader told the international community "it will not be able to do him the same as Saddam".
He had harsh words against Italy: "I'm so shocked, I feel betrayed, I do not know what to say to Berlusconi." He added there are no "more contacts with Italy and Berlusconi."
Gaddafi conveyed he would like to see "the Libyan people reconsider the economic and financial ties and even those in the security field with the West." And he told the Italians: "When your government will be replaced by the opposition perhaps there will be new relationship."
The Libyan leader denied wanting to launch negotiations with the rebels in Cyrenaica. "Dialogue with whom? The people ask us to intervene, saying 'save us from these armed bands'. To negotiate with terrorists linked to Osama bin Laden is something impossible. They themselves do not believe in dialogue but they only fight to kill, kill and kill. " Gaddafi added that the rebels "have no hope. They already lost. There are only two options: to surrender or run away."
