Jerry Rawlings Suggests the West Wants Libya Destroyed | Africa Union Conference | August 2011

August 25th 2011.

Footage of former leader of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, suggesting that the military action of the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in Libya was designed to destroy Libya.

He was speaking to journalists during a recess of a conference of the Africa Union (A.U.) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Transcript of Rawlings's words:

"If the Libyans themselves will not end up being the main losers. Of course the western powers led by Sarkozy have everything to gain from destroying that country. But we are yet to see whether it is going to hold out, I mean with the assassination of one of their finest generals, that made me a bit uneasy because this kind of distress is already beginning to fester among them up there and it begins to percolate down. It will be tough for them."

"I think we had reached a certain point in time about a month and a half ago when they had sort of checkmated each other, when a political solution could have been suggested so that everyoneup with a face and a way out and we don't end up with so much destruction. But I guess that Gaddafi is just too much for some of them. But I guess the mistake he also made, the threat he initially issued, you see what I mean and that's what they were just waiting for and took advantage of it. But there is still no justification for this, a political way could have been provided along the way."

"Those of us south of the Sahara had out revolt in the 70's and in the 80's, but it doesnt appear that some of us have learnt any lessons yet. Some of us are even committing more crimes and the situation that led to the revolt. So I really cannot tell what the future holds, but people are entitled to freedom and justice and quite frankly I would dare say that let there be no peace if there is no freedom and no justice."

Source: Reuters News Archive.