| Muammar's back on his meds? |
NEW YORK: Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, in a rare moment of self-criticism, lashed out at what he described as “backward” societies in the Middle East, arguing that government heavy-handedness in dealing with political opposition stemmed from the violent nature of that dissent. “You ask us, ‘Why do you oppress opposition in the Middle East?” Gaddafi told attendees at a Columbia University panel discussion on democracy Thursday, speaking in Arabic during a live video appearance. “Opposition in the Middle East is quite different from opposition in advanced countries. In our countries, the opposition takes the form of explosions, assassinations, killing. Because opposition in our country is different from opposition in your country. Our opposition resorts to bombs, assassinations, explosions, subversive acts, trains in military camps - in some cases before the Sept. 11th events,” said Gaddafi, whose country for years was accused of being a state sponsor of terrorism. Gaddafi’s comments came in response to several questions by the Columbia panel asking him to comment on shortcomings in Libyan society. Gaddafi said he was proud of what he considered a complex society and what he says is the world’s only true participatory democracy.