Arab nations and "even the Palestinians" should be allowed nuclear weapons as long as Israel's nuclear ambitions are tolerated, Libyan leader Muammer Qaddafi said in an interview out Monday.Israel is widely considered to be the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear state, and Qaddafi told Britain's Sky News television that the international community should also allow its Arab neighbours to develop nuclear weapons. "If the Israelis have the nuclear weapons and the nuclear capabilities, then it is the right of the Egyptians, the Syrians, the Saudis to have the same - even the Palestinians should have the same because their counterparts, or their opponents, have nuclear capabilities," Qaddafi said.
Israel: He added: "And, if we don't want this situation, so we'll have to disarm the Israelis from their nuclear weapons and capabilities." The Libyan leader said he would oppose Iran acquiring nuclear weapons if it acknowledges such a goal, but noted Tehran's insistence that its nuclear programme is peaceful - something that Western powers dispute. "Iran, up to now, hasn't said it is manufacturing a nuclear weapon: Iran says it is enriching uranium," Qaddafi said.
"If Iran were to manufacture nuclear weapons, nuclear arms, then all of us, including us, will be against them. But Iran has not said so." He added: "Our position is clear and it should be clear and evident... that we are against anyone who manufactures, possesses a nuclear weapon, whether it is Iran, America, Libya, or the Israelis." Meanwhile he said US President Barack Obama merited winning the Nobel Peace Prize, but had been given it too soon. "I do believe he deserves it, but to be given right now I think it is some sort of hypocrisy, sycophancy, and I think it is premature. It is not due yet," he said.
Qaddafi apologised for the 1984 killing of a British policewoman outside the Libyan embassy in London which led Britain to suspend ties between the two countries for years. "She is not an enemy to us, and we are sorry all the time and (offer) our sympathy, because she was on duty, she was there to protect the Libyan embassy, but this is the problem that should be solved - but who did it?" Qaddafi said in an interview with Sky News, to be broadcast on Monday. Britain's foreign ministry said in a statement: "We agree with him that this issue needs to be resolved. "Libya can help in the search for answers by allowing the UK police to return to Libya to complete their investigations into the murder of WPC Fletcher." Yvonne Fletcher died after being hit by shots fired from the embassy during a demonstration against Qaddafi.