Maclean’s writer: Expect more bloodshed from Ghadaffi
Posted February 25, 2011 1:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Maclean’s senior writer Michael Petrou calls Libyan leader Muammar Ghadaffi a buffoon, but a very dangerous one.
Petrou says behind the colourful facade is a blood soaked tyrant, now taking to the airwaves, with bizarre speeches and declarations to fight to last breath.
Ghadaffi came through this morning promising Libyan families will be awarded up to US$800 each to compensate for the food price increases.
“Of course, Ghadaffi thinks this is helping him. He’s willing to do anything,” says Petrou. “This morning, he is bribing his citizens …, but I don’t think how any of that can save him.”
He says he followed Libyans Tweeting as Ghadaffi spoke. “It was fascinating watching their comments pop up by the second during his speech, and none, of course, was won over at all. Some were happy in a sense that this speech finally being televised internationally was exposing the true nature of Ghadaffi, which they said they already knew to a much wider audience.”
Petrou notes with any luck, Ghadaffi might be killed, but it’s unlikely he will seek exile or surrender until he’s forced to.
