According to sources, over two hundred well trained Polisario's fighters trained in the techniques of guerrilla warfare have been selected and armed with Kalashnikovs, grenades and rocket launchers, and sent on their way on board 4X4 at the end of last week, and headed for Libya. The mercenaries took the path leading to the Libyan border town of Atchane Al, where they had to be escorted by the Libyan military to Tripoli, passing by the city of Sabha [18].
The Moroccan American Center for Policy, reported that Libya's former Minister of State for Immigration & Expatriates, Ali Errishi, condemned members of the Polisario for their "hypocrisy" in claiming to fight for freedom and progressive ideals, but joining the Gaddafi's mercenary army. [19] Errishi confirmed that well-armed members of the Polisario are among Gaddafi's mercenaries.
Algeria
The African Press Agency claimed that the Algerian government is supporting Gaddafi in recruiting mercenaries, especially from the Polisario, as Algeria is supporting this separatist group against Morocco. "The Algerian government spares no effort to facilitate the arrival of new reinforcements for Gaddafi to shield his regime from falling and avoid the repercussions on Algeria's stability that may arise from such a collapse". [20]
The Algerian government denied being involved in fighting the uprising against Gaddafi. The foreign ministry said in a statement, that these "false lies" which were reported by internet websites and TV satellite channels are "baseless," and Algeria was committed to non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, said the statement.
Tunisia
The Algerian paper Echorouk reports that after the Tunisian
revolution, militias loyal to former Tunisian President Zine el Abedine
Ben Ali escaped from Tunisia and found refuge in Libya [22]. According to news items, these militias are now fighting to protect Gaddafi's regime.
Mauritania
Mauritanians mercenaries are reported to be fighting for Gaddafi in
Libya. A Libyan political opponent living in Washington DC, Mahmoud
Chemam, stated that popular committees linked to Gaddafi in Mauritania
are trying to recruit mercenaries to send to Libya [23].
Pro-Gaddafi's parties and movements in Mauritania are part of the
fundamentalist Islamic Front Action. Mauritanian leader of the
opposition, Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, called for investigation of
Mauritanian mercenaries in Libya [24].
The League of Arab States on February 22 denounced the acts of violence being committed against civilians as severe violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, in particular the hiring of foreign mercenaries and the use of live ammunition and heavy artillery against protestors, and banned Libyan delegations from participating in all bodies affiliated with the Arab League until the Libyan authorities met the League's demands to guarantee the security of its people.And Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch told Qaddafi "He should call his forces including mercenaries off immediately."
But mercenaries are just about all he has left.
Racism has also been a problem among the freedom fighters as they are a product of Libyan society and they cannot entirely escape it's faults. Qaddafi's use of African mercenaries against the uprising has exacerbated this problem, as he knew it would. Just as he has always recruited security forces from the west to serve in the east and vice versa, he is using the old tactic of divide-and-conquer once again.
He knew that using African mercenaries would further divide the
forces of the revolution. He knew that it would encourage the Arab
distrust of the African immigrant and give the most backwards element in
Libyan society a crutch. As a result, there have been some crimes
committed against innocent Africans by some associated with the
opposition. This must not be tolerated! Those creating the future of
Libya must not fall for Qaddafi's provocation. Fighting racism must
become one of the tasks of the revolution if it is to succeed in
building a free Libya in Africa.
The King of Kings
Another way that Qaddafi spends Libya's billions is on a lavish
lifestyle for himself and his family that is second to none. A girl
friend of Mummar's son Saadi Qaddafi for six years, Dafinka Mircheva,
gives us a window into their royal lifestyle:
His aides told her he spent -170 million a year on private jets, five-star hotels, supercars, lap-dancers, jewels and designer clothes."Money was no object,' she says. "He would always have a black suitcase stuffed with thousands of banknotes.
"If he ran out, he would call the embassy and they would have more delivered to his hotel.'
She says he began a prolonged pursuit of her after that first meeting in 2004 -- lavishing her with gifts and proposals of marriage -- despite having a wife, the daughter of a commander in the Libyan military.
After she finally agreed to date him, Dafinka says Saadi paid -500,000 for her favourite pop group, The Pussycat Dolls, to perform for her at his birthday party in Cannes in the South of France:
"In his room were black leather suitcases full of cash. He would have -150,000 at any one time.'
She says he bought her -25,000 designer dresses and spent -10,000 on dinner at Raspoutine, a Russian restaurant in Paris. He is said to have owned a purple Bugatti Veyron road car worth -1million."Saadi will never look at the price. He doesn't care. Someone else always pays the bill.'
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