LIBYA: Gaddafi Foundation weighs in on rumors of family feud
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The chief of a Libyan charitable organization has responded to a Jan. 20 piece on Babylon & Beyond reporting allegations of a power struggle within the family of Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi.
Youssef Sawani, executive director of the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, said the article contained ‘inaccuracies and mistaken assumptions’ about the political situation in Libya.
Here’s the letter:
‘Your article, relying on little more than speculation, states that the Foundation’s decision to focus on humanitarian aid in Africa rather than domestic politics in Libya is the result of a power struggle within the Gaddafi family. This is completely wrong. As a United Nations-accredited non-governmental organization, the foundation decided to renew its mission to improve lives across the African continent, a decision arrived at as a result of a dialogue among the members of our Board of Trustees about the best use of our resources, not because of some political or family squabble. Moreover, Mr. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who serves as the Foundation’s chairman, is not abandoning the noble issues and causes that he has always passionately supported; rather, he will continue to champion them in his individual capacity, as will other groups within Libya, including the Human Rights Society. In America, political speculation is a parlor game. Alas, there are no such intrigues when it comes to the current political structure in Libya, nor the goals of the Foundation, which have been transparent and well-established ever since its formation.’
-- Los Angeles Times