Libyan mental counter-offensive?

[Caustic Logic]

The Libyan government has said it is open to political reform, but Muammar Gaddafi must stay in power to avoid a Somalia- or Iraq-style power vacuum.

Spokesman Moussa Ibrahim described Colonel Gaddafi as a "unifying figure", and insisted his forces only targeted armed rebels, not civilians.
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Denying government attacks on civilians, he challenged the outside world to investigate any alleged crimes.

"We are fighting armed militias," he said. "You are not a civilian if you take up arms."

Meanwhile, his son told the BBC that Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa had not betrayed Libya by leaving for the UK.

Speaking in Tripoli, government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said Col Gaddafi was "a safety valve for the country to remain together".

"The leader provides Libyan tribes and Libyan population of a unifying figure, as a unifying figure," he said.

"Many Libyans, many Libyans want him to lead the process forward because they are scared if he is not there for any reason we will have what happened in Iraq, we will have what happened in Somalia, we will have what happened in Afghanistan."

Libya, Mr Ibrahim said, was open to political reform - "elections, referenda, anything" - but "the leader has to lead this forward".

Mr Ibrahim said it was not for the West to tell Libya "you have to lose your leader or your system or your regime".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12967570