1 00:00:00,359 --> 00:00:03,839 that has to be a pretty powerful case 2 00:00:02,639 --> 00:00:06,839 for for 3 00:00:03,839 --> 00:00:09,080 intervening it's quite surreal actually 4 00:00:06,839 --> 00:00:10,639 listening to Neil at the news wall that 5 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:13,440 this is a country that we're told is 6 00:00:10,639 --> 00:00:16,440 virtually bankrupt our country that we 7 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:18,600 have to charge our children 9,000 a year 8 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,279 to go to university that we're laying 9 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,720 off hundreds of thousands of people in 10 00:00:20,279 --> 00:00:24,880 the public sector because we can't pay 11 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,960 their bills we're told over and over 12 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:31,200 again by the same government that is 13 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:35,160 spending £40,000 a night on hotels 14 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:37,800 hotels for Pilots £40,000 a night for 15 00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:39,800 hotels for Pilots to bomb someone else's 16 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:42,840 country when our pensioners in the 17 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:44,719 winter time are going shivering cold 18 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:47,320 it's surreal but the argument as with 19 00:00:44,719 --> 00:00:49,280 the argument yesterday on vaccines is 20 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,079 that still in the world Britain is a 21 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:54,199 relatively rich country and shouldn't 22 00:00:51,079 --> 00:00:56,879 stand idly by feel relatively Rich if it 23 00:00:54,199 --> 00:00:58,160 can step in stop feel relatively Rich if 24 00:00:56,879 --> 00:01:00,920 you're one of the children paying the 25 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:03,199 £99,000 a year in order to be taught at 26 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:05,119 University or you're one of the people 27 00:01:03,199 --> 00:01:08,400 who's suffering the cuts or losing your 28 00:01:05,119 --> 00:01:10,920 job but that's not my only argument you 29 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,560 have the logic is overwhelming you have 30 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,960 made it clear already in the first five 31 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:18,520 minutes of this show this is a stalemate 32 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:21,280 an expensively produced stalemate and 33 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:25,000 we're either going to have to pay vastly 34 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:27,960 more to change that stalemate or huckle 35 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:30,040 down for what the Admiral called a Siege 36 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:31,799 and uh do the British people really want 37 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,880 what I'm asking you is is the basic the 38 00:01:31,799 --> 00:01:37,000 basic point of of the military 39 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:38,479 commitment at the time you've heard uh 40 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,600 that you know had there not been an 41 00:01:38,479 --> 00:01:41,159 intervention there would have been a 42 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,759 massacre in Tripoli a lot of people 43 00:01:41,159 --> 00:01:44,600 would have been killed I don't accept at 44 00:01:42,759 --> 00:01:46,079 all and neither does the government 45 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,159 because there are massacres going on 46 00:01:46,079 --> 00:01:50,640 elsewhere in the same very very same 47 00:01:48,159 --> 00:01:53,360 region at which we don't lift a finger 48 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:56,640 to intervene we're not going to invade 49 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:59,320 or occupy or bomb Syria we had no 50 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:01,960 intention of stopping Israel bombarding 51 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:03,880 Gaza the Yemen thousands of people have 52 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,920 been killed in the Yemen okay so why the 53 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,680 difference for Libya the difference is 54 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:10,280 because Libya is only a 5 million 55 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:12,080 population yet up to now nearly 13,000 56 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,200 have been killed over 50,000 have been 57 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:17,080 injured hundreds and hundreds of cases 58 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:19,319 of gang rape yet in Tunisia which is 59 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:21,040 twice the population only 300 killed in 60 00:02:19,319 --> 00:02:24,319 Egypt which is 15 times the population 61 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:26,440 of Libya only 400 killed Syria is six 62 00:02:24,319 --> 00:02:28,360 times the population of Libya only 1300 63 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,599 killed I'm not condoning the killings in 64 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:32,239 other countries even one life lost in 65 00:02:30,599 --> 00:02:34,720 Syria or Egypt or Tunisia is not 66 00:02:32,239 --> 00:02:36,760 acceptable but in Libya it's a totally 67 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:38,879 different case this is a mad despot who 68 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,840 is out of control intent on killing half 69 00:02:38,879 --> 00:02:43,040 of his population just to hold on to 70 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:45,480 power the question is did we want to 71 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,480 allow another Rwanda in North Africa or 72 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:49,319 did we want to interfere as an 73 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,959 international and legal and moral 74 00:02:49,319 --> 00:02:52,760 obligation to protect the whole 75 00:02:50,959 --> 00:02:54,680 population called the Lipan people that 76 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:57,239 is really the question no but there are 77 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:59,959 mad despots everywhere and Britain 78 00:02:57,239 --> 00:03:01,680 Britain is a I wouldn't mind I know you 79 00:02:59,959 --> 00:03:03,720 wouldn't mind but it's us that's being 80 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,879 asked to bomb them it's us that's paying 81 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,959 for the International Community it's 34 82 00:03:05,879 --> 00:03:09,959 countries Britain it's costing Britain 83 00:03:07,959 --> 00:03:11,640 38 million a week we are grateful for 84 00:03:09,959 --> 00:03:13,440 that but Britain is not paying for the 85 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:15,400 whole campaign it's an international 86 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,159 campign speak please let me speak this 87 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,519 is my country and it's my Air Force it's 88 00:03:17,159 --> 00:03:20,720 my country as well it's my is it yeahia 89 00:03:19,519 --> 00:03:22,360 was your country yeah I'm a British 90 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,760 citizen as well oh okay well we've 91 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:27,680 cleared that up yes it's my country 92 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:31,640 that's being asked to spend £38 million 93 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:35,360 a week and I pay taxes 94 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:37,319 billion by theut toomb what used to be 95 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:39,840 your country 96 00:03:37,319 --> 00:03:42,879 whilst well make up your mind okay hang 97 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:45,040 on stay on the substantive issue other 98 00:03:42,879 --> 00:03:47,439 desports are killing their people in 99 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:50,200 large numbers we're not being asked to 100 00:03:47,439 --> 00:03:52,040 neither will we bomb and spend 38 101 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,760 million a week bombing them so the 102 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:57,360 question is why are we doing it for his 103 00:03:54,760 --> 00:04:00,519 former country stroke now country and 104 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:03,360 the answer is obvious it's our oil 105 00:04:00,519 --> 00:04:06,000 interests that have fastened our 106 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:07,599 attention on Libya not because Gaddafi 107 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:10,360 was a desport when I was calling him a 108 00:04:07,599 --> 00:04:12,239 deso Adam Tony Blair was kissing him in 109 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,799 a tent in the desert I was there but 110 00:04:12,239 --> 00:04:17,840 anyway but let's put that argum that 111 00:04:14,799 --> 00:04:19,519 this is in fact because uh the West NATO 112 00:04:17,840 --> 00:04:21,280 is interested in Libyan oil in the long 113 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:23,000 run well this is a this is a very 114 00:04:21,280 --> 00:04:25,320 well-known cliche which George and 115 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,160 others try to put across all the time 116 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,360 yes Libya happens to be an oil country 117 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:32,120 but that's not the reason the reason is 118 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:34,520 because Gaddafi decided to kill as many 119 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:36,600 as POS libyans as possible to hold on to 120 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,600 power and if the International Community 121 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:41,880 and Britain is playing part of that but 122 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:43,840 is not wholly responsible in charge of 123 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:47,440 the campaign if they did not intervene 124 00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:49,240 then we would have had a huge Massac you 125 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:51,440 you said you believe 13,000 people have 126 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:53,360 been killed how many of those have been 127 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:55,479 killed by the rebels and by the NATO 128 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,560 operation no no the rebels don't what 129 00:04:55,479 --> 00:05:00,120 you call Rebels the Freedom Fighters 130 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:02,639 don't kill our own people these are the 131 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:05,759 rebels don't have missiles 132 00:05:02,639 --> 00:05:07,360 they they must it hasn't all been one 133 00:05:05,759 --> 00:05:09,400 way has it I mean this is a war that's 134 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,000 going on yes the Freedom Fighters have 135 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:13,560 killed some of the people fighting on 136 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,479 Gaddafi's side but these are soldiers 137 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,520 and officers using multi rocket 138 00:05:15,479 --> 00:05:19,800 launchers and tanks and and and 139 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:21,720 artillery obviously this is a war but 140 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:23,479 killing civilians the only one who's 141 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,960 doing that is Gaddafi and his security 142 00:05:23,479 --> 00:05:26,880 brid want to ask you both briefly a 143 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,520 final question I know you're going to 144 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:30,400 disagree George Galloway where is this 145 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:33,319 going to end in your view and the 146 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:36,639 partition of the country with the 147 00:05:33,319 --> 00:05:39,479 Gaddafi the dictators crew hanging on to 148 00:05:36,639 --> 00:05:42,120 the western part and the Stooges of 149 00:05:39,479 --> 00:05:44,680 international uh Imperial power 150 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:46,880 governing in Benghazi this is going to 151 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:49,479 end on Gaddafi and his sons being 152 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:50,880 squeezed out by the Libyan people mainly 153 00:05:49,479 --> 00:05:52,840 with the help of the International 154 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,080 Community can I finish please this is 155 00:05:52,840 --> 00:05:57,400 not the House of Commons please don't 156 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:59,800 Hackle me George okay meckling you 157 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,160 squeezed out by the before the end of 158 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,800 the summer hopefully and then the Libyan 159 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,919 people will craft a constitution and 160 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,440 have a democratic government and get on 161 00:06:05,919 --> 00:06:09,880 with the business of rebuilding Libya 162 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:11,759 which is much better Democratic with 163 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:13,599 proper development and in good relations 164 00:06:11,759 --> 00:06:15,440 with the rest of the world the the 165 00:06:13,599 --> 00:06:17,520 totally the opposite of The Nightmare of 166 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:18,560 the last 42 years in Libya under Gaddafi 167 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,039 if that happened it'd be worth having 168 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:22,080 wouldn't it yes if the libyans could 169 00:06:20,039 --> 00:06:24,360 have overthrown Gaddafi themselves 170 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:26,160 nobody would be happier than me don't 171 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,720 ask me to pay for it we will leave it on 172 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,160 that note of agreement thank you both 173 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,160 very much