HALIFAX, N.S. – Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi appeared on state television today to give what many observes describe as a rambling and incoherent declaration of his intent to stay in power.
He furiously accused protesters of being drugged-up youth attempting to mimic the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
In almost the same breath, he said he wouldn’t use force on the people then vowed to violently crush any opposition to his 42-year regime.
More than 300 people have been killed in the last few days, as government forces – and possibly foreign mercenaries – have fired on demonstrators.
As these scenes play out on television and on the internet, Nova Scotians with family in Libya are watching the events with unease.
Iris and Gary Sutherland are anxiously waiting for their son, Glenn, to get out of the country.
Unidentified rebels attacked the Suncor-run oil rig he has worked on for the last five weeks.
The 30-year-old phoned his parents at their Coldbrook home Monday to say he and the crew had to flee to safety in the Sahara desert.
Suncor, a Calgary-based energy company, sent a letter to employees’ loved-ones late last night to say its employees had safely made it to a nearby drill camp.
It was a relief for the Sutherlands and Glenn’s wife, Cassandra, who received the email.
Gary Sutherland says it’s the first time Glenn has experienced anything like this in five years working with Suncor.
The company released a public statement shortly after 2 p.m. today, saying it had successfully evacuated its foreign staff.
While the Sutherlands have only one family member to be concerned about, Hadi Salah has 14 brothers and sisters still living in the country, spread out between Tripoli, Benghazi and southern Libya.
Salah, principal of the Maritime Muslim Academy, has lived in Nova Scotia for more than 27 years. He reached one of his brothers, in the capital, at around 7 a.m. today.
He says this “unprecedented” violence has him deeply concerned about his family.
His brother explained this morning that government agents are attempting to keep all people off the streets.
“Everybody right now is at risk because there are lots of gunshots,” Saleh says.
“Machine guns are used just for people to be out, not even necessarily part of the demonstrations.”
Communication in and out of Libya has been limited. Saleh hasn’t heard from his brother since this morning and has not been able to reach any other relatives.
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