The following interview with Libyan businessman Hassan Tatanaki was conducted a few days before the sudden events took
place in Libya. The General National Congress (GNC) was surprised by
the military deployment led by retired Maj. Gen. Khalifa Hifter in
Benghazi, Tripoli and other areas. This operation was supported by
sectors of the army and has pushed the GNC to announce, in a shocking
step, the election of a new parliament on June 25 to replace the GNC,
whose term has expired.
The elections may not be held on schedule because the events on the ground keep changing around the clock. Meanwhile, neighboring countries are closing their borders to people, the Arab League is taking action and the Maghreb countries are calling for a meeting to discuss the developments in Libya. For their part, the United Nations, the United States and Europe are watching with a great level of suspense.
Tatanaki said that Islamic political parties were controlling the GNC after they had received the consent of Western circles and became powerful. However, he considers Libya’s problem to extend beyond this, as developments reveal a desire to turn this country into a hotbed of terrorism.
Tatanaki said he is optimistic about the ability of the Libyan people, with all their revolutionaries, armed forces and tribes, to overcome chaos and deter extremist leaders that are striving to spread discord between the tribes and across the cities. He suggested the creation of an emergency government monitored by an elected parliament to enhance the army, the police and the judiciary, and respect the responsibilities of the tribes as per their customs, for deterrence. This leads to getting rid of illegal weapons and makes people trust the state security institutions and the judiciary.
As a political activist, Tatanaki said in all transparency that he helped close associates of the regime in solving the problem of the blockade resulting from the Lockerbie problem. Back then, the regime of former President Moammar Gadhafi considered him a close associate of the United States and some European countries. Some Gadhafi supporters even accused him of collaborating with these countries.
