Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi said his regime's long estrangement from the United States was finally over as he marked the 39th anniversary on Monday of his overthrow of the Western-backed monarchy. "The whole business of the conflict between Libya and the United States has been closed once and for all," Qadhafi said in an anniversary speech to the General People's Congress, Libya's equivalent of a parliament.
"There will be no more wars, raids or acts of terrorism," said Qadhafi, whose support for a raft of anti-Western militant groups in the 1980s prompted then US president Ronald Reagan to describe him as a "mad dog."
Last month, Libya finally reached a compensation deal with the families of the 270 victims of the 1988 bombing of a US airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, the deadliest attack blamed on Qadhafi's regime. The move paved the way for the full normalisation of ties with Washington and an expected visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice later this week.
But Qadhafi stressed that Libya was not looking for US friendship. "All we want is to be left alone," he said. The Libyan leader hailed a new era in relations with former colonial power Italy after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi apologised on Saturday for the damage inflicted on Libya during the colonial era and signed a five-billion-dollar investment deal by way of compensation.
"It's a major political, moral and material victory from which we are going to benefit all our lives," Qadhafi said in the anniversary speech delivered in Libya's second city of Benghazi in the early hours of the morning. Under the deal, Libya is to receive 200 million dollars a year from Italy over the next 25 years through investments in infrastructure projects.
Exceptionally Qadhafi himself signed Saturday's agreement with Berlusconi. The Libyan leader normally eschews state functions insisting he is the guide of the revolution not head of state. Qadhafi has struck a regal posture throughout this year's lavish celebrations for the anniversary of his regime, unlike last year when he left the limelight to his son and heir apparent Seif al-Islam.
On Saturday, he wore a crown and sceptre for a speech to thousands of supporters in this Mediterranean port city. The symbols of royalty were gifts from more than 200 African traditional leaders who gathered here for a conference on Thursday at which they bestowed on Qadhafi the title "king of kings." The Libyan leader has not given up however on the people's power rhetoric which has marked his four decades in power.
In his speech, he again pledged to scrap most government ministries and hand their budgets directly to the people to spend themselves. He said that the plan, which he first announced in a speech in March, was a response to complaints from the public of widespread corruption in the administration.
"Libyans should all be ready to receive a share of the oil revenues starting from the beginning of next year," Qadhafi told the General People's Congress, referring to the plan to hand out 37 billion dollars currently spent by non-essential government departments. "You always accuse the peoples' committees (ministries) of corruption and poor management. These complaints will never end. So everyone (should) have their share (of oil revenues) in their pockets and manage."