Muammar Gaddafi calls NATO forces 'cowardly crusaders'

Tripoli, May 14: Amid all the speculations of his well-being after the ever-spiralling attacks by NATO forces, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has taunted the western forces as 'cowardly crusaders.'

In a brief audio remark, carried out by Libyan state television, he said, "I tell the cowardly crusader (NATO) that I live in a place they cannot reach and where you cannot kill me .... I live in the hearts of the millions."

There was no accompanying video of Gaddafi.

In the audio tapes, he has said that he made the statement after receiving a "massive" number of phone calls enquiring about his condition following a NATO air strike at his compound on May 12.

The audio statement also comes close on the heels of Franco Frattini, the Italian Foreign Minister's statement saying, Gaddafi was most probably outside Tripoli and probably even wounded".

Informing that he heard the report on Gaddafi from the bishop of Tripoli, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said, "I tend to give credence to the comment of the bishop of Tripoli, Monsignor Martinelli, who has been in close contact over recent weeks, when he told us that Gaddafi is very probably outside Tripoli and is probably also wounded. We don't know where or how."

OneIndia News