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New Twist in Murder of Pentagon Official; Cheerleading: Sport or Not?; Moammar Gadhafi's Speaks About Protests; Libya's Ambassador to Arab League Announces Resignation

Aired February 20, 2011 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: A new twist on the bizarre murder of a Pentagon official last seen wandering around a parking garage. His body later found in a dump -- a surprising death theory surfaces.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDY FONZO, SON SENT AWAY BY JUDGE CIAVARELLA: My kid's not here and he's dead because of him! He ruined my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) life. I'd like him to go to hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And that's just the beginning of a mother's rant on the judge who got kickbacks for sending kids to jail, and one of those kids was her son who committed suicide. Her emotional talk with me in just a few minutes.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And there's a lot of tossing and spinning and jumping and cheerleading. But is all of this gyrating really a sport? Well, I get to the mat and I find out.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.

Breaking news out of Libya. We want to go to Moammar Gadhafi's son right now on television. You're looking at him.

Let's listen in.

(BEGIN COVERAGE)

SAIF AL-ISLAM GADHAFI, PRESIDENT MOAMMAR GADHAFI'S SON (through translator): Without a written piece of paper or written speech, I would like to speak to you in a classical Arabic. Today, I will speak with you in Libyan accent and I'll speak to you directly as one of the Libyan people. And I will just improvise.

None of the ideas will be prepared. It's a speech from the heart and the mind.

Let us start step by step how these events have started and then how they developed. We will know that the region is passing through an earthquake and a storm -- a storm of development, change, democracy and liberalization, call it what you like. But this region is going through very big changes as we expected for a long time.

This part of the world needs a lot of changes, which will either come from the governments and the regimes or from the people, and this is what we saw in many Arabic countries. And we all know and without any compliments of flattery, these are difficult times, we need to be honest and the truth is important. Today, I will only say the truth to you.

We all know that there are opposition elements who live abroad, and they have many friends and supporters and people connected with them inside the country. That's not a secret. There are people inside Libya who are opposing us. They started copying what took place in Egypt, and using the so-called "Facebook revolution."

The event of 17th of February, the event that happened, the people who tried to raid Italian consulate and then the police who shot them, so people are trying to exploit this. Many people living abroad have decided to use this to start a campaign in order for the country to reach the state that happened in Tunisia and Egypt. This is all over the Internet and Facebook and media campaigns.

So, the government here and the security apparatus were aware of all this, so they did preemptive action before the 17th of February, and they arrested a few people who were involved. This developed into small demonstrations. Then there were conflicts between different citizens, and then there was shooting. A few people died.

There was violence against the police. The police became targets and police units, as well as military campus in Benghazi. This developed further.

So, angry people tried to attack and invade these places. The army and the police tried to defend themselves. This caused deaths.

There were funerals. People attacked. There was more.

So, this is in brief what happened in Benghazi and developed. It developed until it reached what has happened now which is a great sedition and a separatist movement and a threat not just to national solidarity and national union to Libya as a country and a nation.

Of course, there were people who were killed. This was -- this has inflamed people in Benghazi, but we should talk and be honest. There are people who were killed but why? There's another reason. There was a mistake by the army because the citizens were trying to fight the military and the police, so they felt very nervous and stressed, particularly the army are not trained to restrain people and oppress people, so they ended up shooting.

And I heard this -- that in Libya they say to us, many people who attacked us were drinking, some of them were on drugs, they came and attacked us. We shot people. We keep hearing of this.

The number of those who have been killed, 14 in Benghazi -- 48 Benghazi in general. We see the media exaggerating and people exaggerating. We heard people outside Libya pretending they're inside Libya in coordination with some TV channels. I personally heard, for instance, the day before yesterday that more than 250 people were killed and more than 180 were wounded. These are very extreme numbers and there's a campaign for spreading these rumors.

But I also say that there are -- there have been mistakes committed on both sides. The police and particularly the army who has not been prepared to facing angry crowds, they're trying to defend their headquarters, their weapons, their equipment. Also people have the right because they're angry because of the deaths and so on. So, every side has their story and every side attacks the other. But, unfortunately, the result is some Libyans have died, and this is very sad -- regardless of whatever stories the police and the military tell or what the citizens tell.

There are also in the middle some people and news agencies who are exaggerating and we all know about that. Now we must be clear with ourselves. These events, which are taking place in the eastern region and which are trying to spread across Libya, there are three causes of these things.

First of all is an organized group, unionists, lawyers, who have a very political agenda and demands, and that's not a problem. We understand what they want and we can deal with them.

There's another group such as what happened in al Bayda, they were an Islamist group and unfortunately, they benefited from the general pardon when people were released. They first attacked military camps. They killed soldiers and officers. They committed massacres. They occupied camps. They stole weapons.

What happened in Al Bayda, I have family in that city and people who called me. If in the last few days, if they stole weapons and killed soldiers and heavy weapons, and they spread around the street and announced so-called an "Islamic emirate" in al Bayda. So, these are armed organized groups who have a military program, which is different from the first group.

Then there's a third group, which is the largest group, children and also people who -- it's well known -- were taking drugs. And then some people who were curious and people who had nothing to do and other people who became enthusiastic. There's tens of reasons why people who agree with those ideas, those were the majority. So, there were three different groups.

And I'm now talking about facts. Whether we like it or not, these are facts. But, my brother, there's a plan for Libya. Security forces -- and we will show that on television -- we have arrested tens of people in Libya who are from our Arab brothers and African laborers who have been used during these incidents in creating sedition because these are poor people and they were paid. They have been paid by a lot of upon by some rich people and business people, and these people were used in various operations.

The proof of this is in Benghazi and al Bayda. There are Arabs and Africans with weapons. This is not a secret. Everybody knows that. They call this the illegal immigrants. They've also been used in this act.

And also, there are groups who want to rule, who want to create a country in the east of Libya and this is their program. It's not hidden. Some people want to rule in Benghazi and in al Bayda. The proof, there are groups who want to rule in Benghazi, others who have formed the "Islamic emirate" so-called in al Bayda.

Yesterday a man said, "I am the prince of the Islamic republic." So, now, they want to transform Libya into a group of emirates and small states. They also have a plan. Unfortunately, our Arab brothers, through their media, have been inflaming -- I want to be honest with you -- Arabic media have exploited the fact that the Libyan media did not follow the events and did not express what's really been happening.

So, these Arabic and foreign TV channels and media have exploited the situation and spread rumors, exaggerations, lies, there are yellow hats, hundreds of people who have been killed -- all this is not true. Much of this information coming out of this foreign media is untrue.

There's another group who are benefiting from this, criminals who came out of prisons, destroyed prisons such as Benghazi prison and they are creating chaos. It's in their interest for the country to collapse so they can be free with no government, no police. They can just create chaos all over the country.

So, there are various groups whose it is in their interest for the regime in Libya to collapse. This is clear. Whoever wants to rule, such as everybody who wants to appoint themselves a prince upon a city, this is national treason.

There are our Arab brothers who just drink coffee and tea who are laughing at us, how we're destroying our own country. They're relaxed in their countries and happy and they're watching us and looking at us burning our country. We're the ones who are losing, not them.

As for the criminals in the streets, this is not a secret. Everybody knows about that. Families, friends, everybody is telling us they are in control of the streets and they have weapons and they're creating chaos everywhere.

And so, the story is very dangerous. This story, my brothers, is not just that young, youthful Libyans are out on the streets trying to copy Tunisia and Egypt. You must be careful. Libya is not Egypt or Tunisia.

Libya has a very different situation. If any separation takes place in Libya, it will be divided into many countries because it's based in the first place on three different states and different -- so separation in Libya means that things will go back to how they used to be more than 60 years ago or 70 years ago.

The second thing is that Libya is not Tunisia or Egypt. Libya is a tribal country based on alliances. Libya is not an urban society with parties. Libya is based on tribes. Everybody knows their place, their people. So, there will be civil war. We will go back to civil war such as the one in 1936. We will be killing each other on the streets.

Libya is not Tunisia nor Egypt. Libya has petrol, which united Libya and that plays a big role in uniting Libya. We only have one resource in the middle of Libya, not in the east or the west and we all live from it, 5 million.

So, if there's a separation, who will feed us? Who will give us to drink? Who will be able to manage petrol in Libya?

Where will the center of petrol be? Will it be in Tripoli, in al Bayda, in Benghazi? Who will manage and divide the petrol? Who will spend on our children, on our schools and our hospitals?

Do you think if there is a civil war and Libya is divided, if sedition takes place, do you think they will be able to agree how this petrol will be divided? If you think that, you will be wrong. This petrol will be burned. The gangs and the criminals and the tribes will fight over this petrol and nobody will end up benefiting from this petrol because it's in the central part of Libya and in the south -- in areas where there is no people.

Three-quarters of our population are in the west of Libya, (INAUDIBLE). This is where most of the population lives. How will they live? There's no petrol in the area. And there's no petrol in Barca (ph). How will you eat?

My brothers, what could happen in Libya is something very dangerous. Bigger even than the national unity and all the slogans of Libya. We might go back to the days of poverty. It's not just the education and health will collapse, your children will have no schools, they will -- you will not find flour to eat. All our resources will be stolen the way it happened in Benghazi and al Bayda.

We will emigrate from Libya because we won't be able to manage or divide the petrol. It will be all burnt. We will live another 40 years in order to agree how to manage this country, because now each one of us wants to be a leader. Each one of us wants to be a prince.

We're not Tunisia nor Egypt. We're not Egypt or Tunisia. And this is why, today, we have a very difficult and historical test.

Let us speak one to one. Let's speak honestly. We're all armed. Even the criminals have tanks and machine guns and cannons.

In this moment, tanks are spreading around with drunken people in the middle of Benghazi. Machine guns are in the middle of Bayda with civilians. They've stolen a lot of weapons from military camps. So, we all have weapon. The army has weapons.

There's a lot of armed people. This force that is trying to destroy and divide Libya has arms, too.

So, we will have civil war. We will lose all the infrastructure. We will have no food. And, in addition, you now have companies in Libya who are executing projects worth $200 billion. They will all leave.

Who is going to come back to Libya and rebuild Libya? All the properties that are being built will be destroyed. Hospitals will be closed.

Remember my words very well, and this is why, today, we're at a crossroads and a historical decision for us, all Libyans. Either we agree today and we say, we're Libyan, this is our country, we want reform, we want freedom. We want democracy, we want real reform, we want this, this and that and all that is agreed anyway. And it was going to take place anyway.

We ask now as a final solution, before it's too late, 5 million people will take arms. We're not Egypt. We're not Tunisia. We will all have weapons. Everyone has access to weapons.

Instead of crying over 84 killed people, we'll be crying over thousands. Blood will flow. Rivers of blood in all the cities of Libya and you will emigrate from Libya because petrol will stop.

And tomorrow, all foreign companies, all foreigners will leave tomorrow, all petrol companies will leave. Petrol will stop and from tomorrow, there won't be any petrol. There won't be any money. We won't find a piece of bread.

Today, in al Bayda, a piece of bread is a dinar and a half. Next week, it will be 100 dinars. And this is why I say this to you for the last time, before we take up arms, all of us Libyans, if the situation collapses and we started a civil war and a separation and total chaos as people want to happen in Libya, before this happens and before every Libyan will have to carry weapons to defend themselves -- carry weapons to defend themselves and before blood flows, I say tomorrow, let's make a historical initiative within 48 hours -- within six hours, three days.

The popular front gives us these -- let's find new civil rules and regulations to replace current rules which will take away many of the silly punishments and restrictions that exist now and then, a new national dialogue will start about Libya's constitution. This is something agreed upon, even the leader in his latest meetings with journalists said that in the next popular conference meeting, we will talk about a Libyan constitution for the country.

Also, instead of separation, Libya can go back to local government -- a local government including municipalities will be restored. Every area can choose their own people to rule themselves. There will be a limited central government, but all other services will be provided through local government. There will be a continuation in the path of development; $200 billion are being invested all across Libya.

And also measures such as raising salaries and also expansion in giving loans to young people and mortgages. These will be agreed upon immediately.

So, we will have reform. We will spare our blood. We will develop our country. Our country will develop, unlike our neighbors with the least number of casualty and losses and with the least amount of problems.

There are problems now in Tunisia and Egypt. There's no tourism. There's no work. There's no stability nor security.

Our situation here will be a thousand times worse than Tunisia and Egypt. So, if we agree on this step tomorrow, we can spare the blood and we would have achieved the biggest historical achievement.

We will move from the first republic to the second republic. The first regime will be changed radically and a completely new regime will start. We will have the Libya of tomorrow, the Libya which we all want and which we love.

Or prepare all of you, Libyans, prepare for going into confrontations and dividing Libya into pieces and going into civil war and forget about petrol. Forget about gas. The country will go into chaos.

There will be attacks like now, just like happened Barca, it will happen all over. Your children -- forget their education, forget their health because today what's happening in Barca and n Bayda and Shahhat, and Benghazi, this is very sad.

I mean, those are not from east and west. My father is from the east. My mother -- most people come from the western region.

We're telling people who are living in the eastern area, particularly from Benghazi -- how will you visit Libya after that? Are you going to get a visa? Are we going to go back to visas? Your wife is in Benghazi. You will be in Tripoli. Nobody for 10 years will be able to visit each other.

Families will be divided. You won't be able to see your mother or your sister. They will all be behind barriers.

Over 10 of years, us Libyans have married across the different areas. People have married from Benghazi, married somebody from Tripoli. We are a now interconnected. If the country is divided, we will need a visa before you can get to Tripoli.

If we don't agree on the first scenario, get ready for the second scenario.

Also, Italy's foreign minister called me and asked me about the situation. We would like to say to you, get ready also for colonialism. Colonialism will come back to you. Europeans and Americans will come back to Libya forcefully.

Do you think that Europe and the Atlantic alliance will accept in two days to have two Islamic emirates? After a month, we'll have 15 Islamic -- do you think they will accept an Islamic emirate on the Mediterranean? Do you think they'll accept it?

They didn't accept it in Somalia. They'll accept it -- we're only half an hour from the American base in Crete, only an hour from Italy, in the middle of the Mediterranean, to have Islamic emirates. Do you think that the Europeans and the world will not interfere? I'm telling you, Europeans and Americans will come and occupy you by force. And they will destroy all this chaos. The West and America and Europe will not allow an Islamist emirate to take place in Libya controlled by criminals. Europe and the West will not accept that.

Petrol in Libya -- the West will not allow chaos in Libya which will lead to exportation of terrorism, drugs and illegality across Europe. They will come and they will stop it, and they will occupy the country. If anybody thinks anything else will be mistaken.

Two thousand kilometers of Libyan coast is very near to Europe. In two days it could be an Islamist emirate. They won't accept that.

Anyway, I've spoken to you now. There were many units that we've uncovered, Libyans, Arabs, using drugs, money, illegal immigrants. They used Egyptians. They used Tunisians. You will see all the documents that prove all that.

But Libyans, who live in London and New York and Manchester and who live in Germany and Canada, while they're provoking you and telling you to come out and do this and do that, their children are studying in Europe and America. They have health insurances and foreign nationalities while your children are dying. Go to the camp and steal the ammunition while they're there relaxed in Europe, their countries, them and their children, and provoking us here to die. And then why do they do that, because then they want to come here and rule us and rule Libya. This is just a scenario that's been created so that they can come and rule us. Once we've all killed each other, they'll come and rule us just like they did in Iraq. They say, OK, we'll come now and rule you.

(END COVERAGE)

LEMON: Saif al Islam Gadhafi, the son of Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi, on Libyan state television there, basically warning the people of Libya, saying this is not Tunisia. This is not Egypt. Things will go in a much different direction if you decide to continue to take up arms and to protest against the government. Again, a warning, over and over, talking about colonialism, and saying that Libya is a tribal society, and that things will go into chaos if people take to the street and they continue to protest, saying that they are drunken marauders out on the street, people who have access to cannons and tanks and who are out killing people. But again it was really just a warning, over and over, of saying our only resource is petrol, petrol, oil. And without that and without a government, he believes, that is in one direction that is singular with a divided government. He believes that the marauders and the people who are trying to take over Libya, that they will burn the only resource that they have and the Libyan people will be left without food, saying your kids won't have food. Your kids won't be able to go to school. Again, a warning for the people there, over and over again, saying the same words.

We're not going to go far away from this breaking news story here on CNN. So next, a Libyan, risking his life to talk to us, and a Libyan who's living in America and watching from afar. They've been listening to Colonel Gadhafi's son speak on Libyan television. And we'll ask them what they thought of the statement and what's happening in their country, right after a short break here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GADHAFI (through translation): There's a lot of armed people. This force that is trying to destroy and divide Libya has arms too. So we will have civil war. We will lose all the infrastructure. We will have no food. And in addition, you now have companies in Libya who are executing projects worth $200 billion. They will all leave. Who is going to come back to Libya and rebuild Libya?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That was Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's son, Saif al Islam Gadhafi, on state television talking about the chaos and the protests in Libya. He says that he wants all of it to stop. The Libyan people should stop doing it because it will lead to chaos and a divided government, and that their only natural resource will be burned. Promising if they do stop the protests, that they will indeed have put new parameters in place in Libya, saying that they will have -- go back to municipalities and local governments that have one centralized government. But they'd go back to letting the people in their own municipalities have their own government.

So let's get the very latest now from a protester in western Tripoli, who joins us by phone. We're not identifying him for his own protection.

What do you think of what Saif said about the new plans that he says he will put in place -- he says are already agreed upon, and the warning that he has for Libyan people, saying there will be chaos and they won't have any resource, no money and no food?

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: You know, I don't believe what he's saying. I think he is just trying to put fear into the Libyan hearts. And we're not listening to him. and the only thing we need is for him and his dad to go away and leave us alone. Libya, before his dad came into power, was united. As you know, it was a kingdom -- kingdom for few years, 18 years exactly. So it's not something new for the Libyans to live without the Gadhafi. He is just trying to put fear into Libyans after the Gadhafi's regime is gone, and they are not going to live together. That's not true.

LEMON: You know, he continued to say over and over again that Libya was different than Tunisia or Egypt and that -- because it was a tribal society. He said it's different there. And what does he mean by that? and do you believe him or is that just a scare tactic?

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: Actually, there is a big tribe in Tripoli and Libya. There's Wafala (ph), the biggest one. There's another one. And in Benghazi and al Bayda area, there's big tribes. And we know they all came together asking for him to leave. so there is tribes and big tribes and every person in Libya has to belong to a big family. It's tradition, you know. But I don't think the tribes are going to be against each other. It's just he's trying to put fear, as I said?

LEMON: OK. At one point he said 48 dead in Benghazi. And then he said anything beyond that is exaggerated. At another point, he said 84. I don't know if he mixed up his numbers. And he said there are reports of 180 injured or 180 dead. He said that is all exaggerated. What do you make of what he is saying about that?

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: You know, I don't believe his numbers. I think -- he got the 84 number from the human rights resource. I think they said at least 84 in Benghazi by itself. It doesn't include Bayda. It doesn't include (INAUDIBLE). We heard, in (INAUDIBLE), there's at least seven people dead. So, you know, the numbers is a lot more, but I'm not sure what exact number.

LEMON: OK, here's what he said. He said there are three people, we believe, three groups who are responsible for this. He said lawyers. and he said we can handle their demands. He didn't seem so concerned about them. He said there's an Islamic group and they were spreading weapons around the streets. And he said there were children and people who were taking drugs and some people who were curious and others who became enthusiastic. So he is -- said there is a division there among people protesting, and it's just not one group, as in Egypt, of people who wanted freedom and democracy.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: Actually, he's showing how different people came together, you know, all lawyers and all -- the lawyers and the Islamicas (ph) and the professors of the university were protesting today together and in the middle of Tripoli, and so people coming together. and what he says about the Islamic people or whatever distributing weapons, that's not true. I live here. Never seen that. I drive around Tripoli all the time, trying to find protesters and joining them, and there is nothing like that. I only hear gunshots. And when I ask, people say, it's like people from other countries protecting the Gadhafi's regime.

LEMON: Has this -- are people likely -- there are people who are watching state television? I would imagine, most people are watching, they're paying close attention to this, to believe --

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: Actually not.

LEMON: OK, go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: Most people -- most people watching al Jazeera and al Arabiya, and there's tons of Arabic channels.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: But what I'm saying, sir, is the people, even al Arabiya and other channels, were most likely airing this live speech by Saif Gadhafi so people are watching at least his words, no matter which network. so what I'm wondering is will they believe him and think that they won't be able to get visas, that they won't be able to see family members, that they won't be able to get food or has it gone on too far and the people want what they want now as they did in Egypt?

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: Yes, I don't think that anybody is going to believe him. This -- this kind of whatever he's saying has been going around in Libya for years. Always, it's been said by the -- I think the government is trying to make this message clear to the people and to make them afraid of protesting against Gadhafi. What they're saying is you're going to be divided and you're going to be -- you're not going to see your relatives in Benghazi and all the stuff, because it's going to be separate countries. That's not going to happen, you know. It's known this is an old tactic by the government and I don't think anybody is going to believe it.

LEMON: OK. Listen, stand by. We want you to stand by. We'll continue to talk to you here with new developments that are happening in Libya.

We're not going to go far away from this breaking news story in Libya. Moammar Gadhafi's son, the leader of Libya, speaking out on state television just a short time ago. And we will bring you more coming up on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GADHAFI (through translation): And tomorrow, all foreign companies, all foreigners will leave. Tomorrow, all petrol companies will leave. Petrol will stop. And from tomorrow, there won't be any petrol. There won't be any money. We won't find a piece of bread. Today, in al Bayda, a piece of bread is a dinar and a half. Next week, it will be 100 dinars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That statement just moments ago from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's son, Saif al Islam Gadhafi, speaking on state television just a short time ago.

I want to bring in now Ali Gebril, who is a Libyan-American. He's been living here for 30 years. He has been watching the coverage very closely and watching the events back in his country.

What do you make of what Saif said?

ALI GEBRIL, LIBYAN-AMERICAN: First of all, I don't know what time of speech was made, earlier today, yesterday, we don't know. Number two, he started saying he's going to say the truth but there's a lot of lies, a lot of misleading information, Mr. Saif will say. And he was obviously, clearly threatening -- making a threat against the Libyan people that either accept us as rulers, that means Gadhafi and his sons and his family and all that, or there will be a chaotic situation, a war. He's threatening the people, trying to petrify the people and threaten them, is what I came up with the conclusion.

LEMON: Ali, I have to ask you, even if it's a threat and you believe he is trying to scare the people, is there some truth, though, to what he is saying? If the protests continue, is there the possibility of chaos? Is there the possibility of burning of petrol, of burning of oil?

GEBRIL: Burning of -- what we have seen through the last 48 hours are people and tribes and cities and towns all across Libya, they are supporting the demands and aspiration of the protesters. and it is the support of these places, all over Libya intensified after the great number of casualties, the great number of innocent people were killed, killed by very, very high caliber machine guns. The threat of burning the oil, I think they are trying to scare the West -- scare the companies and countries who are importing oil from Libya that either they rule or everything will be burned.

LEMON: He said, listen, I want you to remember my words very well. Today, we are at a crossroads. Either we agree today what we want, which is reform, which has already been agreed to. He said that's been agreed to already. He said, we now have five million people now who will have access to a new government, who will have access to new rules. So instead of crying over the deaths of 84, which has been reported, you will be crying over the deaths of many, many more, because everyone in Libya has access to guns and arms and can take up arms, and there are going to be many more injuries. Again, a scare tactic there?

GEBRIL: Again, because if you see the videotapes coming out of the protesters, we have seen civilians with no arms, teenagers and young people. They have no arms. If they have arms, things would be different. Otherwise, it would not be much high casualties. All the people who have arms, the people that -- the army or the militias or the security groups that they have. People don't have access to arms.

LEMON: What about, he is saying we will -- if we do this, he said, I think he said give us 48 hours, and then he went on to say 48 hours and then six hours or something, which really didn't make sense. But he said, but we can go back to having local municipalities, local governments. Of course, we will be a central government, he said, but people can go back and really be in charge of their own communities. Possibility? And if so, that would take years, wouldn't it?

GEBRIL: I don't know what you are trying to say with that because Libyans, they lived in a country with administration before his regime, and even within the regime itself in the early days. there was a good administration. And his father, he shuffled the country over and over and over. He is the one who made this mess of administrating the country. And people are not savages or coming from the forest and don't know how to run their country or how to run education and health and that. He knows that very well.

LEMON: Can you please take us inside what it's what to -- for the average Libyan. He says, instead of it being one dinar, one dinar and a half for one piece of bread, next, it will be 100 dinar. The average person living in Libya, their wages, what they pay for food, how much a piece of bread actually costs?

GEBRIL: Right now, before all this -- I don't know what the price right now, but the average salary is maybe around $400, $300 a month for an engineer, for example. Maybe $1,000 for special engineers, working with some foreign companies. The people who have great wealth and they spend millions and millions and millions are not the ordinary people. Those who are close to the regime. So the dinar and a half for bread is still much for a Libyan. But this is a -- this is a tactic of telling the people that things will be worse. Saif and his father and all the regime, they can save the country a lot of bloodshed, a lot of chaos, a lot of -- by just -- go with the demands of the people. They want a change of regime, a peaceful change of regime. Let us be free, open to everybody, democratic. Even let people can be their own party and be part of the political system. But it has to be equal and free for all.

LEMON: All right. Ali Gebril is a Libyan-American living in the Atlanta area. We'll see him here on set with me tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern here at CNN.

Thank you, sir. I'll see you at 10:00 p.m. eastern.

In the meantime, CNN correspondents are all over this breaking news story in Libya, as well as the movements happening in other countries all across the Middle East. We'll go live to the region next on CNN.

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GADHAFI (through translation): There were people who were killed. This was -- this has inflamed people in Benghazi, but we should talk and be honest. There are people who were killed, but why? There's another reason. There was a mistake by the army, because the citizens were trying to fight the military and the police, so they felt very nervous and stressed. Particularly, that the army are not trained to restrain people and oppress people. So they ended up shooting.

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LEMON: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's son vowing to fight protesters until the bitter end and also warning them that they will be without money and resources if they continue these protests. And Libya's ambassador to the Arab League announced he is resigning today because he says he cannot be part of a regime that is, quote, "killing innocent people."

Let's go to live to Fionnuala Sweeney, who is watching events unfold from Cairo, Egypt.

So, Fionnuala, you talked about the ambassador to the Arab League, his announcement today, and now Moammar Gadhafi's son on television. What do you make of these unfolding events?

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in his address, which lasted about 40 minutes and we believe was recorded earlier in the day, Saif Gadhafi said everybody has their side of the story. And he certainly had his.

He said that what was taking place in Benghazi had been really instigated by drunks, by people on drug, people who are Islamist extremists, he referred to at one point, and children. He said, as you heard there in that clip, that the army was not trained to restrain people. Yet, later on in his speech, toward the end, as he warned many times of the potential for civil war, he said the army would not be like the army in Egypt. The army would stand by Colonel Gadhafi.

I think what is really interesting, if you were a demonstrator in Libya today watching that, having anticipated it for so many hours, which was the carrot and which was the stick. He offered to meet within 48 hours and said it would be essentially a restructuring of the country, warning it was at a national crossroads now, and warning again and again about civil war. Warning that investors would pull out, warning that Libyan would go back to civil war, that they had seen in the 1930s in their history. Warning that this was a country that was -- what's the word -- warning that this was a country that was very sensitive to Islamist extremists. So I think what we should look out for now is what the opposition are going to say and whether or not the streets of Tripoli will remain quiet this evening -- Don?

LEMON: All right, Fionnuala Sweeney standing by in Cairo, Egypt, watching the developments happening in Libya.

Is Libya on the verge of a revolution like Egypt? Only time will tell. Fast-moving developments out of Libya. Much, much more on CNN after a quick break. We're back in a moment.

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