...who single-handedly turned a moderately prosperous kingdom into a dictator's fantasyland...
used for some many years as the showcase for his supposed popularity.
It was so ironic that at the same time that Al Qadaffy has gone underground hiding from the Libyan people and the world in the hope that he could escape capture and an appearance before the
International Criminal Court... where Milosevich died of old age before being convicted ...
to be charged with crimes against humanity, the people were ushering in the new Libya under a new interim government that is set on unifying the people.
A cheering crowd made up of thousands waiving the three-coloured freedom flag of red, black and green heard Jalil make a passionate call for national reconciliation in an effort to move the country toward normality after almost seven months of conflict that ousted dictator Al Qadaffy from power and put an end to his 42-year rule.
Fireworks went
kaboom!overhead and women carried babies dressed in the colours of the revolution on this occasion in Martyrs' Square, which has been named in honour of the people who died as they fought for freedom in the revolution.
Jalil took pains to credit everyone who had helped the revolution, including the NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions...
alliance whose air strikes turned the tide of battle, rebels like a young man who had lost a leg in the fighting and joined the officials on the stage, and women, who he said had played a critical role in the revolution and would be given important positions.
Young people expressed their joy with freedom chants as they heard the interim leader say that the new Libya would focus on youth and women, even adding that some ministries and embassies would be headed by women.
To cheers from the front of the crowd, where women and girls waved flags and showed great enthusiasm he said: "Women will be ambassadors, "Women will be ministers."
In the festive atmosphere that prevailed, Abdul-Jalil seemed to choose his words in not only outlining the road the new Libya would take as it undertakes a nationalist programme that respects beliefs and traditions on the way forward, but also made an effort to convince remaining Al Qadaffy loyalists that they could safely surrender.
During his first public address from Tripoli, a significant one following the ousting of Al Qadaffy, Jalil promised to build "a state of institutions, a state of law," and for Libyans to strive for a civil, democratic state.