Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi on Saturday invited the Italians he expelled in 1970 to come back to visit or work in his country.
Qaddafi, who threw some 20,000 Italians out to punish Rome for its 1911 to 1941 colonial rule, met with about 100 of them on the last day of his visit to Italy.
Participants said Qaddafi claimed he “saved” the Italians by expelling them because others in the Libyan leadership wanted to imprison them in camps similar to those used by Italy’s fascist regime, which deported and killed thousands in the colony before World War II to put down a revolt.
“That would be impossible to verify, so it’s quite shrewd,” said Gianfranco Prado, a 58-year-old from Rome who grew up in Libya. “You have to admit the man has charisma.”
Although the exiles are still seeking compensation from Libya for confiscated property, most applauded when Qaddafi joined them and shook hands under one of the tents set up in a Rome park for his visit.
“He greeted us like old friends,” said Letterio Alabiso, a 66-year-old businessman who was born in Tripoli and forced out with his wife and two children.
Qaddafi said the former Italian residents would be welcome if they visited Libya or if they chose to work or create a company there.
As with most of Qaddafi’s visit, the meeting with the exiles sparked controversy because it virtually sidelined 6,000 Jews who found refuge in Italy after they were violently expelled Libya in the wake of Israel’s victory in the 1967 Mideast war.
Although they were invited, Jewish community leaders denounced the event, noting that it was being held on the Sabbath, making it impossible for observant Jews to participate.
Qaddafi flew back to Tripoli later, after meeting with Paolo Scaroni, chief executive of energy giant Eni, which has invested heavily in the oil-and-gas rich country.
The two discussed joint projects on the export of gas to Europe and on its use to produce electricity for Libya’s neighboring African countries, Scaroni was quoted by the ANSA news agency as saying.
The four-day visit highlighted the strong political and economic ties between the two countries, capped by Italy’s US$5 billion compensation agreement signed last year to make amends for Rome’s colonial rule. But it was also marked by protests and embarrassment over Qaddafi ‘s controversial remarks on everything from terrorism to women’s rights.
Human rights groups, students and intellectuals protested a recent deal that allows Italy to send immigrants immediately back to Libya if they are intercepted at sea. They also criticized Tripoli’s treatment of the migrants and its poor human rights record.
Qaddafi dismayed some Italian lawmakers by calling for dialogue with terrorists and comparing the 1986 US air strikes on Libya to Osama bin Laden’s terror attacks.
On Friday he drew jeers when, addressing hundreds of prominent women, he criticized Islam’s treatment of women but then suggested it should be up to male relatives to decide if a woman can drive a car.
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