Lois A. Aroian writes in· "A different view of Libya's Qaddafi" [Jan. 18] about "Qaddafi's seemingly interventionist policies" in Africa. She evidently thinks Libya has not been interventionist, merely benevolent. But she omitted to mention several of Qaddafi's 'actions which directly undermine her argument:
- Qaddafi gave verbal, monetary and military support to some of the continent's most barbaric rulers, including Idi Amin and Jean-Bedel Bokassa.
- Libya trained and dispatched the troops which attacked the Tunisian town of Gafsa in January l980.
- Qaddafi aided movements working to overthrow existing governments in some dozen African countries.
- Libya annexed 7,500 square miles of Niger, a similar-sized region of Algeria, and 37,000 square miles of Chad (what is known as the Aozou strip) in 1976. All these areas are thought to contain uranium.
- In Chad, the country Miss Aroian dwells on, Qaddafi has consistently used his money, weapons. and soldiers to manipulate factions in that country's civil war in such a way as to extend his own influence, intending ultimately to control the country. He tried to annex Chad. in 1981, failing only because he lacked the necessary resources. But there is no reason to assume he has given up.
Daniel Pipes
Chicago
