Al-Saadi Qadhafi
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Al-Saadi Qadhafi (born May 28, 1973, in Tripoli) is the son of Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi.
A professional soccer player, he plays for Italian Serie B team Perugia, and is captain of the Libyan national soccer team, captain of his home club in Tripoli, and president of the Libyan Football Federation. He was formerly on the board of the Italian team Juventus, which is 7.5% owned by a Libyan consortium, but stepped down to join Perugia. He is also president of World Navigator Entertainment, a movie production company, which is seeking to invest in the Western film industry.
Over the years he has controversial comments. Al-Saadi has a reputation for being a fair bit more liberal than his father. In 2002 he openly stated his belief that Israel does not threaten Libya's security and "Instead of shouting and criticizing the American initiative, you have to bring democracy to your countries, and then there will be no need to fear America or your people...The Arabs should either change or change will be imposed on them from outside."
As Qadhafi's oldest son, Al-Saadi has been touted as a possible successor for ruler of Libya. However he has denied reports that he is interested in his father's job, saying "Many Arab countries are now following the policy of inheriting the leadership, but there are hundreds of Libyans who are better (suited) than I."
External links
- New York Times: Sure, but Will It Play in Tripoli? (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/24/business/yourmoney/24suits.html)