Gaddafi to Obama: End air strikes

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appealed directly to President Barack Obama on Wednesday to halt what the Libyan leader called "an unjust war" and wished Obama good luck in his bid for re-election next year.

In a rambling, three-page letter to Obama obtained by The Associated Press, Gaddafi implored Obama to stop the NATO-led air campaign, which he called an "unjust war against a small people of a developing country."

"You are a man who has enough courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action," Gaddafi wrote in the letter that was sent to the State Department and forwarded immediately to the White House, according to a US official who had seen the letter. "I am sure that you are able to shoulder the responsibility for that."

"To serving world peace ... Friendship between our peoples ... and for the sake of economic, and security cooperation against terror, you are in a position to keep NATO off the Libyan affair for good," Gaddafi wrote.

'Your excellency, Abu oumama'

White House press secretary Jay Carney confirmed that the White House received a letter from Gaddafi. As for Gaddafi's appeal for a ceasefire, Carney appeared to dismiss it for now.

"The conditions the president laid out are clear," Carney told reporters traveling with Obama to New York.

Addressing Obama as "our son" and "Excellency," Gaddafi said his country had been hurt more "morally" than "physically" by the NATO campaign and that a democratic society could not be built through missiles and aircraft. He also repeated his claim that his foes are members of al-Qaeda.

The letter, in stilted and formal English, includes numerous spelling and grammatical errors.

"Our dear son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu oumama, your intervention is the name of the USA is a must, so that Nato would withdraw finally from the Libyan affair," Gaddafi wrote. "Libya should be left to Libyans within the African union frame."

Although he listed a litany of complaints, Gaddafi said he bears no ill will toward Obama. The letter, dated April 5, 2011 in Tripoli is signed by "Mu'aumer Qaddaffi, Leader of the Revolution."

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