Kashmir should be an independent state: Gaddafi

I / Washington September 24, 2009, 10:29 IST

In a major diplomatic embarrassment to India, the maverick Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has supported the idea of an "independent state" for Kashmir and said that it should be a "Baathist state" between India and Pakistan.  

"Kashmir should be an independent state, not Indian, not Pakistani. We should end this conflict. It should be a Ba'athist state between India and Pakistan," the Libyan leader said in his address to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.  

Instead of his allotted 15 minutes, Gaddafi spoke for nearly 100 minutes during which he slammed both the United States and the United Nations, and termed the Security Council as the terrorist council.  

Gaddafi opposed the induction of big powers into the UN Security Council, saying such a move would further tilt the balance of power.  

In his first speech to the General Assembly, he said opening the doors of the UNSC for big powers would "add more poverty, more injustice, more tension at the world level". "There would be high competition between Italy, Germany, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Japan, Argentina, Brazil."

Stressing that there must be equality among member states, he noted that since India and Pakistan were both nuclear powers, if India had a seat then Pakistan would want one as well.        

"We reject having more seats," said the Libyan leader since it would give "rise to more superpowers, crush the small people."