Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, the benevolent leader who bombs his own people, has granted an interview to ABC's Christiane Amanpour — a sure sign that his days are numbered. Although he certainly doesn't think that. Why would they overthrow me? he explains to Amanpour. "My people love me. They would die for me." Well, okay.

As for all those people taking over Libya's eastern half and descending on Tripoli, his explanation is pretty simple: They're just Al Qaeda junkies.

Gadhafi instead blamed al Qaeda for encouraging young people to seize arms from military installations.

He said the people who have taken over Benghazi in eastern Libya are terrorists and al Qaeda operatives. He doesn't believe people are demonstrating against him. He repeated the charge that those who are have been given hallucinogenic drugs — a claim he first made in his televised speech broadcast last week.

He also doesn't understand why the United States and other Western countries are disturbed by reports of him bombing his people from fighter jets, helicopters, and warships. "Perhaps they want to occupy Libya." Please, Qaddafi. If Libya was, say, in the top 10 oil exporting nations, then obviously we'd use this as an excuse to launch a corrupt imperialist venture that fucks up everything. But it's only #12, so whatever.

[Image via AP]