-This Original Radio recording from 1969 is an document of greatest value...!!!

-This communique was read by Captain Muammar Al-Gaddafi over Libyan Radio at about 7 AM, local time, on September 1st, 1969; he had drafted it in the radio studio only minutes before...!!!

*Full transcription:

-In the name of God, the most gracious and the most merciful.

-People of Libya! In response to your own will, fulfilling your most heartfelt wishes, answering your incessant demands for change and regeneration and your longing to strive towards these ends; listening to your incitement to rebel, your armed forces have undertaken the overthrow of the reactionary and corrupt regime, the stench of which has sickened and horrified us all. At a single blow your gallant army has toppled these idols and has destroyed their images. By a single stroke it has lightened the long dark night in which the Turkish domination was followed first by Italian rule, then by this reactionary and decadent regime, which was no more than a hot-bed of extortion, faction, treachery and treason.

-From this day forward, Libya is a free, self-governing republic. She will adopt the name of The
Libyan Arab Republic and will, by the grace of God, begin her task. She will advance on the road to freedom, the path of unity and social justice, guaranteeing equality to all her citizens and throwing wide in front of them the gates of honest employment, where injustice and exploitation will be banished, where no one will count himself master or servant, and where all will be free, brothers within a society in which, with God's help, prosperity and equality will be seen to rule us all.

-Give us your hands. Open up your hearts to us. Forget past misfortunes, and, as one people, prepare to face the enemies of Islam, the enemies of humanity, those who have burned our sanctuaries and mocked at our honour. Thus shall we re-build our glory, we shall resurrect our heritage, we shall avenge our wounded dignity, and restore the rights which have been wrested from us.

-You who have witnessed the sacred struggle of our hero, Omar Al-Mukhtar, for Libya, Arabism and Islam ... You who have fought at the side of Ahmed Al-Sherif for a true ideal; you, sons of the desert and of our ancient cities, of our green country side, and of our lovely villages - onwards! For we have work to do! And the hour is come!

-On this occasion I have pleasure in assuring all our foreign friends that they need have no fears either for their property or for their safety; they are under the protection of our armed forces. And I would add, moreover, that our enterprise is in no sense directed against any state whatever, nor against international agreements or recognised international law. This is a purely internal affair concerning Libya and her problems alone.

-Forward, then, and may peace be with you.

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