'My People Love Me': Moammar Gadhafi Denies Demonstrations Against Him Anywhere in Libya

U.S. Exclusive: Christiane Amanpour Sits Down for an Interview With Libya's Embattled Leader

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK By CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR

TRIPOLI, Libya, Feb. 28, 2011

I interviewed Col. Moammar Gadhafi this evening, when he told me he could not step down because he is not a president or king, and denied there were demonstrations against him anywhere in Libya. 

"They love me. All my people with me, they love me," he said. "They will die to protect me, my people."

We conducted the interview at a beachfront restaurant in the Corniche, a coastal road on Tripoli's Mediterranean coast. Dressed in his flowing trademark robes and gold-rimmed aviator sunglasses, Gadhafi looked every inch the flamboyant character he's known to be. The longtime leader, who didn't seem to be surrounded by huge amounts of security, seemed relaxed and focused. Walking unabashedly into the restaurant, Gadhafi wanted to show he's not hiding in any underground bunker and that he believes he's still very much in charge. 

Read the rest of the article on: ABC