New York - Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi, in a controversial first appearance before the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, attacked nearly every United Nations programme, tossed the UN charter to the ground and demanded reform that would give the General Assembly sole authority. Speaking for about 90 minutes - way beyond the allotted time of 15 minutes per speaker - Gaddafi repeatedly singled out the UN Security Council and veto-wielding permanent members, calling that body a "terror council."
"The Security Council has since 1945 imposed terror and sanctions against us and for this reason, we should not adhere to its resolutions," Gaddafi said.
Controversy began even before Gaddafi arrived New York. He had wanted to live in a traditional Bedouin tent during the visit, but New York and New Jersey rejected his request to live in Manhattan's Central Park and the Libyan compound in Englewood, New Jersey.
On Tuesday, Gaddafi was blocked by local officials from having his tent erected on an estate in upstate New York owned by billionaire Donald Trump.
Trump may have unwittingly loaned the estate to Libya. His company in a statement said the property was leased to Middle Eastern partners that "may or may not have a relationship to Mr Gaddafi" and it was looking into the issue.
Scotland's release of the Libyan man convicted of the 1988 bombing of a Pan-Am flight over Lockerbie and his return to his country have added to the controversy. Families of the victims, many of whom were Americans, have been vocal critics of the visit.
While Gaddafi was attending the assembly session, demonstrators gathered two blocs from the UN to denounce the Libyan leader.
"Gaddafi is a criminal. He shouldn't be here," said Imam Husham al-Husaini, a Muslim religious leader who came from Dearborn, Michigan. "How could they welcome him?"
But Gaddafi's opponents were outnumbered by a separate, closed-off gathering in the same area that was organized by Libyan officials. Members of the delegation cheered as Gaddafi appeared on a giant television screen to give his first address to the assembly.
He asked the 192-nation assembly, chaired by Libyan diplomat Ali Treki, to adopt a resolution stripping the Security Council of its authority to maintain peace and security around the world and for making all binding UN decisions.
Gaddafi held a copy of the UN Charter to make his arguments, saying that he could not accept the veto, which he criticized for being mainly in the hands of only three countries that defeated Germany in World War II. The countries with v
