Gingrich told supporters attending a political rally in his
home district Saturday night that he was seeking another term in
Congress and another term as speaker of the U.S. House of
Representatives.
The Georgia Republican sounded, however, more like a
presidential candidate as he criticized Clinton, saying the U.S.
president should have emphatically responded to South African
President Nelson Mandela who Friday urged him to make peace with
Cuba and Libya.
"I feel passionately about explaining to the world our
positions,'' Gingrich told 12,000 supporters in his home
district. "They are important to the future of the entire human
race because they go to the core of the concept of the rule of
law.
"If we can't make our case to the world,'' he said, "how
can the world learn?''
Gingrich called for Mandela to join the United States in its
embargoes of Cuba and Libya. He said the embargoes must stand
until Cuban leader Fidel Castro allows democratic elections and
Libya's Muammar Gaddafi turns over two terrorists convicted of
bombing Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988.
"I have the greatest respect for Nelson Mandela. He is a
wonderful human being,'' Gingrich said. "but at the same time
you have to say, 'Dear Mr. President, the Cubans who today are
locked up deserve to be free just as much as you did.'''
Mandela served 27 years in prison for his part in the
struggle against apartheid.
Gingrich, who was first elected to the House in 1978, said
he is proud of the United States for being firm with Gaddafi.
"We are not going to deal with somebody while he is
harboring terrorists and refusing to turn them over to the World
Court,'' he said. "What (Clinton) should say to South Africa
is, 'I wish you would cut off your ties until he turns over the
terrorists.'''
When asked before his speech whether he was going to run for
president, Gingrich said, "This is a long way off.
© Reuters Ltd.