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| Africa: North |
| Libya to join US and UK in ’war on terror |
| 2004-03-25 |
| Libya on Thursday brought to an end decades of international isolation as a pariah state with a promise to join forces with the US and Britain in the war against terrorism. It is to provide more intelligence to help root out al-Qaeda and on Thursday secured a gas exploration deal with Shell that could be worth billions of dollars. Tony Blair, UK prime minister, held two hours of talks with Colonel Muammer Gadaffi in a bedouin tent a few miles outside Tripoli, the first time a British leader has set foot in the country since 1943. He emerged afterwards to declare the Libyan leader an important ally and urged other Arab countries to follow Tripoli’s example. The historic talks sealed a dramatic and rapid transformation of Libya’s standing in the international community, a process that started in earnest in December when it unexpectedly renounced its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. That decision followed more than a year of secret negotiations with Britain and the US. "We are showing by our engagement with Libya today that it is possible for countries in the Arab world by working with the US and UK to defeat the common enemy of extremists, fanatical terrorism driven by al-Qaeda," Mr Blair said. He was struck "not only [by] Libya’s determination to carry on down this path of co-operation but also his [Colonel Gadaffi’s] recognition that Libya’s own future is best secured by a new relationship with the outside world." The prime minister, risking further political controversy at home, announced a big gas exploration deal, under which Shell, the Anglo-Dutch energy group, will spend at least $200m on a liquefied natural gas project. A Shell official said successful finds could lead to billions more being invested. The investment, coupled with the prospect of a civil aerospace deal with BAE Systems in a month’s time, is a tangible reward for Libya. Intelligence sharing arrangements between Tripoli and London are expected to be strengthened as part of Colonel Gadaffi’s commitment to help in the war against terror. Britain, meanwhile, is to give Libya expert advice in devising a new conventional defence strategy now that it has scrapped its weapons of mass destruction. Although the Libyan leader appeared only briefly and did not speak to reporters, Abdulrahman Shalgam, his foreign minister, explained the country’s determination to fight al-Qaeda, now widely suspected to be responsible for the Madrid bombings, alongside the US and Britain. "For us, they are a realobstacle against our progress, against our security, against women, against the new culture, against moderation and against any change in our region," he said. Colonel Gadaffi’s hatred of al-Qaeda dates back to an assassination attempt, for which he issued an international warrant for the arrest of Osama bin Laden in 1999. The dictator has long been regarded as a target for Islamic extremists. Mr Shalgam said Libya wanted to discuss oil and gas projects with investors from the US, Britain and China. There were 180 oil concessions available. It planned to upgrade old fields and develop its petrochemicals industry. |
| Posted by:Mr. Davis |
| #2 Glad to see Kadaffi sees the light. He's probably salivating at all the economic benefits Libya will reap from his change of heart. Good for him says I. |
| Posted by: JerseyMike 2004-03-25 7:58:24 PM |
| #1 We require 500 tight fitting cammies. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-03-25 6:55:17 PM |