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Africa North
Gaddafi took revenge on more than 50 foreigners
2010-03-12
I'm suggesting this article be put under "WOT Politix" since Gaddafi has officially declared it a matter of Jihad.

The article is in German. Google's translation is here.
Thank you for bringing this to us, Ebbenter Snirt8446. Agreed with your characterization. Has the good colonel done anything like this before, or is this a significant new behaviour?
As that translation isn't too good, here's a short summary:

In addition to the two Swiss hostages Gaddafi took over 50 additional foreign nationals hostage. They all were employees of Swiss companies in Libya, hailing from Europe, Indonesia and the Philipines.

This has been confirmed by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. These organizations have not received any information concerning the hostages' fate from either Libya, Switzerland or the Swiss companies.

The Swiss companies have kept this matter under wraps because they did not want to compromise the negotiations between Switzerland and Libya or their own business interests.
Posted by:Ebbenter Snirt8446

#3  Note to all non-Libyans:

DON'T GO THERE.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2010-03-12 20:20  

#2  The Bulgarian nurses were taken hostage in 1999 only to be released in 2007 in exchange for a nuclear deal with France.

Gaddafi's hostage taking was not only rewarded, he was allowed to save face as the hostages (and they were hostages nothing else) were released to Bulgaria to serve a jail term. They gained their freedom only through a pardon issued by the Bulgarian president which was protested by Libya.

In 2003 Bulgaria was on track to formally join NATO (2004) and the EU (2007). I don't have a rational explanation for the Bush administration not insisting on the immediate and unconditional release of at least allied nation hostages by Libya, as a precondition to any settlement. Gaddafi was scared of the US in 2003, they should have had the leverage.

Greed for oil isn't really an explanation for me either. I'm certain Gaddafi would have agreed to very generous oil deals in 2003, just to spare his life.

IIRC the Bush administration started supporting the EU's disastrous diplomatic track re the Iran nuclear issue. Maybe it was simply the air going out of the Bush administration, exhaustion setting in after Iraq...
Posted by: Ebbenter Snirt8446   2010-03-12 13:36  

#1  Gaddafi like Saddam is a media whore who joins the babdwagon when it suits him.

Why the West deal with him is beyond me?Oil?
Posted by: Paul2   2010-03-12 10:04  

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