Libya aims to rejoin international fold

This email-- coming to you from a former admirer of what had been Qaddafi's 
  attempt at using forms of socialism for his vision, and at least the 
theory behind the participatory system (as opposed to representative) in 
the state-- is sent with a heavy heart and certain disillusionment.

Macdonald

Libya aims to rejoin international fold

Saturday 20 December 2003, 16:55 Makka Time, 13:55 GMT

Al-Qadhafi hopes decision will usher in a purple patch for Libya

Libya's surprise decision to scrap its WMD programme was taken to allow the 
country to focus on development and normalise ties with the US and Britain, 
its foreign minister has said.

Muhammad Abd al-Rahman Shalgam told Aljazeera on Saturday that Libya wanted 
to solve all problems and concentrate on development of the country.

"This programme does not benefit our people or country," Shalgam said.

Tripoli's move to drop its weapons of mass destruction programme and allow 
unconditional inspections drew praise from Washington and London.

It was the second dramatic step this year by the Libyan leader in an 
ongoing bid to rejoin the international community.

"We want to have ties with America and Britain because this is in the 
interests of our people," Shalgam added.

He said Libya had been talking to the Americans, adding: "We want to defend 
our people's interests. What have Arabs done for Iraq or Palestine?"

Al-Qadhafi's son Saif al-Islam also said Libya's decision should pave the 
way to better relations with the United States and other major powers.

"It's a critical deal for Libya, because first of all we will get access to 
defensive weapons and no sanctions on Libyan arms imports anymore.

"We will get access to the know-how and technology in sectors which were 
banned...and (which) Libyans were prohibited to study," he told CNN.

Sanctions

Washington bans most economic activity and bars citizens from travelling to 
Libya on US passports without government
permission.

Libya escaped broader UN-imposed international sanctions earlier this year 
after accepting responsibility for the bombing of a Pan Am airliner over 
Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 and paying out billions to the families of 
victims.

It is the 15th anniversary of the bombing on Sunday.

Washington left its sanctions in place, citing suspicions Tripoli was 
seeking biological and chemical weapons.

Uranium devices found

US and British officials visiting weapons production sites in Libya in 
recent months found uranium-enrichment devices and bombs for delivering 
chemical weapons.

The visits came after Libyan officials contacted US and British officials 
in March, initiating nine months of secret talks that culminated on Friday 
with Libya's pledge to renounce weapons of mass destruction, US sources said.

US and British officials saw chemical weapons and signs of a relatively 
advanced nuclear programme on more than 10 site visits in October and 
December, according to a senior White House official who briefed reporters 
on condition of anonymity.

A CIA report to Congress released in November said that Libya had made its 
greatest strides with chemical weapons but had made little progress on its 
longstanding goal of acquiring or developing a nuclear weapon.

The site visits, however, contradicted the latter assessment.

Nuclear progress

"On the nuclear side, my understanding is that they did have a much further 
advanced programme, including centrifuges," devices used to enrich uranium 
for use in nuclear weapons, the official said.

Building a centrifuge "is the long pole in the tent. Once you can do that, 
you can build a bomb," another administration official said, also speaking 
privately.

"They told us that they had this programme that was ultimately intended to 
produce a bomb."

Libya was trying to put together a team of foreign experts to build a 
nuclear weapon, the second official said, declining to say which countries 
where being courted.

Libyan officials also showed their visitors "a significant quantity" of 
mustard gas and aerial bombs that could be filled with mustard gas, as well 
as a dual-use capacity to produce mustard gas and nerve agents.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/BD95B3DE-BB06-4F42-904F-83D56068133E.htm
-- 
Macdonald Stainsby
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
In the contradiction lies the hope
		--Brecht.


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