Friday, February 6, 2004
CNN.com - West brings Libya in from cold - Feb. 6, 2004
Prime Minister Tony Blair's meeting with Libyan foreign minister Abdel Rahman Mohammed Shalgam in London will be the highest-level talks between the two countries in more than 20 years.
The Foreign Office says Shalgam will on Tuesday discuss with Blair and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw issues including Libya's commitment to rid itself of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
U.S. officials told Reuters their delegation to the talks with the Libyans, led by Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, could discuss easing sanctions and restoring an American diplomatic presence in Tripoli, although they have said they do not expect early decisions...
...Last year it agreed to pay $2.7 billion to relatives of the 270 people killed in a Pan Am airliner blown up by a Libyan agent in 1988 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Early this year, it also agreed to pay $170 million in compensation to the families of 170 people killed in the 1989 bombing of a French UTA airliner...
Not that that would stop the French from doing business with Libya. See below.
Isn't it amazing what can be accomplished when a country truly cooperates in a disarmament program?
European oil firms such as France's Total and Italy's Agip have exploited the lack of competition from the U.S. to sign lucrative deals in Libya, which produces about 1.4 million barrels a day and is a member of OPEC.
I don't think the Europeans do sanctions like we do sanctions.
"Our goal is to generally help Libya along the track to entering the international mainstream."
And what's nice is that this new path will be walked by verified performance - not backroom realpolitik deals at the UN.
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