Libya may be first Arab state with nukes, Sharon warns
Friday, September 6, 2002
JERUSALEM — Israel has warned the Libya could become the first Arab nation with nuclear weapons.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Libya is working with such countries as Iraq, North Korea and Saudi Arabia to develop missiles and weapons of mass destruction. Sharon indicated that Libya has obtained expertise to launch a project to develop nuclear weapons.
"Libya is becoming perhaps a more dangerous country than we thought," Sharon said on national television on late Wednesday. "Libya may be the first [Arab] country to have the worst kind of weapons of mass destruction."
Sharon did not specify which type of weapons Libya would obtain. But he indicated that he meant nuclear weapons. Libya already has chemical weapons. "Probably the worst kind," Sharon said.
The prime minister said Libya is obtaining missile and WMD help from Iraq, North Korea and Pakistan. Sharon said some of the programs could have been financed by Saudi Arabia.
Israeli officials said Sharon went public with his accusations against Libya after several consultations with U.S. officials and congressional leaders. They said Sharon discussed his concerns over Libya last month during a meeting with visiting U.S. Sen. Robert Toricelli.
The officials said Washington largely shares the concerns of Israel regarding Libya's intermediate-range missiles and WMD programs. Both countries are said to share the assessment that Libya is rapidly developing a missile based on North Korea's No-Dong, in a project that involves Iran.
But the Israeli officials said the State Department and other agencies have concluded that Libyan ruler Moammar Khaddafy is moving away from terrorism and wants to reconcile with the United States and the West. They said this has raised the prospect that the State Department could remove Libya from its list of terrorist sponsors over the next year.
"This is a new strategy [by Khaddafy]," a senior Israeli official said. "They are in close contact with the Egyptians and they are telling Khaddafy to behave nicely and do everything he has to do beneath the surface. There is a significant [Libyan] effort regarding missiles and the start of something in WMD.
On Tuesday, Libya and Saudi Arabia signed a series of economic agreements that include scientific and technological cooperation. Israeli officials said the accords appear to be part of increasing strategic ties that are connected to Libyan missile and WMD projects.
Hours later, Libya denied Sharon's assertion. A Libyan government statement accused the Israeli prime minister of hysteria.
For his part, Khaddafy has asserted that he has abandoned what he termed "revolutionary behavior" and now opposes Islamic insurgents, including Al Qaida.
""In the old days, they called us a rogue state," Khaddafy said in a speech on national television last week. "They were right in accusing us of that. In the old days, we had a revolutionary behavior."
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