Ooops... Daydreamer that I am!! I thought the US-Libya understanding would last a coupla months at least --heck, it hasn't even lasted a coupla weeks!
Again, I told you so: Libya's failure to pass the Israeli litmus test spelled the flop of any rapprochement with the US:
J'lem sources: PMO officials leaked news of Israel-Libya talks
By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent, Reuters and Haaretz Service
Sources in Jerusalem said on Friday that officials in the Prime Minister's Office apparently leaked details of secret contacts between Israel and Libya in a deliberate effort to sabotage attempts to establish diplomatic ties between the two nations.
The initiative to explore prospects for forging ties with Libya was being pursued by Israel's Foreign Ministry despite opposition from some Sharon aides, one Israeli official said.
Meanwhile, in Paris on Friday, Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Abderrhmane Chalgam denied any talks had taken place with Israel.
"No contact at any level can take place without the minister of foreign affairs," he told reporters. "These are rumors."
According to Chalgam, the rumors were spread by Arab countries' security services, Channel One reported Friday.
According to an Israel Radio report, citing an Arabic-language newspaper, Libya has sent a harsh letter to Israel, via a third party, announcing that it is suspending contacts with Jerusalem due to leaks to the press of meetings beteen representatives from the two countries.
According to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, a Pan-Arab daily published in London, Libya accuses Israel of not displaying the minimum level of political ethics in international relations.
The newspaper quotes a senior government source in Jerusalem as saying that the letter is a harsh blow to Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom's efforts to open a new page in relations between Israel and the Arab world.
But the Foreign Ministry told Israel Radio on Friday that it had no knowledge of such a letter.
On Wednesday, the media reported that Foreign Ministry official Ron Prosor had visited Paris to meet with an Arab official to investigate the possibilities of establishing ties with Tripoli.
Earlier in the week, Labor MK Ephraim Sneh confirmed and Shinui MK Ilan Shalgi confirmed that they and a number of Palestinian officials had met with the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi in a European country in August.
Sneh also indicated that the Libyan leader could go as far as to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
haaretzdaily.com
U.S. Refuses to Lift Sanctions on Libya
Mon Jan 5, 9:28 PM ET
WASHINGTON - President Bush refused to lift U.S. sanctions against Libya on Monday, saying Moammar Gadhafi must take concrete steps to fulfill a pledge to scrap his chemical and nuclear weapons programs.
Bush said he was keeping in force a declaration of national emergency first issued by President Reagan in 1986 when the United States blocked Libyan assets in the United States, accusing Gadhafi's regime of sponsoring terrorism.
The U.S. sanctions have denied Libya access to hundreds of millions of dollars in property and bank assets, according to U.S. estimates.
Bush, in a written notice, said Libya's promise last month to abandon weapons of mass destruction marked "an important and welcome step toward addressing the concerns of the world community."
"As Libya takes tangible steps to address those concerns, the United States will in turn take reciprocal tangible steps to recognize Libya's progress," Bush said. "Libya's agreement marks the beginning of a process of rejoining the community of nations, but its declaration of December 19, 2003, must be followed by verification of concrete steps."
The declaration of national emergency has been renewed every year since 1986.
Bush said that "the crisis between the United States and Libya that led to the declaration of a national emergency ... has not been fully resolved, although there have been some positive developments."
The United States abstained from voting last year when the United Nations Security Council acted to end U.N. sanctions against Libya. The U.N. acted after Libya agreed to compensate families of the victims of the Pan Am 103 bombing and to take responsibility for the actions of Libyan officials in the bombing.
Explaining Monday's decision to keep U.S. sanctions in tact, Bush said the United States has "serious concerns" about other Libyan policies and actions, including Libya's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, Libya's role with respect to terrorism, and Libya's poor human rights record.
The White House noted that while Bush is keeping the sanctions in place, he has the power to modify or end the declaration of national emergency whenever he believes it appropriate.
story.news.yahoo.com |
