EU did deals with Libya to free HIV-medics

Brussels - In the negotiations to secure the release of the six foreign medics held in Libya, deals were made between the European Union and the Libyan government. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso says talks covered scientific and technical co-operation. He stressed that the EU had not paid anything for the freeing of the five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian doctor. However, the Emir of Qatar is reported to have donated a large sum.

This morning, the six medics were put on a plane to Bulgaria after eight years in jail in Libya. On their arrival, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov announced that they would not have to serve the rest of their terms. They had been given death sentences in Libya for knowingly infecting children with HIV, but the sentences were later commuted to life. From the beginning, many in Europe believed the verdicts against the medics were unfounded. However, last week, the European Union and Bulgaria did agree to pay compensation to each of the children's families.

Emphasis added. There were dozens of hits, all similar stories, in the standard archaeology news search today, and luckily this topic had been posted. Added HAL9000 to the ping, but not to the ping list. :')

HIV medics freed after Libya-EU deal
AP via China Daily
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner traveled to Tripoli with Cecilia Sarkozy, the wife of the French president, to help free the medics and flew with them to Sofia. She signed a two-page deal with Libya, laying out how ties could be boosted, a European source said. "It covers everything -- trade, support for archaeology, illegal immigration, grants for students and visa questions," the European source said. The EU also agreed to help upgrade a hospital in Benghazi, Libya's second city where the infections first appeared in the 1990s... Foreign HIV experts testified that the infections started before the six found guilty arrived at the hospital, and were more likely to be the result of poor hygiene. The victims' families have said the case was part of a Western attempt to undermine Muslims in Libya. Fifty-six of the children have died.

What Libya's government did should have resulted in sanctions, and instead has resulted in rewards. Nice job.

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Sudan says opposition leader sought LibyaÃs support for coup attempt
Sudan Tribune
Posted on 07/14/2007 6:46:14 PM EDT by HAL9000
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1866054/posts

Libyan shakedown
National Post | July 18 2007
Posted on 07/18/2007 6:05:58 PM EDT by knighthawk
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1868018/posts

Libya: Bulgarian nurses and doctor released from prison, depart to Bulgaria
ATS Swiss News Agency via translation | July 24, 2007
Posted on 07/24/2007 1:39:42 AM EDT by HAL9000
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1870609/posts

They more or less took people hostage so they could squeeze something out of the Europeans. Unfortunately since it's well known that the German government pays ransom, as the Italians, that the Spaniards will cave if bombed, that France plays a foreign policy completely to it's own beat, that Italy is worried about a missile threat..... Libya will achieve what they want. Some EU bureaucrat, one of their limp impotent socialist figure heads GUARANTEED made some deal; an offset more or less where a human hostage is used. You see it with the EU and their failed negotiations with Iran, and the EU went into these negotiations with the intent to walk away with a deal even if they have to bend foreword, backward, and sell their mother. What happened, Iran blew them off and the issue quickly faded? Even after this last effort the EU can't agree to really take any punitive measures against Iran. The EU and their position with Hamas and the Palestinians. After Syria more or less began assassinating all moderate leaders within the Palestinian leadership, what did the big bold EU do? Issue a "Condemnation!" of these acts.... They hate being called appeasers, they don't like being called impotent, but guess what they have a legacy of? I'm sure in a few years you'll find out that the EU paid more than "compensatory money" to the families. You'll hear about Libya gaining access to some arms technology or making a major trade deal with some European state as well. These people were most likely taken hostage more or less from day one with the expressed intent to be used as political leverage, the HIV exposure of children is nothing more than a front argument. Libya isn't ruled by any sense of a rule of law. Their kangaroo courts are about as meaningless as the Nazi courts. Europe is a hopeless basket case. It's today almost unbelievable that they made it through the Cold War!

The only question is, what did Libya get for real?

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