Posted on 03/24/2004 7:03:22 PM PST by Pikamax
UK firms line up big Libya deals
Blair praises Gadafy's courage ahead of historic visit
Nicholas Watt in Lisbon Thursday March 25, 2004 The Guardian
Tony Blair will today pave the way for blue chip British companies to cash in on Libya's multibillion pound defence and oil industries when he pays a historic visit to the former pariah, Colonel Muammar Gadafy, in his tent on the outskirts of Tripoli. Within days of today's meeting, which will mark the symbolic ending of three decades of isolation for Tripoli, the oil giant Shell is expected to sign an agreement to allow it to drill for gas off the Libyan coast.
Britain's leading defence manufacturer, BAE, is also said by British officials to be in advanced negotiations to supply civilian aircraft equipment to the country.
Senior British officials made clear this could quickly lead to lucrative defence contracts if - as seems increasingly likely - the EU lifts its arms embargo against Libya. Tripoli is understood to be keen to buy night vision equipment for troops and military aircraft radar systems.
As a gesture of goodwill to Col Gadafy, who was praised by Mr Blair last night for "courageously" agreeing to abandon his weapons of mass destruction programme, Britain is to train Libyan army officers and to offer advice to the country's military. This will be particularly welcomed by Col Gadafy who trained in Britain before seizing power in a 1969 coup.
The speed of the Shell and BAE deals is likely to fuel criticism that one of Mr Blair's foreign policy triumphs has ended up benefitting wealthy British businesses - as part of an "arms for oil" deal.
As he prepared to become the first British prime minister to shake hands with the man denounced by former US president Ronald Reagan in the 1980s as a "mad dog", and the first British prime minister to step foot in Libya since Winston Churchill in 1943, Mr Blair last night hailed Britain's rapprochement with Libya as a tangible benefit of his muscular foreign policy.
Brushing off Tory criticism that the visit was insensitive to the victims of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, Mr Blair said in Lisbon: "Let us offer to states that want to renounce terrorism and the development of WMD our hand in partnership to achieve it - as Libya has rightly and courageously decided to do. That does not mean forgetting the pain of the past, but it does mean recognising change where it happens."
The prime minister's final remarks were a barely disguised swipe at the Tories, who - despite officially endorsing Britain's engagement with Libya - criticised Mr Blair's visit as insensitive to the relatives of the Lockerbie bombing and other violence perpetrated by Libya.
The Tory attempt to make political capital out of today's visit, first by Michael Howard on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, then by his deputy Michael Ancram in the Commons - backfired when relatives of the Lockerbie victims endorsed the visit. Downing Street had taken the precaution of asking two ministers to give the families advance warning of today's visit.
The prime minister, who fully expected the Tory attack, wanted to focus the thrust of his message last night on a defence of his twin track approach to dealing with renegade states and terrorists.
A carrot is on offer for those who are willing to negotiate on "honourable" terms, such as Libya and the IRA, but a stick will be wielded against those unwilling to change, such as Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida.
Recalling how he had flown to Madrid for yesterday's memorial service from Northern Ireland, Mr Blair said: "I came to Spain from Northern Ireland, where we have worked so hard, for so long, to bring a durable peace in place of terrorism. I believe in trying to negotiate when negotiations can achieve peace on honourable terms. But al Qaida and the religious fanaticism that unites them and similar groups have no demands we can negotiate on, honourably or otherwise. We either defeat them or live under their shadow of fear."
Standing next to the Portuguese prime minister, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, Mr Blair set out a six point plan for the international community to follow to unite against terrorism:
· Root out and defeat terrorism in every country;
· Help Iraq become a sovereign, independent and democratic state;
· Offer similar assistance to Afghanistan;
· Offer the "hand of partnership" to renegade states that want to come in from the cold;
· Offer renewed impetus to the Middle East peace process;
· Admit Turkey to the EU - allowing Europe to show it is not exclusively Christian.
Mr Blair will attempt to put his grand vision into practice this morning when he meets Col Gadafy for an hour and three quarters.
British officials said Mr Blair was determined to "reward" Col Gadafy for his decision to abandon his WMD programme as soon as it became clear that the eccentric "leader of the Libyan revolution" would live up to his commitments. British and US officials have been delighted by the cooperation, which saw a shipment of nuclear material to the US earlier this month.
Britain's trading links with Libya will be close to the top agenda. This will mark an extraordinary turnaround for a country that was cast into oblivion in the 1980s when it armed the Provisional IRA and supported terrorism, culminating in the Lockerbie bombing, the worst terrorist atrocity in Europe.
The prime minister acknowledged that he was taking a risk in meeting Col Gadafy. "There is always a risk on this. I understand the pain of those people who lost their loved ones in Lockerbie. But if we can make this change come about, we should take every risk to do so."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.