LIBYA ARMS EMBARGO LIFTED (by European Union)

Sky News ^ | October 11, 2004 | Sky News Staff

[Stoat]

Libya's Colonel Gaddafi

LIBYA ARMS EMBARGO LIFTED

The European Union has agreed to lift an 18-year-old arms embargo on Libya.

The EU welcomed the country's renunciation of weapons of mass destruction and movement towards "responsible government."

"Libya is among the first countries to dismantle voluntarily its WMD programmes under international supervision through a transparent and cooperative process," a statement said.

Sanctions were imposed on Libya in 1986 because of its role in state-sponsored terrorism.

The EU eased sanctions in 1999 but maintained a series of restrictive measures on key products, notably military equipment.

Italy has since been pressing the EU to lift the arms embargo, in order to allow Libya to purchase equipment to beef up its frontiers.

Rome considers Libya a major hub for clandestine migrants from African countries and has agreed to help the Libyan authorities combat the problem.

:: EU foreign ministers also voiced continued concern over the fate of five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian medic in Libya.

The medical workers are facing a death sentence after being accused of infecting hundreds of children with the AIDS virus.

The EU has protested the sentences and accused the Libyan authorities of violating the rights of the accused.

[My2Cents]

After all these years, why is Gaddafi still a colonel?

[etradervic]

You would think that he would have given himself a promotion by now.

[JediForce]

What is the E.U. going to send in the way of arms ? SPITBALLS ? :-)

[Stoat]

"What is the E.U. going to send in the way of arms ? SPITBALLS ? :-)"

Although I appreciate your humor, it's true that the EU is shaping up to be more of a behemoth Socialist money-pit intent upon head-in-the-sand relativism than in confrontational realism. However, some of the world's largest and finest arms manufacturers are situated within the domain of the EU. I don't expect Heckler-Koch or Fabrique Nationale to get rich supplying a massive EU Army anytime soon, but they will certainly appreciate an opportinity to exchange their wares for Libya's oil money. I would imagine that missile-laden freighters have been waiting offshore Libya waiting for this day. Now they can unload and the cash will flow.