Cash-strapped pilot stalls Arab League head's flight

Jerusalem Post ^ | 3/3/02 | Staff Writer

[veronica]

The fallout from Egypt's shortage of dollars delayed the flight of a plane taking the head of the Arab League to see Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi today. Cairo airport authorities demanded that the captain of the executive jet pay its fuel bill of $152 in the American currency, airport officials said.

The captain of the Libyan aircraft, which had flown to Cairo to pick up Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, had the cash, but it was in euros. Cairo airport accepts only US dollars for fuel payments.

Officials said the captain tried to change his euros into dollars, but none of the seven Egyptian banks at the airport would sell him dollars - even though they receive thousands of dollars a day from incoming tourists.

For several months, people trying to buy dollars at Egyptian banks have had to apply in writing, owing to the country's shortage of the currency.

The plane took off, 10 minutes late, after a Libyan diplomat Abdel-Hakim Mohammed Idris pledged to pay for the fuel in dollars and surrendered his identity card as collateral, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Moussa flew to see Gadhafi because he said Saturday he wanted to withdraw Libya from the "ridiculous" Arab League which was "unable to arrive at any solutions" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

[Cicero]

Two billion dollars a year from the American taxpayer and Egypt is strapped for cash? Another reason for thinking that Muslims and Democrats are much the same.

[veronica]

FYI.

[cake_crumb]

This is probably the strangest article I've read today. Isn't Qaddafi the guy who offered $10,000 to each Palestinian family who had a relative convenienty "martyred" in Israel?

[Cvengr]

Well, it looks like the Euro hasn't quite caught on everywhere yet!

[JAWs]

SHows you where their fiscal prioities lie.

[Jen]

Attention FReepers: We interrupt this thread for a brief announcement regarding our sponsor:

It's FReepathon Time!

A FReepathon Cheer

Click, click, click this thread!
Give, give, give some bread!
Click this thread
Give some bread
Let's FReep till we're dead!

Thank you. We now return you to your regular postings.

[ppaul]

Ambassadors of the Religion of Peace

``We must educate our children on the love of holy war for the sake of God and the love of fighting for the sake of God,''
- Sheik Mohammed Ibrahim al-Madhi said in a mosque sermon broadcast on state-controlled Palestinian TV last month.

Islamic Jihad is running a summer school - to teach boys the benefits of becoming suicide bombers.

[Jhoffa_]

Well, it looks like the Euro hasn't quite caught on everywhere yet!

My thought also..

A currency as stable and dependable as all of Europe? Sorry, we only want greenbacks.

[Catspaw]

LOL! The only thing that talks worldwide is US dollars :-))

[timestax]

Two billion dollars a year from the American taxpayer and Egypt is strapped for cash? Another reason for thinking that Muslims and Democrats are much the same. 2 posted on 3/3/02 3:44 PM Pacific by Cicero [

DITTO !!