http://www.libya-web.net
Friday,
30 September, 2005:
By exploring new locations, Libyan oil reserves are expected to increase
by 70 billion barrels to reach 105 billion barrels, said Wednesday a
Libyan official. In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the
sidelines of the 18th World Petroleum Congress (WPC), the official from
Libya's National Oil Company (NOC), Tareq Hassan Bek, said Libya has
been encouraging international oil companies to invest in the
much-needed explorations because only 37 percent of Libyan areas have
been explored. He said Libya has already qualified 15 oil firms to
invest and explore 45 areas after 120 had presented their bids, adding
that next October 2 signifies the end of the second bidding phase that
includes exploring 44 areas. [KUNA]
Friday,
30 September, 2005:
Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has announced it is looking at expanding its
business in Libya and will participate in an
exhibition for UAE-based companies as part of its growth plans. The bank
will promote its financial packages at the 'UAE in Libya' event taking
place from 27-30 November, when companies looking to break into
re-opened markets will converge on Tripoli as part of the
government-backed event. [AME]
Friday,
30 September, 2005:
[Libyan leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi] and president Idriss Deby discussed
Thursday the process of the Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) community and
the latest situations in Darfur region. President Deby arrived in Libya
Thursday afternoon at Sirte international airport where he was received
by Major-General Alkhwaldi Alhmeadi. [LJBC]
Friday,
30 September, 2005:
A global oil conference concluded Thursday in South Africa's
Johannesburg with calls for more investment in African oil ... The 18th
World Petroleum Congress was convened against a backdrop where Africa
plays increasingly important role in the global oil market, in which
crude oil prices have soared sky-high during the past two years.
Officials from oil-rich Nigeria, Algeria, Angola and
Libya told delegates attending the congress that vast oil and gas
investment opportunities are emerging in Africa. [People's Daily]
Friday,
30 September, 2005:
Three Egyptian men yesterday appeared in court to answer charges of
ferrying irregular immigrants over to Malta. The three, Tamer Ibrahim
Attia, 25, Hassan Mabruk Ali, 27, Wagdi Abdel Gawad, 26, claimed they
worked as fishermen in Libya. The prosecution
claims that they were the captain, his assistant and the mechanic on a
boat used to ferry the last batch of irregular immigrants who arrived in
Malta on 25 September. [Independent]
Friday,
30 September, 2005:
Aisha al-Qadhafi, daughter of the Libyan leader Qadhafi commended what
she called the Iraqi resistance men and called for not keeping silence
over what is taking place in Iraq of violations. Aisha al-Qadhafi said,
in the inauguration of the conference on the violations of human rights
under the invasion and occupation of Iraq, which is organized by
Wa'tasimou Association "Observe a sit in" which she presides over, that
the Iraqi men of resistance were able to destroy the dreams of America
on their rock." The conference is attended by several former Iraqi
detainees who were tortured in Abu Ghreib prison. [Arabic News]
Friday,
30 September, 2005:
A Belgian judge has indicted Hissene Habre, the former dictator of Chad,
charging him with large-scale human rights violations, and has issued an
international warrant, the Justice Ministry announced Thursday. Mr.
Habre was once supported by the United States, which provided him with
considerable military aid because it found him useful as a bulwark
against Col. Mu'ammar el-Qadhafi in Libya.
But Mr. Habre's violent campaigns against his opponents led to his
overthrow. [The New York Times]
Thursday,
29 September, 2005:
President Bush on Wednesday issued an order to let U.S. companies work
with Libya to destroy its stockpile of chemical weapons - a move the
U.S. is taking in response to Libya's voluntary efforts to disarm. In
another order, the president waived restrictions on Libya so it can
refurbish eight C-130 aircraft the nation bought from the United States
in the 1970s. Libya owns the aircraft, but never took possession of the
planes that are stored in the U.S. Bush's actions waived certain
restrictions of the Arms Export Control Act, which prohibits defense
exports to Libya because it is on Washington's list of states that
sponsor terrorism. The waivers are in keeping with the U.S. commitment
to unblock Libyan property in the United States and respond to Libya's
steps to disarm. [AP]
Thursday,
29 September, 2005:
The head of the Libyan delegation at the General Conference of the
International Atomic Energyu Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, Maatoug
Mohamed Maatoug, held a working session with the president of the
Argentinian Nuclear Energy Office, Jose Abriata, official sources in
Tripoli said Tuesday. The meeting focused on cooperation between the two
countries, in particular on issues related to desalination by using
nuclear energy that meet the security standards as defined by IAEA, the
sources said. During the talks, held alongside the IAEA proceedings in
the Austrian capital, Abriata informed Maatoug, Libya's Defence Force,
Training and Employment Minister, of his country's readiness to
cooperate with Libya in the nuclear field by bringing its technical and
scientific assistance. [Africast]
Thursday,
29 September, 2005:
Libya is looking to date palm and olive crops – valuable trading
commodities in the Mediterranean – as potential ways of supplementing
its oil revenues. As part of this forward investment, the Libyan Date
Palm and Olive Development and Improvement Corporation wanted to ensure
it had enough 'elite plant material' to guarantee a steady flow of
plants from their micro-propagation units near the Mediterranean coast.
Plant experts from the University of the West of England (UWE) are
helping to achieve this aim. Links between UWE and Libya began around
eight years ago, and since then two MSc graduates from Al-Fateh
University in Tripoli came to UWE to do their PhDs. They have now
returned to teach at their home University. [Innovations Report]
Thursday,
29 September, 2005:
Romanian prosecutors questioned the chief executive of the country's
second-largest oil company, Rompetrol, on Wednesday over accusations of
manipulating the stock exchange. In May, prosecutors briefly detained
Rompetrol Chairman Dinu Patriciu on charges of money laundering and tax
evasion. That investigation relates to money received by Rompetrol from
Libya for a debt from the 1980s when Rompetrol was owned by the
state. Prosecutors say the state is owed more than $30 million, but
Rompetrol claims it implicitly bought the debt when it acquired the
company. [AP]
Wednesday,
28 September, 2005:
Occidental Petroleum Corp. said Tuesday it will deliver the first
shipment of oil to the U.S. from Libyan fields since international
sanctions were levied against the North African country nearly 20 years
ago. Los Angeles-based Occidental resumed operating oil fields in Libya
after winning nine of 15 bids for exploration in January. The first
shipment by Occidental, the country's fourth largest oil company, will
bring 900,000 barrels of low-sulfur crude to the U.S. Occidental has
three oil-producing properties and interests in 13 exploration blocks in
Libya, making tit he largest oil operator in the country, and its
Libya-based production will add about 22,000 barrels a day to
Occidental's 2005 production rate. [Los Angeles Times]
Wednesday,
28 September, 2005:
Libya requested foreign companies employing expatriates to train Libyans
to prepare them to replace foreign workers. Labor ministry official,
Fathallah bin Jareed, told employment agencies Tuesday that they 'should
give priority to Libyans seeking work rather than importing workers from
abroad.' He said foreign companies requesting permission to employ
expatriates were asked to carry out training for Libyans to fill vacant
positions for which foreigners are sought. [UPI]
Wednesday,
28 September, 2005:
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak discussed the Darfur peace talks with
leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi Tuesday, shortly after the Egyptian leader
took the oath for a fifth term. Qadhafi flew to Cairo for Mubarak's
inauguration Tuesday. In their talks after the ceremony, Mubarak and
Qadhafi concentrated on Sudan and the negotiations to bring peace to its
western region of Darfur, where more than two years of fighting has left
about 180,000 people dead and 2 million people displaced. [AP]
Wednesday,
28 September, 2005:
Libya's telecommunication company Almadar, has signed a contract with
Swedish's Ericsson to expand its capacity and coverage throughout Libya.
Under the agreement, Ericsson will supply its Softswitch solution for a
major coverage and cost-efficient growth. Ericsson will also provide
Almadar with a radio network; deliver a charging system; and provide GPS
capability. Almadar is one of the mobile operators in Libya. It is owned
by the General Company for Post and Telecommunication. [LJBC]
Tuesday,
27 September, 2005:
The recent release by the Libyan authorities of five long-term prisoners
of conscience was an encouraging step, Amnesty International (AI) said
today, and raised hopes that other long-held prisoners of conscience
will also soon be freed. The five prisoners who were released on 10 and
11 September - Ramadan Shaglouf, Tariq al-Dernawi, Tawfiq al-Jehani, Ali
Be'aou and Musa al-Ziwi - had all been held since 1998. They were
serving prison terms up to life after being convicted of belonging to
the Islamic Alliance Movement, a banned political group. The recent
releases follow increasing speculation that the Libyan authorities are
preparing to release scores of other political prisoners, including
prisoners of conscience. In particular, a committee established at the
behest of Libyan leader Qadhafi reportedly concluded recently that some
85 imprisoned members of the Libyan Islamic Group had neither used nor
advocated violence and should be released. Many of them have been held
since June 1998. Amnesty International said it was particularly
concerned about two other prisoners who are apparently held for peaceful
expression of their opinions but who do not appear to be among those
mooted for release, Fathi el-Jahmi and Abdurrazig al-Mansouri. [AI]
Tuesday,
27 September, 2005:
Libya expects international oil companies to spend $7 billion on
exploration in the country between 2005 and 2015, an official of the
national oil corporation said Monday. Tarek Hassan Beck, director of
planning for Libya's National Oil Corporation, said at a Johannesburg
oil conference that the figure was part of a 10-year government plan to
develop the country's oil riches. Libya has started tendering blocks to
foreign companies after most U.S. sanctions were lifted last year. The
official, whose exact title wasn't given in the conference's program,
said the plans see at least 50 wildcat fields drilled each year over the
next ten years. He said the country is targeting 20 billion new barrels
of oil equivalent to be found in the next campaign, out of the 144
billion Libya believes are yet to be discovered. Discoveries in the
oil-rich North African country already amount to 76 billion barrels, he
said. [Dow Jones]
Tuesday,
27 September, 2005:
The son of Libyan leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi says Monday he has signed
agreements with Canadian officials that will lead to the once-isolated
country getting preferential trading status with Canada. Seif al-Islam
al_Qadhafi, an unofficial ambassador for the North African country, said
Monday he has met with Prime Minister Paul Martin and other senior
government officials during his trip to this country. "This trip has
been a success because we managed to frame the scope of the whole
Canadian-Libyan relation for the next years; we have laid the
foundation," Qadhafi, one of the dictator-leader's eight sons, said in
an interview. [CP]
Tuesday,
27 September, 2005:
The senior son and likely heir to Libyan dictator Moammar Qadhafi says
his bitter, decade-long personal feud with Canada is over, thanks to his
new, warm friendship with Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew.
Seif al-Islam al-Qadhafi, 33, in Canada on an "unofficial" visit that
included personal meetings on Thursday with Mr. Pettigrew and Prime
Minister Paul Martin, remains touchy about the way Canadian officials
treated him more than a decade ago. Then 22, Mr. Qadhafi was denied a
student visa because of Libya's role in the bombing in 1988 of Pan Am
Flight 103, which killed all 270 people on board. [The Globe and Mail]
Tuesday,
27 September, 2005:
Libyans are expected to observe a solar eclipse 3 October, according to
the national space science Centre. The Centre said in a statement the
eclipse would be seen above the Atlantic Ocean through Portugal, Spain,
then north-west to south-east of Libya, then through Sudan, before
tapering off the Indian Ocean. It would last approximately four minutes
and thirty two seconds in Libya. The last eclipse seen in the Libyan
skies on 29 April 1976, lasted for six minutes and forty-one seconds, in
the north-west of the country. It will coincide this year with the
beginning of the month of Ramadan, the Muslims' fasting period. [Angop]
Tuesday,
27 September, 2005:
One hundred universities world-wide are teaching Kiswahili due to its
increasing popularity among students, a lecturer said yesterday.
Professor Mugyabuzo Mulokozi, who teaches at the University of
Dar-es-Salaam [Kenya], says 50 of the universities teaching the language
are in US. Mulokozi said Kiswahili teachers were in demand, adding that
Libya had advertised for 1,000 of them to teach in its secondary
schools. [The Standard]
Tuesday,
27 September, 2005:
Nuclear equipment that was airlifted from Libya 20 months ago remains
housed at Oak Ridge's Y-12 nuclear weapons plant [USA]. Oak Ridge
officials have confirmed the equipment as at the plant, but refuse to
discuss what is being housed, where it's being housed or future plans
for the equipment. Y-12 General Manager Dennis Ruddy says nuclear and
intelligence experts are studying the equipment, which can be used to
enrich uranium to make weapons of mass destruction. They are trying to
learn more about the Libya nuclear program. A US-led team airlifted the
materials from Libya in January of 2004. The airlift was part of a
program to force Libyan leaders to abandon their nuclear program. [AP]
Monday,
26 September, 2005:
Libya is a better friend than an enemy and would be a good ally in the
Arab world, according to two Hoosiers who have met with Libyan leader
Qadhafi recently. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., has encouraged the Bush
administration to take the next steps to bring Libya fully into the
world community. Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd, said the Bush administration
should quicken its pace in putting relations with Libya on the same
footing with most other countries in the world. Although rules that
prevented Americans from doing business in and traveling to Libya were
lifted in late 2003 when it dismantled its WMD program, some
restrictions remain because Libya is still on the U.S. list of countries
that sponsor terrorism. Both Lugar and Souder pointed out that Libya is
an oil-rich nation, and having friendly relations with Gadhafi could
help with U.S. oil needs. Lugar said the reverse is true, too. [The
Journal Gazette]
Monday,
26 September, 2005:
The Libyan Football Association has signaled its intentions to bid for
the 2010 African Cup of Nations. The Chairman of the Libyan Football
Association Jamal Al-Jafari, handed Libya's bid file to CAF Federation
in Cairo. Libya, Morocco, Angola and Nigeria are bidding to stage 2010
Nations Cup. Libya competed to host 2008 African Cup of Nations with
Ghana which had been awarded the 2008 edition. [LJBC]
Monday,
26 September, 2005:
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Libya in November, RIA
Novosti reports citing a report in the Arab newspaper Al Hayat.
According to the info, Rice will visit Tunisia from 16 to 18 November
and then will head to Tripoli. [FIA]
Monday,
26 September, 2005:
Libya confirms its right to develop peaceful nuclear technology. In a
speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Libyan foreign secretary
confirmed that Libya intends to seek the right to use nuclear energy. He
also indicated the need to rid the Middle East of nuclear weapons. [TVM]
Sunday,
25 September, 2005:
Three Libyan doctors were dispatched to medical clinics in Sierra Leone
in an effort to rebuild the country's devastated health care system. The
Libyan pharmacist, pediatrician and surgeon join doctors from both
Nigeria and Cuba already in Sierra Leone under a south-south cooperation
initiative to boost medical care in the world's poorest countries.
Another seven Libyan doctors are expected in Sierra Leone in coming
weeks. [AFP]
Sunday,
25 September, 2005:
Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing airlines, re-affirmed its
commitment to Libya, with the announcement of an increase in services
later this year. From 1st October, Emirates will de-link Tripoli from
its current Dubai-Malta-Tripoli-Dubai routing and instead operate
dedicated, non-stop flights to Tripoli using a Boeing 777-200 and, from
30th October the airline will add two extra flights per week. Operating
every Monday and Wednesday, the additional flights will boost
Emirates'services to Tripoli to five flights per week. [AME]
Sunday,
25 September, 2005:
Visiting Ugandan President Museveni held talks late Thursday with Libyan
leader Qadhafi on bilateral and African Union (AU) issues. The two
discussed the recent Sirte summit decision on Libya's proposals for the
creation of Pan-African Foreign Affairs, External Trade and
Communications ministries. Tripoli also suggested an end to Customs
barriers among AU members, the unification of telecommunication and
land, sea and air communication, and the launch of an African satellite
as part of the United States of Africa idea. [Angop]
Sunday,
25 September, 2005:
When Hurricane Katrina smashed into the Gulf Coast, Americans and people
from around the world were quick to offer help. And although some
Muslim-dominated nations have been at odds with the U.S. in recent
years, those nations were among the most generous donors. Kuwait
provided $500 million in oil and cash; Saudi Arabia donated $255
million; and Qatar and Libya each donated
$100 million. The U.S. Muslim Hurricane Relief Task Force donated $10
million. Total Katrina aid from Muslims and Muslim-dominated nations
exceeded $1 billion. A disaster such as Katrina tends to erase political
antipathies. [Tucson Citizen]
Sunday,
25 September, 2005:
Libyan Foreign Minister Abdul Rahman Shalgem, has said "targeting Syria
under any allegation will have catastrophic consequences on the region,"
asserting the importance of dialogue to solve all suspending issues. In
a statement to Kuwaiti al-Ra'y al-Aam newspaper published Thursday,
Shalgem added "Since we are talking about peace, dialogue and
understanding, we should implement it and use it everywhere." [Arabic
News]
Saturday,
24 September, 2005:
Libyan Justice Minister, Omar Al Hasnawi, received at his office
Thursday Religious Counsellor at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs,
Ali al-Hashimi. During the meeting, which was held in the presence of
UAE Ambassador, Abdullah al-Hamadi, Al Hasnawi praised the unique ties
between the UAE and Libya. He also praised the UAE for achieving
comprehensive development in all areas. He pointed out that he would
strive to see the UAE and Libya sign agreement on judicial cooperation
and exchange of expertise. [WAM]
Saturday,
24 September, 2005:
Africa is attracting increasing attention among oil producers, amid
rising oil prices, instability in the Arab world, and production
slowdowns in the hurricane-hit Gulf of Mexico. Countries such as the
Sudan, Angola, Chad and Libya have re-emerged
after long years of war or political isolation and are now offering
access to extensive reserves, repeatedly hitting the headlines with new
finds. Besides the countries neighbouring the Mediterranean, Africa's
"Oil-Dorado" encompasses the Gulf of Guinea, with reserves estimated at
up to 60-billion barrels of crude oil (one barrel equals 159 litres).
[IOL]
Friday,
23 September, 2005:
The online newspaper Telegraph reported that senior Maltese officials
are sceptical about the work being done by Libya to control departures
of illegal immigrants. The Telegraph quoted a Maltese official as
saying, "I don't think the Libyans are particularly perturbed that
people are leaving their country. Whether there are government people
involved, I don't know. I hope not." It was also reported that some
people in Libya are making a lot of money by organising illegal trips
from Libya to Mediterranean countries. A Congolese asylum seeker was
quoted as saying that civilians are not the persons who do the
trafficking since it is too expensive to organise, "it's the military
who do the trafficking." [MaltaMdeia]
Friday,
23 September, 2005:
Libyan Foreign Ministry Officials have firmly denied the information
about coming meetings between Libyan Leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi and
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, as reported by Arabian news network
"Mohit". Libyan Foreign Minister Abdulrahman Shalgam has stated that
Libya does not keep any contact with Israel and the preparation for such
a meeting is unthinkable. [FIA]
Thursday,
22 September, 2005:
Libya still holds its stand that Bulgaria should negotiate with the
families of the HIV-infected children, as it became evident during the
UN Summit in New York. Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister Ivaylo Kalfin met there with Libyan Foreign Minister
Abdel-Rahman Shalgam, who explained that given the independence of the
judicial system this was the best course of action. Shalgam pointed out
that according to Islamic laws the dispute could be settled if the
families of the infected children drop all charges. Five Bulgarian
nurses and a Palestinian doctor were sentenced to death in May 2004 on
charges of intentionally causing an AIDS outbreak at a Benghazi
children's hospital. [SNA]
Thursday,
22 September, 2005:
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. will participate in the next Libyan oil and gas
licensing round, due next month, Chief Executive James Hackett said
Tuesday. The company is holding talks with the government to
"participate in the development" of the Libyan oil and gas industry and
leverage its experience in liquefied natural gas technologies. [Dow
Jones]
Wednesday,
21 September, 2005:
Once considered key to Middle East stability, Syria is facing growing
marginalization as the U.S. maintains a policy of unrelenting pressure
against the Baathist regime. American and Iraqi officials have stepped
up their criticism of Syria in recent days in what some analysts believe
is the beginning of an attempt by Washington to repeat the "Libya
model" - total political and economic isolation to compel a U-turn in
regime behavior. [CSMonitor]
Tuesday,
20 September, 2005:
Libyan leader Mu'ammer al-Qadhafi (photo) is planning a trip to Israel.
According to the pan-Arab website Moheet, Tripoli and Tel Aviv have
reached an agreement on Qadhafi's visit to Israel following the
difficulty faced by Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon in organising a
trip to Tripoli. "The Palestinian information and communication centre
reveals also that during the recent visit by an American delegation,
Qadhafi expressed the desire to go to Israel to participate in person
with the normalisation of ties between the Arab countries and the Jewish
state," said the Moheet report. Before the visit, the Libyan leader is
believed to have announced a series of meetings with the presidents and
heads of state of governments in the region in order to get the approval
from Arab countries for the visit. [AKI]
Tuesday,
20 September, 2005:
A federal court in Washington, D.C. was asked today to rule that the
Government of Libya and six of its intelligence agents, including the
brother-in-law of long-time dictator Col. Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi, were
guilty of carrying out the September 19, 1989 destruction of UTA Flight
772 as it flew over Niger toward Paris. The court filing disclosed for
the first time detailed forensic evidence and testimony proving that
high-ranking members of the Libyan government and intelligence services
were directly responsible for planning and carrying out the placement of
a suitcase bomb on the plane. After almost three years of court
proceedings, the families of the seven Americans who were among the 170
persons killed on the UTA flight have asked the federal court to
immediately rule, through "summary judgment" procedures, that Libya and
its agents are responsible for the bombing. If accepted by the Court, a
trial will not be held and the Court would then determine the amount of
damages, which could amount to more than $2 billion USD for loss of life
and destruction of the DC-10 jumbo jet. [PRNewswire]
Tuesday,
20 September, 2005:
A weeklong sensitisation campaign on health and professional security is
underway in Libya to highlight the importance of the sector in
preserving human resources. Organised by the higher health and
professional security department, in conjunction with the industrial
research centre, centre of data and industrial documentation and the
general office of the Libyan environment, the activities kicked off at
the weekend in Tajoura, east of Tripoli. It is being sponsored by the
general authority on the privatisation of Libyan companies and public
economic units. Running from 17-22 September, a prime goal of the
campaign is to prevent professional dangers, particularly industrial
accidents, organisers said Sunday. [Angop]
Monday,
19 September, 2005:
If crude oil prices fall below $40 a barrel, OPEC would be forced to
rein in production, Libya's Oil Minister Fathi bin Shatwan said Sunday.
"When the price is going down below 40 dollars, then we have to cut,"
Shatwan said. Asked whether the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) needs to increase output, Shatwan said there was no
excess demand in the market for crude. "We can add two million, three
million [barrels a day] - nobody would buy it because the market is well
supplied," Shatwan said. Shatwan spoke to reporters ahead of a formal
decision on output policy by OPEC slated for Tuesday. [Dow Jones]
Monday,
19 September, 2005:
Tours and cruises to Libya and Kenya are
booming despite recent U.S. State Department advisories that warn
Americans to "exercise caution" in Libya and to "carefully consider the
risks of travel to Kenya at this time." [Los Angeles Times]
Monday,
19 September, 2005:
Malta's AX Holdings is planning to develop a four-star city business
hotel in Tripoli, Libya. This was announced
by AX Group Chairman, Angelo Xuereb during a reception marking AX
Holding's 30th anniversary. [DI-VI]
Sunday,
18 September, 2005:
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Libya on Saturday the U.S.
was committed to closer relations with its former enemy, which promised
to work hard to stamp out terrorism. Rice met Libyan Foreign Minister
Abdelrahman Shalgam (photo) on the sidelines of the U.N. General
Assembly where the two discussed expanding relations, human rights and
cooperation on counter-terrorism issues, a joint statement said. "Rice
reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to working to broaden and deepen the
relationship between Libya and the U.S. as Libya implements its
undertakings," said the statement, which was released by the U.S. State
Department. Over recent months, the U.S. has been moving ever closer
towards full diplomatic relations with Libya, but has said Tripoli needs
to do more to improve its human rights record and fight terrorism.
[Reuters]
Sunday,
18 September, 2005:
In an interrogation televised Saturday [on Iraqi TV] ... a
Libyan arrested for plotting to blow up his car in an attack on
day laborers in northern Baghdad, gave a detailed account of his trip to
Iraq through Syria. Musab Aqil al-Khayal, a 19-year-old with a black
eye, told Iraqi authorities he was from Benghazi, Libya. "Big bombs were
put in my car, and I was supposed to pull the pin out of the bomb,'' he
said in the aired confession. He said his hand was broken when his
colleague successfully blew up his own vehicle Wednesday, killing at
least 112 people. He was arrested before he could detonate his car bomb,
al-Khayal said. "I was duped," he said, referring to his militant
handlers. "Those dogs fooled me." [AP]
Sunday,
18 September, 2005:
Saudi Arabia will restore full relations with Libya, strained over
alleged Libyan conspiracy to assassinate King Abdallah when he was crown
prince. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal was quoted Saturday
by the Saudi daily al-Hayat as saying "relations between the two
countries were not cut off, but the ambassadors will soon return to
their bases." King Abdallah granted pardon last July to five Libyans
accused of planning to assassinate him. [UPI]
Sunday,
18 September, 2005:
"There are no more Jews in Libya today, not even one. They are all
gone," said the old man, a local municipality council employee who
escorted me to the abandoned Jewish cemetery in Homs, a tiny Libyan town
130 kilometers from Tripoli. Homs was once home to a small yet ancient
Jewish community, which for centuries buried its dead in this very
cemetery. But for the last 38 years, there have been no Jewish visitors
to this sad place, where only the whistling of winds and the barking of
dogs break the silence ... It may be true that there is not a single Jew
in Libya today - the last Jew, Rina Dabash, left Tripoli in Oct. 2003 -
but there are plenty of Jewish holy places ... and if they are not taken
care of soon, Libya will not only have no Jews, it will have none of its
historic Jewish sites. [The Jerusalem Post]
Sunday,
18 September, 2005:
The Secretary for Financial and Technical Control, has met in Beijing
with the General Auditor, chairman of Financial Control in China, Lee
Jinhau. The meeting discussed cooperation between the two countries and
ways and means of its promotion especially in the field of financial and
technical control. Mean time, a memorandum of understanding was signed
in Beijing in the field of Financial and Technical Control, between
Libya's Committee for Financial and Technical Control, and the Chinese
Financial Control. [LJBC]
Sunday,
18 September, 2005:
The Times of Malta gives prominence on its front page to the UK's
pressing for early concrete action with Libya
with regards to illegal migration. [DI-VI]
Saturday,
17 September, 2005:
A humanitarian group led by Libyan leader Mu'ammar al-adhafi's son, Saif
al-Islam, launched a Web site Thursday to report human rights violations
in the country. The site gives all Libyans an opportunity to report past
and present violations, the Qadhafi International Association of
Humanitarian Organizations said. The Web site carries telephone numbers,
regular mail and e-mail addresses through which people can report
violations. 'No more silence ... No more abuse against women ... No more
torture ... And no more arrest without judicial permission,' said the
site. 'Our hands are reaching out for you in order to cooperate for a
better and more secure future and for fair and just trials,' it added.
[UPI]
Saturday,
17 September, 2005:
The summit of world leaders has adopted a declaration outlining new
steps to reform the UN and fight poverty. The 35-page outcome document
approved by consensus late Friday is far less than what
Secretary-General Kofi Annan and supporters of a stronger U.N. had hoped
for, and a few countries found it objectionable for other reasons.
Members also agreed to replace the discredited U.N. Human Rights
Commission, which has in the past admitted such rights abusers as
Libya, Sudan and Cuba among its members. [VOA]
Saturday,
17 September, 2005:
The French lawyers of the six Bulgarian medics in Libya's HIV case sent
an open letter to the United Nations general secretary Kofi Anan, the
BBC reported. Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor were
sentenced to death in May 2004 on charges of intentionally causing an
AIDS outbreak at a Benghazi children's hospital, sparkling cries of foul
from Bulgaria and its allies the U.S. and the E.U. The open letter to
the general secretary of the UN was sent by the int'l nongovernmental
organisation "Lawyers without bonders". [SNA]
Saturday,
17 September, 2005:
One of the sons of Colonel Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi and touted as his
potential successor as Libyan leader, Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi is
arriving in Montreal at the end of the month to unveil an exhibit of his
country's arts, including some of his creations. After showings in
London and Paris, the extraordinary event arrives in Canada with the
blessing of several corporate sponsors. While opposition politicians in
Ottawa voiced concerns about Libya's record on human rights, the
companies supporting the event argue they want to be part of a
historical opening of a long-estranged nation. Saif al-Islam is expected
in Montreal for the Sept. 26 unveiling of the exhibit, titled The Desert
Is Not Silent. Last year, Saif al-Islam mused that Canada would "pay the
price" if it did not apologize for its support of UN embargoes against
Tripoli. Conservative foreign affairs critic Stockwell Day said he would
expect the corporate sponsors of the show to remind "Qadhafi Jr." that
freedoms such as artistic expression do not exist in Libya. "His country
and his father have been an enemy of freedom itself and have been
destructive of human rights, personal freedoms [and] democracy." [Globe
& Mail]
Friday,
16 September, 2005:
British authorities on Thursday detained seven foreigners for
deportation on the grounds they pose a threat to national security, as
the government pushed ahead with its plans for a sweeping new
anti-terrorism law. The Home Office declined to say what had prompted
Thursday's sweep. However, in recent months the government has been
trying to reach agreements with several countries, including
Libya and Algeria, guaranteeing that deportees would not be
tortured or mistreated on their return. As a signatory to the European
Convention on Human Rights, Britain is not allowed to deport people to
countries where they may face abuse. [AP]
Friday,
16 September, 2005:
An annular solar eclipse will be observed in Libya on October 3, the
Libyan Centre for Space Sciences and Remote Sensing has reported. It
will last for 4 minutes and 23rd seconds, the centre added. The second
solar eclipse of 2005 will cross the Iberian Peninsula and stretches
across the African continent. Europe, Western Asia, the Middle East,
India and most of Africa will fall within the Moon's penumbral shadow.
This year's eclipse would make October 4th, most probably, the first day
of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Six months later Libya will cast
into darkness when a total eclipse would be visible in the skies. On 29
March 2006, a total eclipse will be visible from north and central
Africa, Turkey and southern Russia, ending at sunset in western
Mongolia. [LJBC]
Thursday,
15 September, 2005:
Libya is ready to restore diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia that were
severed after the kingdom accused Tripoli of a plot to assassinate King
Abdullah, then crown prince of the oil-rich kingdom. "Libya has informed
the Arab League that it is ready to order the return of its ambassador
to Riyadh, to receive a Saudi ambassador in Tripoli and re-establish
normal diplomatic relations between the two countries," Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs Hasuna Shawsh said, according to AFP. Last month,
five Libyans were given an amnesty by the Saudi king after he became
monarch on the death of his half-brother King Fahd. [Al-Bawaba]
Thursday,
15 September, 2005:
Libyan leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi recently complained to Sen. Richard
Lugar, R-Ind., that Libya hasn't gotten enough in return for giving up
its weapons of mass destruction and halting its nuclear development
program. That decision, announced in 2003, was taken to help end Libya's
international isolation. The U.S. since has freed Libyan assets that had
been frozen, renewed airline connections and revoked many sanctions. But
in a private meeting, Lugar said Qadhafi told him that officials in
North Korea and Iran have asked Qadhafi what he got for giving up
Libya's arsenal. Qadhafi said he told them he has gotten nothing. "What
sort of reward were you anticipating?" asked Lugar who recounted the
exchange in a speech to foreign policy experts and journalists Tuesday
at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Qadhafi said he would like
sophisticated arms from the U.S. and Britain to protect Libya and
nuclear technology to turn seawater into drinking water. [IndyStar]
Thursday,
15 September, 2005:
Officials said the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair invited Libya
to the first major Western arms exhibition since the easing of defense
sanctions by the European Union in 2004. They said major British
contractors have been briefing Libya's delegation at the Defence Systems
& Equipment International, or DSei exhibition, which ends on Sept 16. "I
believe that Britain, as a major importer and exporter, is well placed
to understand the interests and concerns of other trading countries,"
British Secretary of State for Defence John Reid said. "We aim to
champion the case for more open defense markets." [MENL]
Wednesday,
14 September, 2005:
A charity headed by the Libyan leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhdafi's son has
called on the government to lift a 1970s ban on the registration of
non-Arab names. It follows a visit by Seif al-Islam Qadhafi to the
minority Amazigh communities in the west of the country. They voiced
their frustration to him at not being able to register traditional names
at local municipalities. The Amazigh, who are also known as Berbers,
make up more than 10% of the population and consider themselves to be
Libyans, but not Arabs. [BBC]
Tuesday,
13 September, 2005:
Secretary General of the Arab Doctors Association, Dr. Abdulminem Abu
Al-Futuh, said the general secretariat will hold a meeting Tuesday in
the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Abu Al-Futuh told KUNA that the three-day
meeting will discuss a number of important issues topped by the Arab
medical laws, code of conduct, doctors unemployment in Palestine and the
toxic waste buried in the Palestinian lands by Israeli forces. Vice
secretary general of the association and the secretary general of the
Libyan Doctors Society Dr. Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Sharif said the general
vocational conference will be held on the sidelines of the meeting as
well as announcing al-Qadhafi's international prize for medical
services. [KUNA]
| | 
Monday,
12 September, 2005:
Eleven people died on the coast of Sicily yesterday as they were being
smuggled into Italy. It was the latest in a string of tragedies in an
area by migrant traffickers for landing their human cargos. Seven men
suspected of organising the operation were arrested, accused of
manslaughter. The bodies of the dead were found on a beach and in
shallow waters near the town of Gela, on the south of the island.
Another 143 people were found ashore or on the boat that had carried
them across the Mediterranean. Survivors said they were Eritreans and
had set off three days earlier from the coast of
Libya. [The Guardian]
Monday,
12 September, 2005:
Dubai eGovernment has announced that representatives from the General
Committee for Documentation and Telecommunications in
Libya have visited Dubai to study various elements of the
eGovernment. The committee was keen to gain first hand information about
the experience of Arab countries who have adopted eGovernance. The
Libyan delegation (photo) also met several companies working closely
with Dubai eGovernment, including its customers and suppliers, in order
to derive a complete picture of the eGovernment. [AMEinfo]
Monday,
12 September, 2005:
The dangers of guns is the subject of two new movies. "Lord of War,"
directed by the New Zealander Andrew Niccol, opens Friday. "Dear Wendy,"
directed by the Dane Thomas Vinterberg, opens Sept. 23. ...He couldn't
afford to destroy them [the weapons] because he had such a small budget,
but he says, "In South Africa, we did cut some guns in half to stop them
from getting into circulation ... We also got some tanks, and the guy
said, 'I need them back by December because I'm selling them to
Libya.'" [Daily News]
Sunday,
11 September, 2005:
Against the backdrop of recent record high oil prices, Johannesburg is
to host a major oil and gas congress in September when the World
Petroleum Council (WPC) holds its congress in Africa for the first time
in its 72-year history. The Sandton Convention Centre will play host to
about 4,000 delegates and 500 speakers between September 25 and 29, with
some 70% of the delegates coming from outside S. Africa. South Africa's
PetroSA is the host company, while the National Oil Corporation of
Libya, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Sonangol (Angola)
and Sonatrach (Algeria) are the co-hosts. [SundayTimes/SA]
Sunday,
11 September, 2005:
Swiss officials have arrested two more people in the case of engineer
Urs Tinner accused of helping Libya's now
abandoned effort to build a nuclear bomb, a spokesman said Saturday.
Hansjuerg Mark Wiedmer, spokesman for the Federal Prosecutor's Office
said the two people have been in investigative detention since Monday.
Tinner, who was arrested last year in Germany, was extradited to
Switzerland in May. German authorities said Tinner is suspected of being
part of an international network of nuclear smugglers under ringleader
Abdul Qadeer Khan, the creator of Pakistan's atomic weapons program.
[Pravda]
Sunday,
11 September, 2005:
Libyan leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi and the Algerian and Nigerien
presidents Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Mamadou Tanja Friday discussed
arrangements made by the 5th African Union (AU) summit held here 4-5
July on consolidating the march towards a United States of Africa. The
three leaders met on the occasion of the 6th anniversary of the
Declaration of Sirte made 9 September 1999 on the founding of the AU.
[Angop]
| |
| | 
Saturday,
10 September, 2005:
Some of the hottest tickets at the Venice film festival are not for the
screening rooms but for the after-parties, such as the one thrown
Thursday night by Libyan leader Qadhafi's sons. Saadi (photo/right) and
Mutassim (photo/left) Qadhafi reportedly want Libya to be involved
financially in the construction of a new palace to host the annual movie
festival. Rapper 50 Cent entertained the 400 or so guests at the gala,
which was promoting the Qadhafis' humanitarian project for children in
Niger, organizers say. The Venice daily Il Gazzettino's Web site
reported that the Qadhafi brothers were trying to seal a deal with
Davide Croff, president of the Venice Biennale, which includes the film
festival. A spokesman for the Biennale, Paolo Lughi, says there have
been no talks with the Libyans over possible financial involvement in
the cinema complex, which would overhaul the current site, which
includes a former casino. A lawyer for Saadi, Giovanni Guaglianone, says
he did not know anything about the reported business interest in the
cinema project. [AFP]
Saturday,
10 September, 2005:
The world's biggest energy companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp., BP
Plc and Chevron Corp, are among the 62 corporations that may bid in
Libya's second auction of oil drilling-rights next month. Libya's
state-owned National Oil Corp. said 12 companies from the U.S. have
asked for bidding packages. Nineteen from Europe, 16 from Asia, five
from the former Soviet Union, four from Canada, four from Australia, one
from South America and one from Africa also requested packages. Libya
will auction permits on Oct. 2 to search for oil and gas in 26 areas,
covering about 100,000 square kilometers, nearly the size of Cuba.
[Bloomberg]
Friday,
9 September, 2005:
The Czech government yesterday decided to officially lift the sanctions
which was imposed on Libya in 1997. The U.S. was the first to impose
sanctions on Libya because of its links to terrorists in the 1980s. The
EU joined the embargo soon afterwards. The U.N. Security Council issued
an official embargo on Qadhafi's regime in 1992. Czechoslovakia joined
it in Dec. 1992 and as the country split in two then, the Czech Republic
confirmed this stance in Jan. 1993 and included the embargo in its
legislation in 1997. The U.N. and the EU suspended sanctions against
Libya in 1999 and lifted them in 2003 and 2004, respectively. In Sept.
2004, the USA lifted the trade and transport embargo except for arms
exports. [PDM]
Friday,
9 September, 2005:
US Senator Richard Lugar, chair of US Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations, vowed to work for the release of the five Bulgarian nurses
sentenced to death in Libya. Senator Lugar promised to appeal for
solidarity with the cause of the nurses, Stanimir Ilchev, MP from Simeon
II National Movement, said. A Bulgarian parliamentary delegation, headed
by Parliamentary Spokesman Georgi Pirinski that is on a visit to the US
talked to their American colleagues and focused on the fate of the
nurses as well. [SNA]
Friday,
9 September, 2005:
Libya sent to the Bulgaria a list of 40 most needed products that could
be sent as humanitarian relief, the private bTV channel announced
Wednesday. Deputy Foreign Minister Lyubomir Kyuchukov announced that
Bulgaria is capable of sending 24 out of the 40 requested products. The
requested products include mostly medical supplies and apparatus, but no
financial aid. Kyuchukov informed that Foreign Ministry intended to
gather the resources though a fund-raising campaign. The deadline for
sending the relief is November 15. He also added that the Libyan
government worked out the list immediately after Bulgarian President
Georgi Purvanov visited Libya in June 2005. [BNN]
Thursday,
8 September, 2005:
Libyan prime minister Shukri Ghanem said the government plans to sell a
60 per cent stake in the state-owned oil company Tamoil. The group has
refineries in Italy (Cremona), Germany (Hamburg) and Switzerland
(Collombey), in addition to distribution networks in Italy, Germany,
Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain, according to its website. In
2004, the company had sales of 7.801 bln eur in 2004 and 2,967 petrol
stations. [AFX]
Thursday,
8 September, 2005:
Libya is moving steadily but surely toward privatization as it placed
the second-largest public company up for grab by the private sector
Wednesday. Shares of the National Company for Feed and Mills were put on
sale as part of Libya's plan to cut down its public sector while
boosting the private one. The company, which operates 15 plants
specialized in the production of animal feed as well as grinding wheat
and producing pastas, has a capitalization of about $218.5 million. The
second-biggest public firm to be put up for privatization after the Arab
Cement Co, employs 1,664 workers who will be able to buy 10 percent of
the shares while the remaining shares will be offered to the public.
[UPI]
Thursday,
8 September, 2005:
Grifco International announces it has received final "approved to form
'Global Oil Tools Libya' certification." GFCI now has final approval to
export technology, conduct operations, and establish a manufacturing
facility in Libya. In a statement by CEO Jim Dial, "Our approved to form
package has been authenticated and sealed by the U.S. Department of
State (Document 05028356-13). Concurrently, the finalized Global Oil
Tools Libya has also been certified by Libya's Foreign Affairs
Department in Washington, D.C." [Market Wire]
Thursday,
8 September, 2005:
Libya supports the holding of the already postponed Arab Summit of Sharm
Sheikh, to discuss various Arab issues, Libyan Foreign Minister,
Abdulrahman Shalgam said on Wednesday. The Middle East News Agency
(MENA), quoted Shalgam as saying upon his arrival to Egypt to take part
in the meeting of the Arab Foreign Ministers, that the Arab meeting will
discuss the holding of the Arab summit among a host of other issues.
[BNA]
Thursday,
8 September, 2005:
Accident victim, Phyllis Mautanga who successfully sued the Libyan and
Malawi governments for K9.5 million as compensation following a car
accident in 2000 that involved one of the vehicles in the convoy of
Libyan Leader Qadhafi and Malawi's former president Muluzi is pleading
with the two governments to urgently release the money. Mautanga, widow
to former Malawi Army General, late Gibson Mautanga successfully sued
the Libyan government for K6.5 million and the Malawi government for K3
million as compensation following the accident which happened in Ntcheu,
Malawi. [The Chronicle Newspaper]
Wednesday,
7 September, 2005:
Feeling of concern overwhelms several families in Libya over the
possibility that the authorities will backtrack from its decision, it
had promissed to take more than one time, concerning the release of
political prisoners and prisoners of opinion. Several relatives and
families of the Libyan political detainees expressed the feeling of
surprise over the decision of the minister of justice which called for
the release of criminal prisoners, including first rate criminals, at a
time when several university teachers and engineers are still inside
prisons. The wife of one man sentenced to life imprisonment in the issue
of the Muslim Brothers said that her husband did not receive any message
from the prison's administration indicating that he was released,
besides they have no idea when they will be released. The wife is still
expecting the release of her husband who had completed his 8th year in
detention. [Arabic News]
Wednesday,
7 September, 2005:
The European Commission moved forward in its efforts to help HIV
sufferers in Libya and to assist the five Bulgarian nurses, jailed in
the African country. Although EC said that actions undertaken are not
connected to its efforts for the release of the five Bulgarian nurses
and the Palestinian doctors, experts say that it would certainly have an
effect on the trial. EC and the Libyan authorities have agreed to
immediately to implement urgent policy advice and technical support to
the Libyan health authorities and upgrade the capacity of the Benghazi
Centre for Infectious Diseases and Immunology to international
standards. [SNA]
Wednesday,
7 September, 2005:
ORBIS International, a nonprofit organization whose objective is to rid
the world of unnecessary blindness, announced that the ORBIS Flying Eye
Hospital landed today in Tripoli, Libya to conduct an intensive two week
sight-saving medical training program for the nation's eye care
professionals. Invited by the Government of Libya and the Tripoli Eye
Hospital, ORBIS is the first health NGO to work in Libya since
international sanctions were imposed in 1992. Decades of poor relations
with the West resulted in the lack of training in essential
subspecialties for Libya's ophthalmic community. [CNW]
Tuesday,
6 September, 2005:
A lucrative network of human traffickers is believed to be operating
from Libya, providing boats and fuel for illegal immigrants to travel to
Italy via Malta, an Italian newspaper reported yesterday. “We left from
Libya, more exactly the port of Zliten. We had 13 30-litre cans of
petrol on board,” a young Egyptian told the Repubblica newspaper, from a
detention centre near Valetta's airport in Malta. The Maltese navy has
seized about 60 almost identical boats, each 6m long, powered by a 40hp
motor with a capacity for 25 people. [Gulf Times]
Monday,
5 September, 2005:
As it struggles to combat Islamic terrorist networks, the Bush
administration has quietly built an intelligence alliance with Libyan
leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi, a onetime bitter enemy the U.S. had tried
for years to isolate, topple or kill. Qadhafi has helped the U.S. pursue
Al-Qaeda's network in North Africa by turning radicals over to
neighboring pro-Western governments. He also has provided information to
the CIA on Libyan nationals with alleged ties to international
terrorists. In turn, the U.S. has handed over to Tripoli some
anti-Qadafi Libyans captured in its campaign against terrorism. And
Qadhafi's agents have been allowed into the Guantanamo Bay detention
camp in Cuba to interrogate Libyans being held there. Libyan dissidents,
who for years thought they could count on American support, have been
deeply disappointed by the Bush administration. "Qadhafi was considered
to be a dictator and terrorist, and Libya was a rogue regime," said
Ashur Shamis (photo), a prominent London-based Libyan exile and longtime
proponent of democratic reform. "Suddenly, everything has changed. "The
Americans no longer want to see Qadhafi's regime destabilized," he said.
"Opponents have written off the possibility of receiving tangible
political support from the United States." [Los Angeles Times]
Monday,
5 September, 2005:
A celebration was held Saturday in Tajoura, Libya, by laying down the
foundation stone for the execution of a residential city as part of the
establishment of 50,000 housing unites project which was adopted by the
General People's Committee in its decree number 78 for the year 2005.
Dr. Mohammed Abu-Agela, the General Director of the project told Jana
reporter that this is one of the sites chosen to execute the 50, 000
housing units projects. This location covers an area of 755 hectares
comprising 25,000 to 30,000 housing units. [LJBC]
Sunday,
4 September, 2005:
Libya's return to the Africa Nations Cup finals gives the North African
country the perfect platform to raise its international profile after
years in the football wilderness. A goalless draw at home to Sudan on
Friday was enough to ensure Libya's participation in next year's Nations
Cup finals in Egypt. Libya's only previous appearance at the showpiece
of African football was when they lost the tournament in 1982. [BBC]
Sunday,
4 September, 2005:
Russia and Libya have a potential for broader bilateral cooperation,
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamanin said on the occasion of the
50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Kamanin said he is “optimistic about prospects for political contacts”
between Russia and Libya. The positions of Moscow and Tripoli “coincide
or are close on such key issues as a multi-polar world, the fight
against terrorism, peace in the Middle East and Africa”, he said.
[Itar-Tass]
Saturday,
3 September, 2005:
Libya freed 1,675 criminals from prison to celebrate the 36th
anniversary of the 1969 coup that brought Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi to power.
Libya will release 130 Islamist prisoners in the coming days, said an
official of the Qadhafi Foundation, which is led by Qadhafi's son, Seif
Islam. Most of the Islamist prisoners belonged to the outlawed Muslim
Brotherhood. He added the Islamists have pledged not to get involved in
politics. [The Scotsman]
Saturday,
3 September, 2005:
Libya was held Friday to a scoreless draw by visiting Sudanese in a 2006
World cup qualifier as neither team had any chance to go to Germany. The
Libyans managed to launch waves of attacks, but their hope for a goal
was damped by Sudanese goalkeeper Elmuez Abdalla who made several fine
saves. Even before Friday's match, the two teams had been eliminated
from the 2006 World Cup finals to be hosted by Germany. [Xinhuanet]
Saturday,
3 September, 2005:
Libya has spent a total amount of about 51 billion Libyan Dinars (LD) on
development projects from 1970 to the end of 2003, an official Libyan
economic report has said.The report which was issued in a Ministry of
Planning bulletin on economic development in the country said what was
actually spent in the country's budgets over the past 40 years was LD40
billion, representing 79% of the total budget allocations, adding that
average spending on development projects during the said period stood at
about LD4 million per day. [Khaleej Times]
Friday,
2 September, 2005:
Libya is committed to building cooperative relations with the U.S. based
on mutual respect and equality, a senior Libyan official said Thursday.
"We seek a peaceful relation with the U.S., a cooperative relation, an
equal relation," Ahmed Ibrahim, assistant secretary of the People's
Congress, told reporters. However, he described US military actions in
Iraq as barbaric and compared the killings of innocent Iraqis to the
Holocaust. [Xinhua]
Thursday,
1 September, 2005:
[1 September, 1969] King Idris (photo) of Libya has been deposed in what
appears to have been a bloodless coup. A group of military officers have
seized power and declared the country a republic. But the king, who is
in Turkey, has dismissed the coup as "unimportant". According to reports
from the capital, Tripoli, troops and tanks converged on the city in the
early hours of the morning. Within two hours they had taken key
positions and the royal palace, military and security headquarters were
surrounded by 0500. All communications with the outside world were cut
and a curfew was imposed. In Libya the king's heir, Crown Prince Hassan,
has announced his support for the new regime, which the military junta
has renamed the Libyan Arab Republic. The coup appears to have been led
by an Army officer called Colonel Saad ed-din Bushweirib. But it is not
clear whether he has any political backing. [BBC]
Thursday,
1 September, 2005:
Hundreds of thousands of Libyans converged on Tripoli on Wednesday to
celebrate 36th anniversary of Colonel Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi's (photo)
seizure of power. Martyrs Square in central Tripoli was transformed into
a spectacular street party with people pulsing to traditional music that
thumped out of speakers, and fireworks, fountain and light displays
cascading over the sea. The show of support appears to be a carefully
choreographed riposte to an exiled opposition congress held two months
ago in London, which vowed to embark on a peaceful campaign to topple
the regime. A bespectacled al-Qadhafi, dressed in an untucked sleeveless
military shirt and looking relaxed, appeared late in the evening to
receive the adulation of the crowds from a balcony and accept gifts from
supporters. He was handed a document entitled "the charter of fidelity",
said by the organisers to have been signed "by the Libyan people", in
which they "forge allegiance and swear fidelity to their guide".
[Al-Jazeera]
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