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Africa: North
Libya Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Lebanon
2003-09-03
Libya has decided to sever diplomatic ties with Lebanon after coming under pressure to reveal the fate of a missing Lebanese Shiite cleric. Hussein al-Sharif, the charge d’affaires at the Office of Arab Sorority Fraternity, as the Libyan Embassy is called, said the decision was made after recent blubberings statements by Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Berri and Nasrallah, both Shiite Muslims, urged Libya to reveal the whereabouts of Imam Mousa Sadr, the spiritual leader of Lebanon’s Shiite Muslim community who disappeared during a visit to Libya in 1978.
"He’s not missing, why, we have a piece of him in that jar right over there. And another piece here. There’s one stuck to the bottom of the commode in there."
"In fact, he's a lot more spiritual now than he used t'be, know whudda mean?"
``Our decision was taken as a result of recent speeches made by Lebanese officials and some editorials that appeared in the (local) newspapers that contained improper words and style,’’ al-Sharif told The Associated Press.
"And there was no excuse for this since the new Chicago Manual of Style was just released!"
Lebanese Foreign Minister Jean Obeid refused to comment Wednesday on the reported closure of the Libyan Embassy. While Lebanese Shiites have long blamed Libya for Sadr’s disappearance, such calls intensified after Libya accepted responsibility for the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am airliner over Scotland that killed 270 people and agreed to pay compensation.
"They're handin' out money! Step up the rhetoric!"
``You (the Libyan regime) have admitted the 1988 aggression. Why do you ignore the 1978 aggression?’’ Berri said at a rally Sunday that was attended by thousands of people in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek.
"um, ’cause we felt like it!"
"Why don't you give us money, too?"
The rally commemorated Sadr’s disappearance. Berri accused Libya of favoring Western states and not caring about Lebanon. ``Why did you succumb to the foreigners and forget those who are close to you?’’ he asked.
"And we were close, man, really tight! Well not as tight as we are with Syria, sure, I mean, we wear their clothing with them still in it but still ..."
On Monday, Nasrallah, whose militant Hezbollah group is overwhelmingly Shiite, called on Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi to ``give us money admit responsibility’’ for Sadr’s disappearance.
To which Gadhafi responded, "In a pig’s eye!" So to speak.
Libya insists Sadr and his two aides left its territory on a flight to Rome at the end of their August 1978 visit, but Italian authorities have denied he arrived.
Cripes, it’s Italy, man, they lose stuff all the time there. I flew in to Bologna once and my luggage ended up in Naples!
Lebanese officials believe Sadr disappeared after having an argument with Gadhafi.
Mo is rather Yasser-like in how he handles arguments, apparently.
Relations between Lebanon and Libya have often been strained by the Sadr issue. Last year, Libya asked for a change of venue for the Arab summit in Beirut after leading Lebanese Shiites urged the government to bar Gadhafi. The government said he could attend, but he sent an envoy instead.
That could also have had something to do with the locals' threats to kill him over the issue...
Posted by:Steve White

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