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Africa North
Libya remembers US raid with big festival
2006-04-13
Western stars participate 20th anniversary of US deadly air strikes on its LibyaÂ’s main cities.

Basking in its two-year-old rapprochement with the West, Libya boasts that this year its commemorations for Washington's deadly 1986 air strikes on its main cities will be joined by Western stars. Veteran US soul singer Lionel Ritchie and Spanish tenor Jose Carreras are among the acts that Libya says will be performing in the capital in the early hours of Saturday, exactly 20 years after US warplanes flying out of British bases hit their targets, killing at least 40 people.
WTF?
More importantly, who the fuck?
"A big festival is planned near the (Tripoli) residence of leader Moamer Kadhafi, where his (adopted) daughter Hana died in the US strike," an information ministry official said. "Artists from the United States and Europe will take part to send the whole world a message that art is capable of uniting peoples whom politics has divided and to express their regret for what their governments did."
And which Libyan artists will be permitted to express their regrets for Khadaffy's many crimes?
Don't express any regrets for me, 'cause I don't have any.
The commemoration is to be called the "Hana Festival for Freedom and Peace" in remembrance of the Libyan leader's slain daughter.
When they have the "LaBelle Disco Festival for Retribution and Justice", I'll be first in line for tickets.
How about the 'Leon Klinghoffer Festival for Life and Freedom'?
It is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 am (0030 GMT), the exact time the US raid on the cities of Tripoli and Benghazi began in revenge for a bomb attack on a West Berlin disco frequented by US servicemen which Washington blamed on Libyan agents. Candles will be lit and patriotic songs sung before the concert proper gets under way.

Richie and Carreras are among 65 foreign musicians who are booked to perform.
I imagine this has just got to pay well.
A second concert is to be held in the same venue Saturday evening featuring Arabic music by guest performers including Egyptian singer Mohammed Munir. A film on the US raid entitled: "The Resistance to the Attack" is also to be shown, along with children's drawings and paintings.
Resistance to the Attack will be a 'short' film.
A conference is to be held, which organizers hope will be attended by Western academics, on the theme: "The US attack, its consequences and the right of Libyans to compensation and an apology".

"In a bad world where Iraq is occupied and racism reigns in every country, we are sending out a message of peace through the artists of the world," said organizer Osama Mohammed. Then US president Ronald Reagan famously called Kadhafi the "mad dog" of the Middle East in his justification of the US bombings.
But Ronnie was too nice a man.
But unlike the Iranian and Iraqi regimes, which went on to form part of President George W. Bush's "axis of evil", the Libyan leader was afraid for his life pragmatic enough to call in the very Western intelligence services he had long assailed to certify his abandonment of efforts to acquire non-conventional weapons. The resulting public announcement in late 2003 was followed by the restoration of relations by Washington in June the following year.

But Kadhafi never forgave Reagan himself for the bombings. When the former president died in June 2004, the Libyan leader said he regretted his death because it meant he could never be prosecuted for his crimes "against the children of Libya".
We need to be unforgiving to the Western stars who participate in this repugnant spectacle. Their names should be widely circulated throughout the blogosphere.
I'll regret when Kadhafi dies, because it will mean we can never prosecute him for the Berlin disco bombing that killed US servicemen.
Posted by:ryuge

#12  Another thing Ronnie called them is " a bunch of Loony Tunes" . QED.
Posted by: Angolurong Glomort8392   2006-04-13 21:04  

#11  I was in England when the F111s took off. We had a full-scale intelligence brief, and told to be very careful, because there could be retaliations. I saw the post-attack imagery about a week later.I hope Bush has the cojones to attack Iran that Reagan had to attack Libya, and uses an even BIGGER stick. The muslim world needs to know that if they stir this ant's nest, they'll get stung, and stung badly.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2006-04-13 18:29  

#10  I still remember the "Line of Death™" in the Med
Posted by: Frank G   2006-04-13 15:15  

#9  Bwa ha ha ha ha!
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-04-13 14:49  

#8  LMAO Seafarious, and don't forget "3 Times a Dhimmi". Encore highlight will be his duet with Uncle Mo himself, where they'll sing "Hello, Is It Me You're Looking For?" with pictures of Reagan & his bombed palace in the background.
Posted by: ryuge   2006-04-13 14:13  

#7  "Say You, Say What?"
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-04-13 13:52  

#6  Lionel Ritchie. wasn't he a member of the group "The Commode Doors"?
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2006-04-13 13:35  

#5  Khadaffi's fembots on the Road to Hana. Ahhh.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-04-13 10:52  

#4  Lionel Ritchie? Yeah, not like he don't have a lotta time on his hands thes days. Maybe he can give Mo Jeri Curl tips and tell him what it's like to get beat up by your wife?
Posted by: tu3031   2006-04-13 10:43  

#3  It the Bomb Us Festival.
Posted by: ed   2006-04-13 09:58  

#2  How about a theme of "The Libyan bombing, its consequences and the right of Americans to compensation and an apology".

Oh, right...Libya admitted guilt and paid compensation.
Posted by: gromky   2006-04-13 09:26  

#1  OMG lionel Ritchie has become one of Kadafhi's goons. Celebrating getting a good kicking rofl.
Posted by: ShepUK   2006-04-13 09:24  

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