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| Africa North |
| Libya imposes economic embargo on Switzerland |
| 2010-03-04 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Libya has decided to impose a "total" economic embargo on Switzerland, government spokesman Mohammed Baayou said on Wednesday, after Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi declared holy war on Bern. Hmmmmmmmmmm...Lars, get the banking minister on the phone. Tell him I need the "list". Right away, sir. "Libya has decided to impose a total embargo on all economic and commercial exchanges with Switzerland," Baayou said. The country will "adopt alternative (sources) for medicines and medical and industrial equipment" imported from Switzerland, he added. The announcement comes just hours after Libya protested against a U.S. State Department official poking fun at Ghaddafi after he called for jihad against Switzerland in an ongoing diplomatic spat with that country. Gonna give yourself another sprocket, colonel? INFIDEL! Last Thursday, Ghaddafi made the call over a recent Swiss ban on the construction of minarets. "It is against unbelieving and apostate Switzerland that jihad (holy war) ought to be proclaimed by all means," Ghaddafi said. "Any Muslim around the world who has dealings with Switzerland is an infidel (and is) against Islam, against Mohammed, against God, against the Quran," he told a crowd of thousands in a speech broadcast live on television. "Boycott Switzerland: boycott its goods, boycott its airplanes, its ships, its embassies; boycott this unbelieving, apostate race, aggressor against the houses of Allah," he added. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...North Korean chocolate! His jihad call marked a new low in Libyan-Swiss relations, which soured in 2008 when Ghaddafi's son Hannibal and his wife were arrested and briefly held in Geneva after two domestic workers complained they had mistreated them. The row worsened when Libya swiftly stopped two Swiss businessmen, Rashid Hamdani and Max Goeldi, from leaving its territory. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 Gaddafi is a grotesque and buffooninsh figure, but undeterred he's very dangerous. He certainly is trying to be, Hupoluns Johnson8346. And he is threatening that the U.S. will be next, if our embassy personnel keep saying inappropriate things about him. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-03-04 14:13 |
| #4 Snark aside, the issue is not a Libyan invasion of Switzerland (or a naval blockade.) The very real threat is state sponsored terrorism against Switzerland, with perhaps hundreds dead. Gaddafi is a somewhat rational actor, but unfortunately he now believes that no matter what he does, neither he personally nor his enablers, the Libyan people, will face any sort of punishment. Lockerbie was a hugely successful operation in the end after all. European leaders (including such "conservatives" and "hawks" like Sarkozy and Berlusconi) are crawling on their bellies, begging him for his good will. Gaddafi is a grotesque and buffooninsh figure, but undeterred he's very dangerous. |
| Posted by: Hupoluns Johnson8346 2010-03-04 13:48 |
| #3 Zeece is dee Line of Death! |
| Posted by: Gabby 2010-03-04 12:30 |
| #2 "we have imposed a naval blockade on Switzerland" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-03-04 12:04 |
| #1 north african sand monkeys throwing another tantrum |
| Posted by: 746 2010-03-04 12:03 |