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| Africa North |
| UN Assembly chief barred from Europe travel: Libya |
| 2010-03-11 |
| The Libyan president of the U.N. General Assembly is among more than 180 people banned from traveling to much of Europe due to a diplomatic row between Libya and Switzerland, Libya's U.N. mission said on Wednesday. Ali Abdussalam Treki, former Libyan foreign minister and president of the General Assembly since last September, is on a list of Libyans whom Tripoli says are barred from obtaining visas in the so-called Schengen area. The borderless travel zone incorporates 25 European countries -- 22 European Union members plus Switzerland, Iceland and Norway -- where free movement of persons is guaranteed. Libya is calling for an end to the visa ban for the people on the list, which was provided to reporters by its U.N. mission, and for both sides to resolve the dispute in arbitration mediated by a neutral country. "We could have a solution, not to escalate everything," Libyan Ambassador to the U.N. Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham told reporters at the country's mission. "We want a solution." Shalgam himself, as well as Libya's OPEC Secretary Abdullah Albadri, are on the list. A spokesman for the Swiss mission declined comment. Libya said Switzerland started imposing restrictions on granting Schengen visas to Libyan citizens in August 2009, and later issued a list of people prohibited from obtaining visas. A Libyan newspaper wrote about the list in February, but the full list of names was only now made available. Treki's spokesman said the assembly president "stresses the need to resolve this dispute in a manner that upholds the principles of international law." |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #5 I wish I could find a point of disagreement in your explanation, Zenobia Anguth9505, but I can't. A good analysis. :-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-03-11 22:17 |
| #4 Gaddafi ratted out his nuclear supply network which put pressure on them; he however was freed of sanctions and as I said above "floodgates of appeasement were opened", ie European nations could coddle Gaddafi without getting into trouble with the US. With Bush gone there's no serious effort to stop proliferation anymore. Whatever nuclear equipment Gaddafi surrendered he can buy again with his oil money. Since Libya is no longer subject to sanctions there's even the possibility that there won't be a net monetary loss. So I just don't see the real permanent negative consequences for Gaddafi that resulted from the 2003 deal. Gaddafi is a political actor who can be deterred, but right now he utterly unafraid. I fear he's going to kill many, many Europeans and Americans before someone's going to stop him. |
| Posted by: Zenobia Anguth9505 2010-03-11 18:15 |
| #3 Gaddafi had to make inconsequential concessions Not exactly inconsequential. Colonel Qaddafy turned over his entire nuclear development program, lock, stock, and Chinese instruction manuals still in their plastic sleeves. This left him with only, presumably, his biological and chemical programs, but the nukes were to have had pride of place when completed. And it was all his own idea -- nobody had a clue he'd done anything in that direction. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-03-11 16:43 |
| #2 Libya is covered with alot of sand that would be great as a shiney glass surface |
| Posted by: 746 2010-03-11 10:17 |
| #1 It's not a "diplomatic row". The Libyans are holding a Swiss citizen hostage. If they released him immediately and unconditionally the ban would be lifted. BTW even though the Swiss hostage had sought refuge in the Swiss embassy, the Libyans got hold of him by threatening to storm the embassy. So much for diplomatic protocol. If the Swiss (or other Europeans for that matter) had any guts they'd let this "UN Assembly Chief" in, arrest him and release him only in exchange for all western hostages in Libya. Screw diplomatic immunity. Maybe the reconciliation with Libya will be judged as Bush's biggest blunder. Gaddafi had to make inconsequential concessions while the floodgates of surrender and appeasement were opened. |
| Posted by: Zenobia Anguth9505 2010-03-11 08:56 |