US Lifts Travel Restrictions on Libya

[mobuto]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday lifted U.S. travel restrictions on Libya as a reward for scrapping its nuclear arms programs, the White House said.

The move came a day after Libya rebuked statements by Libyan Prime Minister Shokri Ghanem, who had denied his country's guilt in the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing (news - web sites).


Sean McCormack, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said the U.S. decision was "in recognition of Libya's concrete steps to repudiate weapons of mass destruction, and to build the foundation of Libya's economic growth and re-integration with the international community."

-Continued-
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20040226/ts_nm/libya_usa_dc

[Zero Gravitas]

1. Gadaffi is playing *

like a cheap violin. Libya has been trying to worm its way back into the international community for a decade. Now Dumb-ass Dubya gets all worked up about "WMDs" all a tin-pot dictator has to do is give up some inactive weapons program and all of a sudden he's a good guy again. :eyes:

[mobuto]

2. Its good for everybody

I think this detente is a good thing - its just been moving far too slowly.

[bemildred]

4. Libya has oil.

Oil is in short supply.
The WMD issue is a dog-and-pony show to provide cover for letting
Libya sell all the oil it wants to again.
Any questions?

[turnhardleft]

8. I'll visit if I can get an AK at the customs desk

If any country needs RKBA it is Libya.

[bemildred]

9. The best remedy for tyranny, as the founding fathers knew.

Unfortunately, some of the side effects are unpleasant.

[Snazzy]

10. AP: U.S. Oil Companies Can Negotiate Deals in Libya After 18-Year Pause

U.S. Oil Companies Can Negotiate Deals in Libya After 18-Year Pause

By Brad Foss The Associated Press
Published: Feb 26, 2004

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. oil companies with holdings in Libya received White House permission Thursday to negotiate the resumption of once-lucrative deals stalled by bilateral sanctions imposed in 1986.
The Bush administration ended a long-standing ban on travel to Libya and invited American companies to begin planning their return after Moammar Gadhafi's government confirmed that it was responsible for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988.

Energy experts said an infusion of American capital and expertise would likely slow the decline of Libya's oil production and could help restore output to its historical peak. Libya now produces less than half its 1970 high of 3.3 million barrels a day.

"I believe they could produce on the scale of the past," said Jim Placke, senior analyst at Cambridge Energy Research Associates in Washington and a petroleum officer with the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli from 1969 to 1971.

....

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAZI4KE5RD.html

[bemildred]

11. How about that?

:thumbsup:

[BiggJawn]

3. I think I'd want to visit Habana before I go to Tripoli...

Guess I shouldn't hold my breath waiting.
How many airliner crashes is Castro implicit in? I forget.....

[readmylips]

5. Golly...gee, Let me get my ClubMed tickets...

or should I vacation in Iraq first?

[loudnclear]

6. But US tightens travel restrictions to Cuba ...which never did anything

to the US except not kiss our ass. And Libya is only doing what it takes for its own economic interests. Behind the scenes they are still working against us and despise us.

[GermanDJ]

7. There is no proof for involvement in the Lockerbie bombing

Well, given the relationship of some Western states (among them GB, the USA, Italy and a few others) with several oil-rich countries - Libya being one of them - I wouldn't be surprised if the Libyan people have strong negative feelings for them. Specifically I think about events like Iran ca. 1953, when GB and the USA in a joint effort destroyed a working democracy in order to install their puppet regime. Something similar seems to be happening now in Venezuela (and Haiti).

Regarding the terrorists acts: It's hard to say if and in which assaults Libya was involved. Personally I don't believe that the Libyan state really was involved in the Lockerbie bombing.

After reading countless reports (my interest was triggered by a remarkably uneven reporting in the Western press about this sad tragedy), comments by victims relatives and other articles I can't help but think that the liability for this terrible act of terrorism does indeed lie somewhere else...

Maybe it had something to do with drug politics, maybe the Iranians ordered Palestinian terrorists cells to bring the Pan Am airplane down. But an involvement of the Libyan state seems rather unlikely!

See for example

http://www.countercurrents.org/chomsky3.htm
http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/MiddleEast/TerrorInUSA/faq/Lib...