Libya and its leader Moamer Khadafi are shaking off their reputation as a global pariah, in stark contrast to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, according to the first British government minister to visit Tripoli in nearly 20 years.
"Khadafi was indeed involved in the past in terrorism but the evidence is that now that he has not been involved in terrorism for some years," Mike O'Brien, British minister for the Middle East said Wednesday.
"He is not threatening his neighbors," O'Brien told BBC radio by telephone from Tripoli, ahead of a meeting with Kadhafi later Wednesday. "We still have criticisms of Libya on human rights grounds and aspects of foreign policy," O'Brien conveyed. "But Libya is moving away from being an outlaw pariah state towards engagement with the West, with the rest of the international community and in compliance with international law."
"By contrast, Saddam Hussein murders his people with poison gas, threatens his neighbors, is breaching 73 out of 77 UN resolutions, is moving away from compliance with international law and won't allow (weapons) inspectors of the United Nations into Iraq," the British minister stated.
"One is moving towards compliance and the other is moving away from compliance," he said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
