Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, on Friday yielded to calls for an inquiry into France’s deepening ties with Libya, amid concerns over recent nuclear and weapons deals with Tripoli.
It came just hours after the announcement of a European anti-tank missile deal with Libya. This had prompted opposition demands for a probe into links with the government of Muammer Gadaffi, following unease about France’s role in persuading Tripoli to release six imprisoned Bulgarians last month.
Shortly after the release of the Bulgarians – who had been jailed after being blamed for hundreds of Libyan children contracting HIV – France announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding involving the possible construction of a nuclear power reactor in Libya that would be linked to a water desalination project.
On Friday, it was announced MBDA Missile Systems had finalised a contract to supply Tripoli with an unspecified number of Milan anti-tank missiles. MBDA is 37.5 per cent owned by EADS, the European aerospace and defence group, which is partly owned by the French state. BAE Systems, the British defence supplier, has another 37.5 per cent and Italy’s Finmeccanica owns the rest.
Of course Nicolas Sarkozy denies the whole thing. Peppered with questions by alert journalists during a visit to the Parisian suburb of Evry, he said France gave Libya nothing in exchange. The same response is reported from Number 10 Downing Street. The media can hardly repress a snicker, the Left is fuming, and neoconservatives worldwide are throwing darts at Sarkozy. UMP deputy Claude Goasguen, known for his independence and integrity, is demanding the transparency in foreign relations explicitly promised during Sarkozy’s presidential campaign.
Should we take the word of the Libyan dictator’s son over the declarations of the French president? Is Ghaddafi the Younger more trustworthy? Does he come from a culture of truth, transparency, and upright behavior? Why is the party that sentenced innocent medical personnel to death to hide its own guilt in the contamination of children hospitalized in their services more reliable than the party that secured their release?
Posts: 7939 | Location: Santa Barbara | Registered: 19 July 2005
Ronald, I try not to get too involved in discussions if I am not sure that I will have enough time to reply. Thom's going to be in NYC all next week so I won't need to run the chat room during the local KPOJ show, so I should have more time for the board, if all goes well.
Sue N.
Posts: 4624 | Location: UK | Registered: 16 November 2004
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