Posted on 01/24/2002 8:49:24 AM PST by Redcloak
Thursday January 24 9:28 AM ET Libya Confirms It Is in Talks with U.S. Officials
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya confirmed on Thursday that it has been engaged in talks with the United States and hailed President Bush (news - web sites) for dropping what it called the negative policies of his predecessors.
``Both Libya and the United States have a common willing to rebuild their relations and help furthering peace security and peace in the world,'' said foreign ministry spokesman Hassouna Chaouch.
Chouach said Libya and the U.S. have held talks and discussions at ``several levels'' to mend their relations.
``It seems that the new U.S. administration has shed the past negative policies,'' he told Reuters without elaborating.
Libya has assailed the previous Washington administrations for ignoring its efforts to normalize ties between the countries after years of hostility over terrorism and Middle East policy issues.
Chouach declined to comment on details of the talks but said officials from the two countries had last met early this month.
``We are looking for rebuilding and normalizing healthy relations with the United States based on the respect of common interests and a common willing of peace and security,'' she said.
The United States said on Wednesday that positive discussions have been held with Libya that could lead to a lifting of U.N. sanctions against Tripoli but the two countries were far from a general improvement in bilateral ties.
Bush has held out the possibility of a thaw in relations if Libya took responsibility for the bombing of the Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland in 1988, agreed to pay ``appropriate compensation,'' disclosed all it knew about the bombing and renounced terrorism.
Former Libyan secret agent Abdel Basset al-Megrahi was jailed for life last January for the airliner blast. In the Netherlands on Wednesday, his lawyers opened an appeal of the ruling by accusing judges of misunderstanding and misinterpreting evidence.
U.S. officials denied a newspaper report that said the United States and the Libyan government were close to a deal that could remove Libya from a U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism. Removal of Libya from the list would allow the United States to drop an oil embargo and other sanctions against Tripoli.
We need to keep an eye on him at all times. This guy's got pipe dreams like all dictators do, but he's also shown the will to try and make `em reality. Nobody thought he'd invade Chad in the 80s. I wonder if he's doing this to get the Sixth Fleet off his back so he can make a move on Malta.
How about terroristic, head-hunting, al-Qaeda allied, Taliban supported, Islamic slavers? Russia Blasts U.S. 'Unfriendly Step' on Chechnya (US meets envoy representing Chechen separatists)
And he did it nearly 40 years before Chad became an issue in the FloriDUH election.
I wonder if he's doing this to get the Sixth Fleet off his back so he can make a move on Malta.
Unless the entire Sixth Fleet leaves the Med, never to return...you mind explaining how they are EVER "off his back?"
Other nations hate us...why? Oh, that's right, its our "freedom" and prospertity. It has nothing to do with crap like this, oh, no, never anything like this.
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