 Condoleezza Rice to make Libya visit
3rd Sept 2008
US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice is to make a "historic" first visit
to Libya on Friday, the state department has
announced. Her visit will be the first by a US
secretary of state to Libya since 1953.
Libya was on the state department list of sponsors
of terrorism until 2006, when it abandoned weapons
of mass destruction and renounced terrorism.
Earlier this month, Libya agreed compensation for
families of the victims of the 1988 Lockerbie
bombing.
The deal paved the way for Ms Rice's visit to what
was once considered a pariah state.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was described by
late President Ronald Reagan as a "mad dog", will
host Ms Rice.
The state department said this was proof that the US
does not have permanent enemies and showed the
success of the Bush administration's
non-proliferation policies.
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Washington is hoping
to show other countries like North Korea and Iran
how they could benefit from a rapprochement with the
US.
For Libya, it all started in 2003, when Mr Gaddafi
decided to give up his weapons of mass destruction
and renounce terrorism.
Washington restored diplomatic ties with Libya in
2006 but the last remaining piece of the puzzle was
the comprehensive plan agreed by the two countries
to compensate relatives of the 270 victims of the
bombing of the Pan Am flight over Lockerbie in 1988.
Mr Gaddafi this week also hailed the end of his
country's long estrangement from the US, but said
all Libya wanted now was to be left alone. |
credits: bbc |
