U.S. Reaffirms Goal of Normal Libya Relations

A U.S. envoy this week reiterated Washington’s desire to establish normalized relations with Libya, and praised leaders in Tripoli for abandoning weapons of mass destruction, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 31).

Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns met Wednesday and yesterday in Tripoli with Libyan leader Col. Muammar Qadhafi and other officials and “once again welcomed Libya’s implementation of its historic decision to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, and its cooperation in the global war on terrorism,” according to a State Department statement.

Burns “reaffirmed the goal of fully normalized relations” and reviewed matters of “specific concern over Libya’s past involvement in terrorism, and both sides agreed to continue a comprehensive discussion of this question,” the statement adds.

U.S. President George W. Bush lifted most economic sanctions on Libya in September after Qadhafi pledged in December 2003 to reject weapons of mass destruction (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Feb. 10).

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