The United States is to renew full diplomatic ties with Libya and take it off a list of states that back terrorism, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday.
Rice called the resumption of relations the ”tangible results” of Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi’s decision in 2003 to renounce terrorism and abandon efforts to make weapons of mass destruction.
”I am pleased to announce that the US is restoring full diplomatic relations with Libya. We will soon open an embassy in Tripoli,” Rice said in a statement.
”In addition, the US intends to remove Libya from the list of designated state sponsors of terrorism. Libya will also be omitted from the annual certification of countries not cooperating fully with the US’s anti-terrorism efforts,” the top US diplomat said.
The move comes a quarter-century after diplomatic relations were severed following the 1979 sacking of the US embassy in Tripoli by protesters.
Alleged Libyan-backed terrorist attacks in 1986 spurred the US to launch air raids against Tripoli.
Libya was also held responsible for the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am passenger jet, which crashed near Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people, most of them Americans.
”We are taking these actions in recognition of Libya’s continued commitment to its renunciation of terrorism and the excellent cooperation Libya has provided to the US and other members of the international community in response to common global threats faced by the civilised world since September 11 2001,” Rice said.
After Gadaffi agreed to open up Libya’s weapon production sites to US and British experts, the US opened a special-interests section in Tripoli in February 2004. This was upgraded to a ”liaison office” on June 28 that year, officially re-establishing formal relations.
Rice said Libya was ”an important model” for other nations, like North Korea and Iran, which Washington has also branded state sponsors of terrorism.
”Just as 2003 marked a turning point for the Libyan people, so too could 2006 mark turning points for the peoples of Iran and North Korea,” she said. ”We urge the leadership of Iran and North Korea to make similar strategic decisions that would benefit their citizens.” — AFP
