Posted on 23-12-2003
UN
to start Libyan weapons inspections next week
By George Jahn, AP
Libya has agreed to throw open its nuclear activities to inspection
by the UN atomic agency as early as next week, the head of the
UN watchdog said today.
The decision followed a meeting on Saturday between a delegation
from Libya and Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International
Atomic Energy Agency. The session came after Friday's surprise
announcement that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi would give up
his country's nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction
programmes.
Mr ElBaradei said that he would lead the first inspection mission,
which he described as a positive step on the part of Libya "to
rid itself of all programmes or activities that are relevant
or could lead to the production of weapons of mass destruction."
Libya has admitted to nuclear fuel projects, including the
possession of centrifuges and centrifuge parts used in uranium
enrichment - a nuclear effort more advanced than previously
thought. It also agreed to tell the IAEA about current nuclear
programmes and to adhere to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.
Libya will also sign a nuclear non-proliferation treaty protocol
allowing snap inspections of its weapons programmes by UN nuclear
experts
Shokri Ghanem, the Libyan Prime Minister said today: "We
agree to the commitment we are taking in front of the IAEA and
are willing to abide by its rules and honour our commitments,
whatever that commitment means."
Mr Ghanem said his country's relations with America and Britain
will improve and economic benefits will flow to the North African
state following its decision to dispose of its weapons of mass
destruction.
Speaking on BBC Radio's Today progrramme, he said that Libya
wanted to change its "priorities and concentrate on our
economic affairs and economic development."
He said that not all Libyans supported his government's move,
but added that it was "a decision we are taking and we
think it is in the interests of the Libyan people and in the
interest of the whole world community."
Libya wants to improve its economy and living standards for
its citizens, he said, plus fight terrorism and set an example
to other countries to "clear (the region of) ... weapons
of mass destruction."
The United Nations lifted sanctions against Libya after it
accepted responsibility in September for the 1988 bombing of
a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie that killed 270 people, and agreed
to pay $2.7 billion to the victims' families.
America imposed sanctions against Libya in 1986, claiming it
supported terrorist groups. Ten years later, America passed
the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act that threatened to penalize
the US partners of European companies that did significant business
in Libya and Iran.
Even after the UN Security Council voted to abolish its sanctions,
the United States maintained its embargoes.
Mr Ghanem said Libya wanted to improve its ties with the international
community, particularly the United States and its close ally
Britain.
"The relations between us and the United States and the
United Kingdom (are) going to improve much more than" they
were, he said.
"We think that by the actions we are taking we are just
demonstrating how much we are interested in having a peaceful
world and peaceful good relations with countries, including
the United States."
Mr Ghanem, however, said the strict rules concerning weapons
disarmament and disclosure that Libya is willing to face should
also apply to America's closest Middle East ally, Israel.
"Since a long time ... we are calling that the Middle
East should be free from weapons of mass destruction,"
he said when asked if Israel should apply global non-proliferation
protocols to its nuclear weapons program, which the Jewish state
is widely believed to possess but refuses to admit or deny exists.
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