Dispatches from the Danger Zone: Col. Khadafy Is Annoyed

Libya feels "cheated" that it will stay on the U.S. State Departments list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Colonel Khadafy is presumably annoyed.

We have been taken advantage of, said the Libyan representative in Washington, and blamed domestic US politics and the furor over the Dubai Ports deal.

Presence on the terrorism list bars a country from getting U.S. arms; controls sales of items with military and civilian applications, limits U.S. financial aid and requires Washington to vote against international loans.

The United States has taken steps toward restoring commercial relations with Libya since Khadafy announced his intention to give up weapons of mass destruction in December two years ago.

But Libya still needs to attract about $30 billion in foreign investment to
boost its oil production capacity. state” came on the heels of a panel discussion and media-show at Columbia University in New York.

Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he might call a hearing on the subject. 

He called Libya "an arrow in our quiver" for securing oil.

The designation of Libya continuing as a “terrorist

Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs hosted a delegation of “scholars” from Libya –and had Khadafy speak by video conference, or at least they planned to.  I couldn’t find out whether he actually appeared. No matter: The subject, of all things, was World Prospects for democracy in the 21st Century.

Prospects might improve if the Libyans released more of their political prisoners-like Fathi Elijahmi, who is wasting in Libya’s Abu Falim prison.

Elijahmi is 63 years old, has diabetes and a heart condition –and great personal courage. 

His crime:  He spoke out publicly about “the prospects for democracy in the 21st Century”. But he made his comments in Tripoli, not on a panel at Columbia.