(Telegraph-UK) Editorial - In receiving the Libyan foreign minister in Downing Street, Tony Blair was rewarding Muammar Gaddafi for abandoning plans to develop weapons of mass destruction. Britain has taken the lead in offering incentives, from re-establishing diplomatic relations to agreeing to a meeting between the prime minister and Col. Gaddafi. Washington, by contrast, abstained on the vote authorizing the lifting of UN sanctions and has kept its own embargo in place. Although the regime in Tripoli has changed, it remains a dictatorship with a poor human rights record. Taking a leaf from Washington's book, the prime minister should beware lest his enthusiasm runs ahead of reality.
2004-02-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive