503 Libya, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Egypt

Back from a few weeks’ vacation in SE Asia, catching up on a few items of interest from my e-mail inbox:

  • Tom Hanks and Angelina Jolie will reportedly star in a film production of the saga of Bulgarian and Palestinian medics imprisoned in Libya on charges of infecting patients with HIV.
  • In a related item, Libyan Foreign Minister Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Shalgam is expected to visit Washington in the next few days. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said again she might travel to Libya soon. She first said she might after the medics were released in July. From the Dec. 21 press conference:

    QUESTION: Madame Secretary, on Libya, the Libyans have expressed a lot of frustration with the fact that you’ve said that you would go there, that they’re expecting some kind of benefit to their giving up their WMD and some of the other things that they’ve done with the Pan Am 103 families and that you haven’t been to Libya. What does this say to other countries that you’re hoping to improve their behavior, like Iran and North Korea, if they see that the U.S. isn’t delivering on their promises?

    SECRETARY RICE: Well, our promise had been to significantly improve U.S.-Libyan relations and to open — help open the door for Libya to receive investment and engagement with the international community. And I think that the decision by Colonel Qadhafi to give up their weapons of mass destruction has benefited Libya. It’s why there are new investment opportunities in Libya, it’s why so many companies are talking to the Libyans, it’s why a number of leaders have been to Libya and the leader has been to other countries.

    And I’m going to meet with Foreign Minister Shalgam shortly after the first of the year. And I actually look forward to the opportunity to go to Libya. I think it will be an important step. So I would simply not agree with the notion that this decision has not benefited Libya. I think it’s benefited Libya greatly. If you look at where Libya is now in terms of its interaction with the international community, in terms of its ability to receive foreign visitors, in terms of its ability to get investment, it’s day and night from where it was before it made these strategic decisions. But, of course, I’m looking for an opportunity to extend our relationship further.

  • Hussein Fadlallah, the primary Shia cleric in Lebanon, has issued a progressive opinion on suicide attacks targeting civilians:

    ??? ????: ???????? ????????? ??? ???????? ?????? ???????

    ??? ???????? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ????????? ??????????? ?????????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ???????? ?????? ??? ?? ??????? «????????» ??? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ??????? ??? ???????? ??? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?? ???????? ??? ???????.
    ????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????? ??? ????? ????????? ??????????? ???????? ??? ??? ?????? ????????? ???????????? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???????. ????? ??? ??????? ??????? ???? ?????? ????????? ????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????????. ???? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ????? ?? ??? ???????? ??? ???????? ?? ?????? ????????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ????? ???? ?????????? ????? ??????? ???????? ????? ?? ??????????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ???????? ??????????? ?????????? ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ??? ???????? ???? ??????.

    ????? ??? ?? ??? ????????? ????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ??? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ??? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ????????? ???? ????? ?????? ????????? ???? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ????????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ???. ??? ??? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ???? ????? ????? ???????? ?????????.
    ????: ????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ????????? ?????????? ????????? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ????????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ???????? ?? ????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ??????.
    (thanks, Nadim)

  • Egypt accused Israel of meddling in its relations with the United States after Congress agreed to suspend $100 million in aid to Egypt until the congressmen had verified Egypt is doing all it can to stop weapons smuggling into Gaza. Note that provisions from the same amendment requiring Egypt to take steps to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and curb police abuse have disappeared from the discussion.
  • Noted: Kamal Abbas’ appeal has been adjourned until Feb. 6, 2008. A misdemeanors court in 15th of May City sentenced Abbas, the leader of the shuttered Center for Trade Union and Workers’ Services, and Muhammad Helmi to one year in prison on criminal libel charges in September. They are free, pending appeal.

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