I know that the government of Libya has been making great strides at reducing terrorism in their country as well as around the world, and I think that Qadhafi has been on our side since 9/11.... BUT to completely take it off the terrorist watch list is a little weird. It isn't like the terrorists that were there yesterday up and left today. Unless I have the wrong impression on what the terrorism watch list is meant to convey. Seems like it is meant to identify countries with potential NGO terrorist groups working within their borders and that the state supports them. We have caught the Libyan government red handed in a number of terrorist attacks since 1986. Sure they dismantled their WMD program, but that doesn't make a lick of difference. It was never Libya itself doing any harm, they were just giving money and arms to the people that would. Libya is pro-Palestine... we are pro-Israel. Libya supports at least 10 KNOWN Palestinian terrorist groups who are on the terrorist watch list. Not to mention the fact that they armed and trained President Charles Taylor in Liberia, and we all know what he did. This is the same militaristic leader (Qadhafi is a Colonel) that just 6 years ago compared America to Nazi Germany and said "Libya is a victim of American terrorism."
Now, I have felt that Qadhafi has been making progress against terrorism, going back to the announcement that they would pay the victims families from the Pan Am bombing. But we all know why he did it, the deal was:
Each victim was to receive $10 million: $4 million to be paid when UN sanctions are lifted; $4 million once US sanctions are lifted; and $2 million when the United States takes Libya off the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. The only reason they paid was to get off the combined sh!t list of the world basically. That was three years ago. Everyone thought we would lift sanctions then, but we didn't so obviously we were waiting for something. I'd just like to see if they pay the $6 million per family member now or if that deal slipped their mind.
You can understand my surprise on this matter, especially with the current administration. In Bush's mind, there are two groups... those that are completely with us or those that aren't. Libya is NOT completely with us. The only thing I can think of is that there is a deal we aren't being told about. I know it sounds like I don't trust my government to tell us the truth here, and believe me, that is not how I feel... I just think the facts on this one don't add up.
