Gaddafi to dismantle weapons of mass destruction

LIBYA’S leader Moammar Gaddafi last night promised to dismantle his country’s secret weapons of mass destruction programme, British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced.

Mr Blair said the move followed nine months of negotiations between British, US and Libyan officials.

He said Mr Gaddafi had confirmed he had been secretly seeking to develop weapons of mass destruction, including long-range ballistic missiles, but had approached Britain in March following successful negotiations over the Lockerbie downing of Pan Am flight 103 to see how the issue could be resolved.

Mr Blair said last night he applauded Mr Gaddafi’s historic and courageous move which entitles Libya to “rejoin the international community”.

In an announcement at the White House shortly afterwards, US President George W Bush said Mr Gaddafi had agreed “immediately and unconditionally” that international weapons inspectors could enter Libya.

British sources said the visits to Libya had led to “significant disclosures of nuclear, chemical, biological and missile-related activities”.

The United Nations Security Council ended sanctions against Libya on September 12 after Mr Gaddafi’s government took responsibility for the bombing of a Pan Am passenger jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, and agreed to pay families of the 270 victims $2.7 billion.

The council’s decision was largely symbolic, since the UN had temporarily suspended its embargo in April 1999.

But the US has kept its own 17-year embargo in place. Washington has said Libya is actively developing biological and chemical weapons, upgrading its nuclear capabilities and seeking missiles to deliver weapons of mass destruction, for which it is receiving help from states that sponsor terrorism.

“This decision by Colonel Gadhafi is a historic one and a courageous one and I applaud it,” said Mr Blair.