Libya denies weapons decision 'cave-in'

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said today his country has taken “a wise decision and a courageous step” to rid itself of weapons of mass destruction, but denied he had caved in to pressure from Britain and America.

Gaddafi’s statement followed an announcement by Libya’s foreign ministry that it had agreed after talks with the United States and Britain to rid itself of internationally-banned weapons and obey treaties on nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

While US president George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that Gaddafi had bowed to pressure to halt his nation’s drive to develop chemical and nuclear weapons, Libya claimed it had acted of “its own free will” in order to serve as an inspiration for the rest of the world.

In a statement distributed by Libya’s official news agency JANA, Gaddafi said his country wanted to lead by example ”in building a new world free of weapons of mass destruction and all kinds of terrorism, with the aim of preserving international peace and security and progress for humanity”.

Gaddafi, who came to power when a 1969 military coup overthrew Libya’s monarchy, said that ridding the world of weapons of mass destruction would also help promote “popular democracy” and to “meet ecological challenges so that the colour green will prevail all over the globe”.

The foreign ministry statement maintained that Libya had long advocated such a move by seeking to turn the Middle East and Africa “into a region free of weapons of mass destruction”. However, this statement added, Libya’s call ”did not receive serious response … so Libya endeavoured to develop its defence capabilities”.

It also said Libya wanted to serve as an example to other countries in the Middle East “without exception” – an apparent reference to Israel, which has long been believed to possess nuclear weapons.

The foreign ministry statement said that Libya “decided by its own free will to get rid of these materials, equipment and programmes and to be completely free of internationally prohibited weapons.”

Libya “believes that the arms race does not serve its security and the region’s security”, the statement said, adding that the Libyan government was eager “to see a world that enjoys peace and security”.