Gaddafi urges Obama to stop air strikes
From Fazle Rashid | Friday, 8 April 2011
From Fazle Rashid
NEW YORK, Apr 07: There have been earth-shaking news around the world during the past 24 hours. Col. Muammar Gaddafi, the eccentric Libyan dictator yesterday sent a letter to US president Barack Obama urging him to stop the air strikes. Gaddafi calling Obama his son wished the US president god-speed in his bid for the second term in the White House. Gaddafi's plea for peace was rejected forthwith. The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton hit back saying Gaddafi must withdraw his forces and he must step down. Gaddafi addressed Obama as "our dear son " and restated that the rebels in Libya were in fact al-Qaeda activists to win western support. In another development, Mohammad Masoom, Secretary of Afghanistan's High Peace Council and a confidant of President Hameed Karzai, divulged that there were a series of high level meetings between the government and Taleban representatives to end the conflict. Masoom said reconciliations talks are on, for some time now. The United States is supporting the move. The US ambassador to Kabul, Karl Eikenberry said "we are all 100 per cent behind reintegration and reconciliation." Talebans have, of course, denied that there have been any such dialogue, reiterating that any reconciliation effort can start only after the withdrawal of foreign troops from the Afghan soil. The United States have donated $50 million to the Peace Council in support of its reconciliation bid. In a separate development, US Defence Secretary Robet Gates met privately with the Saudi monarch Abdullah yesterday to patch up and heal the frozen ties between the two countries. Gates described the one-to-one meeting as warm and cordial. The relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States turned sour after Saudi King ordered his troops to march to Bahrain to protect the embattled king of Bahrain. Saudi Arabia has massive shopping list of military hardwares amounting to $60 billion. The arsenal includes F-15 fighters and an array of missiles. Saudi Arabia wanted Obama to shield the ousted Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak In North Africa, a boat loaded with refugees from the region to Italy sunk yesterday in which 250 people are feared to have perished. The people were described as "economic emigrant," seeking employment in Europe and refugees seeking asylum. Italy has been the destination of thousands who are migrating from North Africa. In the Middle East, the Palestinian Authority which is seeking global recognition as an independent state won an important endorsement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). IMF said the Authority is fully capable of running the economy of an independent state. The Fund said the Authority is capable of conducting sound economic policies. The Authority has a good track record in reforms, it noted. The World Bank holds the same view.
NEW YORK, Apr 07: There have been earth-shaking news around the world during the past 24 hours. Col. Muammar Gaddafi, the eccentric Libyan dictator yesterday sent a letter to US president Barack Obama urging him to stop the air strikes. Gaddafi calling Obama his son wished the US president god-speed in his bid for the second term in the White House. Gaddafi's plea for peace was rejected forthwith. The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton hit back saying Gaddafi must withdraw his forces and he must step down. Gaddafi addressed Obama as "our dear son " and restated that the rebels in Libya were in fact al-Qaeda activists to win western support. In another development, Mohammad Masoom, Secretary of Afghanistan's High Peace Council and a confidant of President Hameed Karzai, divulged that there were a series of high level meetings between the government and Taleban representatives to end the conflict. Masoom said reconciliations talks are on, for some time now. The United States is supporting the move. The US ambassador to Kabul, Karl Eikenberry said "we are all 100 per cent behind reintegration and reconciliation." Talebans have, of course, denied that there have been any such dialogue, reiterating that any reconciliation effort can start only after the withdrawal of foreign troops from the Afghan soil. The United States have donated $50 million to the Peace Council in support of its reconciliation bid. In a separate development, US Defence Secretary Robet Gates met privately with the Saudi monarch Abdullah yesterday to patch up and heal the frozen ties between the two countries. Gates described the one-to-one meeting as warm and cordial. The relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States turned sour after Saudi King ordered his troops to march to Bahrain to protect the embattled king of Bahrain. Saudi Arabia has massive shopping list of military hardwares amounting to $60 billion. The arsenal includes F-15 fighters and an array of missiles. Saudi Arabia wanted Obama to shield the ousted Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak In North Africa, a boat loaded with refugees from the region to Italy sunk yesterday in which 250 people are feared to have perished. The people were described as "economic emigrant," seeking employment in Europe and refugees seeking asylum. Italy has been the destination of thousands who are migrating from North Africa. In the Middle East, the Palestinian Authority which is seeking global recognition as an independent state won an important endorsement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). IMF said the Authority is fully capable of running the economy of an independent state. The Fund said the Authority is capable of conducting sound economic policies. The Authority has a good track record in reforms, it noted. The World Bank holds the same view.