Gaddafi ‘not excited’ about coming UK visit

Letter to the editor from the Libyan Embassy in London - The Herlad Newspaper

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Gaddafi ‘not excited’ about coming UK visit

Michael Settle's report regarding Colonel Gaddafi's proposed visit to London for the coming Oil Summit is out of context (Gaddafi "invited to UK" for first time since Lockerbie, September 10).

Gaddafi is the Leader of the Libyan Revolution and is not an oil tradesman whose job description involves touring countries for marketing oil. The Libyan system of government is based on a "People's Democracy", which the country has practised since 1977. The system has its own mechanisms to deal with state resources, including oil. All oil policies in Libya are planned and designed by the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC). The Corporation is run by a People's Committee.

That committee is under the supervision of the Oil Council, headed by the Prime Minister and other officials. The Chairman of the NOC represents the Libyan Jarnahiriya in OPEC's meetings and all other related conferences. It is worth mentioning that the Leader is not overly excited about visiting the United Kingdom, either for the coming Oil Summit, or otherwise, and that the Lockerbie case file is closed for ever, according to the relevant United National Security Council resolutions. The remaining aspect is the legal position regarding the Libyan national, Mr Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, who is still awaiting a decision regarding his second appeal, which was granted by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC).

Tarek al Abaidy, Press Consular, Libyan People's Bureau, London.