euro|topics - Were the Bulgarian medics freed in exchange for arms?

06/01/2009

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Main focus of Friday, August 3, 2007

Were the Bulgarian medics freed in exchange for arms?

On Thursday, August 2nd, a number of Libyan sources announced that a major arms deal had been signed with France, fuelling the controversy about compensation payments to Tripoli in exchange for the liberation of the Bulgarian medics. The French state is meanwhile claiming that no contract was signed during the negotiations. The press regrets the lack of transparency in this thorny affair.

Libération - France

"There is a time for praise and a time for questions", writes Fabrice Rousselot. "The declarations of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and yesterday's announcement by a Libyan source of the signature of an 168 million euro arms contract are not favorable for the unconvincing though repeated denials of the French president. By trying so hard to have us believe that the single conviction of his wife had achieved a miracle, Sarkozy finds himself having to deal with a PR operation that has gone wrong. Everyone knows all too well that, since Libya 'opened up' in 2004, France has participated in the race for military contracts with Tripoli. At some point, the president is going to have to come clean about the Bulgarian Medics affair, having built his election campaign on the theme of an 'Irreproachable Republic'." (03/08/2007)

Der Tagesspiegel - Germany

Hans-Hagen Bremer contests that everything that happens in the world of diplomacy should immediately be made public. "However, in the case of the Bulgarian nurses, about which Nicolas Sarkozy very publicly made a big fuss, keeping the details of the deal with Libya secret was inexcusable. Foreign Minster Bernard Kouchner's denial of the existence of a military pact before parliament, despite Sarkozy's having signed it along with the nuclear memorandum, was a sad performance. Either Kouchner, who wasn't present at the signing of the agreement, wasn't informed by his boss or there really is something to hide. Either that or Gaddafi's statements weren't true. Whatever the case, for a president who promised more transparency in foreign policy the affair is embarrassing, and the longer Sarkozy keeps up the secrecy the more embarrassing it will become." (03/08/2007)

Postimees - Estonia

Karin Volmer criticises France's weapons deals with Libya, saying that they contribute to the build-up of arms in the Middle East. "Politicians have found a new hobby: exchanging people for weapons. France is delivering millions of euros in weapons technology to Libya in return for the release of the Bulgarian nurses... Naturally it's a good thing that the case was made public. Following all the criticism of its weapons deals with Saudi Arabia, Washington can now accuse France of also helping the Muslim world to boost its weapons arsenal." (03/08/2007)

» To the complete press review of Friday, August 3, 2007

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