Us Apologises To
Libyan Leader
The
United States has apologized for dismissive comments made about
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's call for “jihad”, often
translated as armed struggle, against Switzerland.
State Department spokesman, P.J. Crowley, who made the comments,
said he understands that his personal comments were perceived as
a personal attack on the Libyan president.
Crowley said the comments do not reflect U.S. policy and were
not intended to offend.
Crowley said he was sorry the dispute had become an irritant in
the relationship and said that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
Jeff Feltman, the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, would
visit Libya next week for consultations.
His apology is expected to end a dispute that prompted the head
of Libya's state oil company to summon executives fromU.S.
energy companies Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips , Occidental, Hess
and Marathon last week.
Cause of Dispute
The fracas centered on a February 25th speech Gaddafi made
calling for a "jihad" against Switzerland.
The term is often translated as "armed struggle," but a
Libyan official has since said Gaddafi meant an economic
boycott.
Responding to the speech on February 26, Crowley said it
reminded him of a previous Gaddafi address which, he said,
involved "lots of words and lots of papers flying all over the
place, not necessarily a lot of sense.
REUTERS/WILLIAMS/YINKA
