Tripoli, Libya
Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi threatened this week to pull his country out of the Arab League, charging that the 22-nation body was “impotent.” Libyan officials said Qaddafi was disgusted with the league’s continued failure to achieve its founding goal of “liberating” Palestinian territories. The final straw for him, they said, was Arab countries’ inability to present a united front even to combat U.S. “aggression” against Iraq. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa rushed to Tripoli to try to talk Qaddafi down. “Libya needs to stay with its Arab sisters,” Moussa said, because its defection could spark a domino effect that would sever Arab alliances and “cause chaos across the Middle East.” Moussa said he will convene an emergency Arab League meeting to discuss Qaddafi’s complaints.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Mickey 17: 'charming space oddity' that's a 'sparky one-off'The Week Recommends 'Remarkable' Robert Pattinson stars in Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi comedy
-
EastEnders at 40: are soaps still relevant?Talking Point Albert Square's residents are celebrating, but falling viewer figures have fans worried the soap bubble has burst
-
What will the thaw in Russia-US relations cost Europe?Today's Big Question US determination to strike a deal with Russia over Ukraine means Europe faces 'betrayal by a long-term ally'
