On
Libya,
As Shalgam
Accuses Qatar
of
Interference,
Martin to
Gulf,
Rice to
Tripoli
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 28 --
Libyan
diplomat
Mohammed Abdel
Rahman Shalgam
recently
accused Qatar
of aiding
Islamists
within Libya.
On Monday,
Inner City
Press asked
both UN envoy
Ian Martin and
US Ambassador
Susan Rice
about
Shalgam's
complaints.
Martin
finessed
the question
by mentioning,
but not
summarizing,
his visit to
Qatar
and the United
Arab Emirates:
"I recently
visited Qatar
and the
Emirates and
discussed how
assist...
coordinated by
the UN."
Video
here, from
Minute 3:55.
Inner
City Press
asked Martin
if the
assistant
alleged by
Shalgam would
be contrary to
law. Again
Martin
sidestepped
the question,
saying that
"they
made clear"
the want to
"support in
ways agreed
with NTC
and now with
the
government."
Shalgam IS the
government, so
clearly this
has not always
been the case.
(c) UN Photo
Shalgam in
past, Qatar
"interference"
not yet shown
Soon
afterward
Inner City
Press put
the question
to US
Ambassador
Susan Rice,
after
she described
her recent
visit to
Tripoli:
Inner
City
Press: On
Libya, the
diplomat
Shalgam has
said, he's
complained,
that he's said
that Qatar
has, even
since the end
of the
conflict,
been funding
parties in
Libya, the
Islamists, he
said. He made
this
complaint
publicly. I
think Ian
Martin has
gone to Qatar
and the UAE
to speak to
both of them.
What does,
either in your
visit, or
overall
as the U.S.,
do you think
that there are
still
countries
other than
Libya sort-of
interfering in
the process in
Libya? What do
you make
of what Mr.
Shalgham said?
Ambassador
Rice: Well
I've heard
those concerns
expressed, and
I think the
most important
point is
that all
friends and
supporters of
the new Libya
need to come
together in
support of the
authority of
the new Libyan
government.
And to channel
all of our
support and
assistance,
consistent
with
their needs
and desires.
There are many
different
challenges
that the new
Libyan
government is
facing. How to
deal with the
militias;
security;
informing and
incorporating
all elements
of
Libyan society
into an
inclusive
government
structure;
proceeding
with an
election
process in
which all feel
they have a
stake. And so,
I think,
clearly the
message I
received from
Libyan
interlocutors
was
gratitude for
U.S. and
international
support but a
strong
assertion of
their
sovereign need
and desire to
chart their
own
future and the
request and
expectation
that their
partners all
support their
agenda.
These
are diplomat
answers. But
as a senior UN
official put
it to Inner
City Press on
Monday, there
is resentment
growing about
how Qatar
"such a
small country"
can be buying
so much
influence.
Watch this
site.
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