Cablegate: Qadhafi Just Wants to Be Friends with Europe

R 211400Z MAY 97
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7570
INFO AMCONSUL NAPLES
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ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE
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UNCLAS ROME 004528

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL XI LY IT
SUBJECT: QADHAFI JUST WANTS TO BE FRIENDS WITH EUROPE

THE ITALIAN NEWS SERVICE ANSA DATELINED TRIPOLI
MAY 19 REPORTED THAT LIBYAN LEADER QADHAFI
PUBLICLY SAID HE IS READY TO UPHOLD A ''FRIENDSHIP
WITH EUROPE'' BASED ON RECIPROCAL RESPECT AND
INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U.S. ACCORDING TO ANSA,
QADHAFI SAID THAT HE IS ''IN LINE WITH THE
THINKING OF EUROPEAN LEADERS WHO WOULD LIKE
INDEPENDENCE FROM THE UNITED STATES.'' HE ADDED
THAT HE ''SUPPORTS THE FRENCH PRESIDENT AND THE
GERMAN CHANCELLOR WHO ARE AT THE HEAD OF THIS
EUROPEAN MOVEMENT AWAY FROM AMERICAN CONTROL, AND
WHO REPRESENT THE NUCLEUS OF THE EUROPEAN
MILITARY FORCE (EUROFORCE).'' QADHAFI ALSO AGAIN
CALLED FOR ARAB UNITY, SAYING THAT ''IT WOULD BE
GOOD FOR ARAB COUNTRIES TO CREATE THEIR OWN
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND MILITARY FORCE, AND TO
ESTABLISH RELATIONS WITH EUROPE. WE WILL SUPPORT
THIS PROCESS.''

BARTHOLOMEW

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