Teh One Who Knocks
09-05-2011, 11:40 AM
By the CNN Wire Staff
http://i.imgur.com/wI1se.jpg
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Documents that show China offered to sell stockpiles of arms to Moammar Gadhafi in the waning days of his rule are "the real deal," a senior member of Libya's transitional government told CNN on Monday.
The accusation follows a report by The Globe and Mail newspaper that reveals state-controlled Chinese arms manufacturers were prepared to sell weapons worth at least $200 million to Gadhafi, violating United Nations resolutions that banned such sales.
The Globe and Mail says one of its reporters found the documents, which were written in Arabic, in a pile of trash in Tripoli's Bab Akkarah neighborhood, an enclave that was home to some of Gadhafi's most loyal supporters.
The documents, which were posted Sunday on the website of the Toronto-based newspaper, do not confirm whether any military assistance was delivered to Libya
China denied the accusation, saying it strictly implemented the U.N. Security Council resolutions that banned the export of arms to Gadhafi's government.
"The Gadhafi regime sent people to China to engage in contact with certain individuals of relevant Chinese companies in July without the knowledge of the Chinese government departments," Jiang Yu, a spokeswoman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNN.
"Chinese companies have not signed any military trade contracts with Libya -- let alone provide military exports to Libya."
But Mohamed Sayeh, a member of the National Transitional Council, said Libya's new leaders have seen the documents.
"This deal is a real deal and we have seen the official documents," he said. "It was signed by Chinese officials, and it was to send guns and artilleries to Libya through Algiers to expedite the deal."
The four-page memo detailed a trip by Gadhafi's security officials to Beijing on July 16 where they met with four state-controlled weapons manufacturers, the newspaper reported.
"The companies suggest that they make the contracts with either Algeria or South Africa, because those countries previously worked with China," the documents say.
According to the newspaper, the documents show the Chinese companies noted that many of the items wanted by Gadhafi were in Algeria and could quickly be moved across the Libyan border.
The Chinese said they would replace the Algerian arms sent to Libya, the document said.
China is a voting member of the U.N. Security Council. It abstained from voting on a resolution in March that authorized the protection of Libyan civilians by any means necessary, with the exception of a ground invasion.
China, however, did approve a U.N. Security Council resolution that banned military assistance, including the sale of weapons, to Gadhafi's government.
China, Algeria and South Africa have been opposed to the NATO bombing campaign, and the three countries were slow to recognize the authority of the National Transitional Council as Libya's legitimate authority.
Sayeh said the NTC was amazed that the deal was discussed at a time when Gadhafis' forces were killing "thousands and thousands of Libyans, and it was done by two U.N. members" who signed the arms embargo.
"We will not forget but we will forgive, and we will start all over again," Sayeh told CNN.
http://i.imgur.com/wI1se.jpg
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Documents that show China offered to sell stockpiles of arms to Moammar Gadhafi in the waning days of his rule are "the real deal," a senior member of Libya's transitional government told CNN on Monday.
The accusation follows a report by The Globe and Mail newspaper that reveals state-controlled Chinese arms manufacturers were prepared to sell weapons worth at least $200 million to Gadhafi, violating United Nations resolutions that banned such sales.
The Globe and Mail says one of its reporters found the documents, which were written in Arabic, in a pile of trash in Tripoli's Bab Akkarah neighborhood, an enclave that was home to some of Gadhafi's most loyal supporters.
The documents, which were posted Sunday on the website of the Toronto-based newspaper, do not confirm whether any military assistance was delivered to Libya
China denied the accusation, saying it strictly implemented the U.N. Security Council resolutions that banned the export of arms to Gadhafi's government.
"The Gadhafi regime sent people to China to engage in contact with certain individuals of relevant Chinese companies in July without the knowledge of the Chinese government departments," Jiang Yu, a spokeswoman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNN.
"Chinese companies have not signed any military trade contracts with Libya -- let alone provide military exports to Libya."
But Mohamed Sayeh, a member of the National Transitional Council, said Libya's new leaders have seen the documents.
"This deal is a real deal and we have seen the official documents," he said. "It was signed by Chinese officials, and it was to send guns and artilleries to Libya through Algiers to expedite the deal."
The four-page memo detailed a trip by Gadhafi's security officials to Beijing on July 16 where they met with four state-controlled weapons manufacturers, the newspaper reported.
"The companies suggest that they make the contracts with either Algeria or South Africa, because those countries previously worked with China," the documents say.
According to the newspaper, the documents show the Chinese companies noted that many of the items wanted by Gadhafi were in Algeria and could quickly be moved across the Libyan border.
The Chinese said they would replace the Algerian arms sent to Libya, the document said.
China is a voting member of the U.N. Security Council. It abstained from voting on a resolution in March that authorized the protection of Libyan civilians by any means necessary, with the exception of a ground invasion.
China, however, did approve a U.N. Security Council resolution that banned military assistance, including the sale of weapons, to Gadhafi's government.
China, Algeria and South Africa have been opposed to the NATO bombing campaign, and the three countries were slow to recognize the authority of the National Transitional Council as Libya's legitimate authority.
Sayeh said the NTC was amazed that the deal was discussed at a time when Gadhafis' forces were killing "thousands and thousands of Libyans, and it was done by two U.N. members" who signed the arms embargo.
"We will not forget but we will forgive, and we will start all over again," Sayeh told CNN.