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Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi - Source: Reuters -
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The US State Department apologised for dismissive comments its
spokesman made about Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's call for
jihad, often translated as armed struggle, against
Switzerland.
"I understand that my personal comments were perceived as a
personal attack," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley told
reporters.
"These comments do not reflect US policy and were not intended
to offend. I apologise if they were taken that way."
In apologising, he appeared to be trying to end a dispute that
prompted the head of Libya's state oil company to summon executives
from US energy companies Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, Occidental,
Hess and Marathon last week and warn them the dispute could hurt US
businesses in Libya.
The dispute showed the sensitivity of Tripoli's ties with the West
more than six years after its decision to abandon weapons of mass
destruction led to a rapprochement with Washington, including the
restoration of diplomatic relations.
The fracas centred on a February 25 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.
Asked about the speech, Crowley on February 26 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.
Libya's ambassador to the United States last week said that his
country wanted good relations with Washington but would not allow
its leader to be insulted.
Irritant
Crowley said he was sorry the dispute had become an irritant in the
relationship and said that US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey
Feltman, the top US diplomat for the Middle East, will visit Libya
next week for consultations.
Crowley also said that he, along with Feltman, had called on
Libya's ambassador to the United States on Friday and had made
clear that he had not intended to cause offence.
"I should have focused solely on our concern about the term
'jihad,' which has since been clarified by the Libyan government,"
he said.
"I regret that my comments have become an obstacle to further
progress in our bilateral relationship."
Libya has been locked in a dispute with Switzerland since July 2008
when Gaddafi's son Hannibal was briefly arrested by police in
Geneva on charges - which were later dropped - of mistreating two
domestic employees.
Gaddafi's son was released shortly after his arrest, but Libya cut
oil supplies to Switzerland, withdrew billions of dollars from
Swiss bank accounts and arrested two Swiss businessmen working in
the North African country.
One businessman has been released but the other was forced to leave
the Swiss embassy in Tripoli and go to prison to serve a four-month
sentence, apparently avoiding a major confrontation.
Libya insists the Geneva arrest and the case of the two businessmen
are not linked.
"Regarding the dispute between Libya and (Switzerland), the United
States does not take a position other than to register our concern
about two Swiss citizens, one of whom has been released on
humanitarian grounds, and we hope that this issue can be resolved
as soon as possible," Crowley said.
