LIBYA: The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, shook hands yesterday with the Libyan leader, Col Muammar Gadafy, in the latest stage of the international rehabilitation of the man once branded "the mad dog of the Middle East".
After two hours of talks in a tent outside the Libyan capital, Tripoli, Mr Blair said he wanted to offer Col Gadafy "the hand of friendship" following his decision to give up weapons of mass destruction and renounce terrorism.
Mr Blair admitted it felt "strange" to be visiting a state which was a pariah for decades because of its involvement in atrocities including the bombing of Pan-Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, the murder of policewoman Yvonne Fletcher and supply of arms to the IRA.
But he said it was right, in the wake of the September 11th atrocities, to recognise Libya's new willingness to become a partner in the fight against terror.
Since Col Gadafy's dramatic declaration last December that he would give up nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, Libya had offered "full and transparent co-operation" in the dismantling of illicit arms programmes, said Mr Blair.
"I was particularly struck . . . with Col Gadafy's recognition that Libya's own future is best secured by a new relationship with the outside world and a recognition also of a common cause with us in the fight against al-Qaeda, extremism and terrorism which threatens not just the western world but the Arab world also."
Britain is expected to develop closer military co-operation with Tripoli, with Libyan officers potentially coming to train at Sandhurst, while the arms manufacturer BAE Systems is one of several UK companies thought likely to strike lucrative deals as Libya opens up to investors.
The shadow foreign secretary, Mr Michael Ancram, who yesterday denounced the visit as "highly questionable", called on Col Gadafy to reveal details of his links with the IRA. - (PA)