JERUSALEM Ñ Israel has warned the Libya could become the first Arab
nation with nuclear weapons.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Libya is working with such
countries as Iraq, North Korea and Saudi Arabia to develop missiles and
weapons of mass destruction. Sharon indicated that Libya has obtained
expertise to launch a project to develop nuclear weapons.
"Libya is becoming perhaps a more dangerous country than we thought,"
Sharon said on national television on late Wednesday. "Libya may be the
first [Arab] country to have the worst kind of weapons of mass destruction."
Sharon did not specify which type of weapons Libya would obtain. But he
indicated that he meant nuclear weapons. Libya already has chemical weapons.
"Probably the worst kind," Sharon said.
The prime minister said Libya is obtaining missile and WMD help from
Iraq, North Korea and Pakistan. Sharon said some of the programs could have
been financed by Saudi Arabia.
Israeli officials said Sharon went public with his accusations against
Libya after several consultations with U.S. officials and congressional
leaders. They said Sharon discussed his concerns over Libya last month
during a meeting with visiting U.S. Sen. Robert Toricelli.
The officials said Washington largely shares the concerns of Israel
regarding Libya's intermediate-range missiles and WMD programs. Both
countries are said to share the assessment that Libya is rapidly developing
a missile based on North Korea's No-Dong, in a project that involves Iran.
But the Israeli officials said the State Department and other agencies
have concluded that Libyan ruler Moammar Khaddafy is moving away from
terrorism and wants to reconcile with the United States and the West. They
said this has raised the prospect that the State Department could remove
Libya from its list of terrorist sponsors over the next year.
"This is a new strategy [by Khaddafy]," a senior Israeli official said.
"They are in close contact with the Egyptians and they are telling Khaddafy
to behave nicely and do everything he has to do beneath the surface. There
is a significant [Libyan] effort regarding missiles and the start of
something in WMD.
On Tuesday, Libya and Saudi Arabia signed a series of economic
agreements that include scientific and technological cooperation. Israeli
officials said the accords appear to be part of increasing strategic ties
that are connected to Libyan missile and WMD projects.
Hours later, Libya denied Sharon's assertion. A Libyan government
statement accused the Israeli prime minister of hysteria.
For his part, Khaddafy has asserted that he has abandoned what he termed
"revolutionary behavior" and now opposes Islamic insurgents, including Al
Qaida.
""In the old days, they called us a rogue state," Khaddafy said in a
speech on national television last week. "They were right in accusing us of
that. In the old days, we had a revolutionary behavior."
