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Sunday, August 5, 2007

Sarkozy inks major arms deal with Libya

LONDON — Libya has signed an agreement to purchase offensive weapons from France.

Libyan representatives said the government of French President Nicolas Sarkozy has agreed to sell more than $400 million worth of Milan anti-tank missiles and Tetra-standard communications systems to the North African state. They said the French arms package would include the establishment of a production facility in Libya, Middle East Newsline reported.

"We are going to buy [Milan anti-tank missiles worth up to] 100 million euros in France," Seif Al Islam, the son of Libyan ruler Moammar Khaddafy, said. "There's also a project for a weapons factory."

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A Libyan source said Paris and Tripoli have already signed an agreement for the Milan anti-tank missile and the Tetra communications and surveillance systems. The source said the contracts, meant for Libya's military and police, were signed on Thursday and totaled $405 million — $230 million for Milan and $175 million for Tetra.

In an interview on Aug. 1 with the Paris-based Le Monde, Al Islam said the weapons agreement was reached last week by Sarkozy and Khaddafy. Al Islam, responsible for Libyan negotiations with the Western powers, said he expected other Western arms deals over the next few months.

The Milan is a tripod-mounted anti-tank weapon developed by a subsidiary of EADS. Officials said the Milan project stemmed from a memorandum of understanding on defense issues that led to the release of foreign medics imprisoned in Libya. The MoU also included French assistance to Libya's civilian nuclear program.

Tetra, or Terrestrial Trunked Radio, is a digital trunked mobile radio standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. Several European firms manufacture Tetra, designed for open standards and interoperability.

Libya was also said to be negotiating with France for the Rafale fighter-jet, manufactured by Dassault Aviation. Tripoli, under Western embargo for more than 15 years, has sought an advanced fighter in an effort to modernize Libya's air force.

Britain and Italy have been negotiating with Tripoli. BAE Systems has offered Libya a range of aircraft and dual-use systems, while Italy has sought to sell naval vessels. Germany has not joined the European Union bandwagon.

"I would have certainly wished that France had informed and gotten its European partners on board with the offer to Libya," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. "I think the French side now sees that it could have better chosen the order."

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