Libya 'halts Swiss oil shipments'

[R_H] · Post by **[R_H]** » 2008-07-24 12:05pm

Libya's state shipping company says it has halted oil shipments to Switzerland in protest at the brief arrest of leader Muammar Gaddafi's youngest son.

It threatened further action if the Swiss did not apologise for the arrest.

Geneva police held Hannibal Gaddafi for two days after he and his pregnant wife allegedly hit two of their staff.

The couple face charges of bodily harm, threatening behaviour and coercion. They have denied any wrongdoing over the alleged incident on 15 July.

Costly row?

The stopping of oil shipments comes a day after the Swiss foreign ministry complained of Libya taking "retaliatory measures", such as forcing Swiss firms to close Libyan offices.

Libya's General National Maritime Transport Company - which has links to Hannibal Gaddafi - said in a statement that it had halted all oil shipments to Switzerland.

The firm handles most of Libya's oil exports. However, the AFP news agency reported that oil carried by commercial vessels would not be affected.

In a joint statement with the national port authority, the company also said ships sailing under the Swiss flag had been banned from entering Libyan ports.

It is a row that could prove costly to both countries, says the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva.

Switzerland imports at least half its crude oil from Libya but Libya owns a large oil refinery in Switzerland.

Libya's influential people's committees have also called for Libya to withdraw its deposits from Swiss banks if an apology for the arrest is not forthcoming.

'Worrying measures'

The Swiss foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Libya had "taken a number of worrying retaliatory measures" for Mr Gaddafi's arrest since he was released on bail on 17 July.

It said Swiss companies ABB and Nestle had been ordered to close their Libya offices and that Swiss staff there had been arrested.

Flights between Libya and Switzerland had been reduced, Libya had stopped issuing visas to Swiss citizens and Tripoli had recalled some of its diplomats from Bern, the Swiss foreign ministry said.

The ministry also said it had sent a delegation to Libya to explain Mr Gaddafi's arrest. It has advised Swiss citizens not to travel to Libya until further notice.

It is not Hannibal Gaddafi's first brush with the law. In 2005 he was convicted by a court in France of assaulting his girlfriend.

There were also 200 "protesters" in front of the Swiss embassy in Tripoli, and according to the news here, the 49 Swiss citizens in Libya aren't allowed to leave the country. Gaddafi reacted in roughly the same manner in 1997, when one of his sons didn't get a visa to study in Geneva, Swiss citizens weren't able to travel to Libya.

Simmon · Post by **Simmon** » 2008-07-24 12:48pm

Yeah, I read this yesterday.

What's next, China cutting off exports to the USA because a Chinese man is arrested by LAPD?

Is this even legal, international-law speaking?

Darth Tanner · Post by **Darth Tanner** » 2008-07-24 01:13pm

What's next, China cutting off exports to the USA because a Chinese man is arrested by LAPD?

I think you missed a critical part of the article,

in protest at the brief arrest of leader Muammar Gaddafi's youngest son.

Is this even legal, international-law speaking?

Its a dictatorship and a sovereign state. I don't think there's an international law about refusing to sell someone things and even if there was why the hell would they care about it beyond its economic impact.

Simmon · Post by **Simmon** » 2008-07-24 05:18pm

Fair enoguh.

The fact that children of national leaders can break other country's laws with economic threats (or realities) to back them up is just not adding up in my mind. Not the 'reasoning' part, mind, the 'justice' part.

Tanasinn · Post by **Tanasinn** » 2008-07-24 05:42pm

according to the news here, the 49 Swiss citizens in Libya aren't allowed to leave the country.

This is particularly offensive, among a list of cretinous actions. A foreigner commits assault/battery and is released, and they're holding non-criminal citizens hostage? Abhorrent.

Kanastrous · Post by **Kanastrous** » 2008-07-24 05:50pm

Well, I guess this means no chocolate for Libya.

Payback's a bitch.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2008-07-24 05:54pm

Its Switzerland? How much oil could they possibly need? Let's send em 2 trucks.

[R_H] · Post by **[R_H]** » 2008-07-24 06:37pm

CaptainChewbacca wrote:Its Switzerland? How much oil could they possibly need? Let's send em 2 trucks.

We won't be running out soon (there's enough in storage for weeks/months), and those that live close to borders with France/Germany/Italy can go buy fuel in those countries, if that were absolutely necessary.

Simmon · Post by **Simmon** » 2008-07-24 08:14pm

Hey, look at that! Libya seems to own an oil refinery on Swiss soil. Can you say "change of managment"?

[R_H] · Post by **[R_H]** » 2008-07-25 12:14pm

Simmon wrote:Hey, look at that! Libya seems to own an oil refinery on Swiss soil. Can you say "change of managment"?

Tamoil also owns a couple hundred gas stations (320 to be exact).

The two Swiss men that were arrested have now been been charged with "violating immigration laws", and are being treated like any other illegal immigrant arrested in Libya. The conditions they are being kept in are terrible (dipolmats got to visit them), but they're doing well.

Phantasee · Post by **Phantasee** » 2008-07-25 10:34pm

And here I thought Wacky Qaddafi was saning up a bit. Ah well, this sort of thing happened with much more regularity back in the day when one person ran an entire country. Was it a French king that said, "I am the state"? Because that's what I see in Libya.