Shukri Ghanem

Dr Shukri Mohammed Ghanem (Arabic: شكرى محمد غانم ) (born 1942) is the former General Secretary of the People's Committee in Libya (prime minister). He held this position from his appointment by Muammar Gaddafi in June 2003 until March 2006 when, in the first major government re-shuffle in over a decade, he was reported to have been sacked. His deputy, Baghdadi Mahmudi, took over as prime minister. Image File history File links ShukriGhanem. ... Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph. ... The Arabic language (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), or simply Arabic (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... This article is about the year. ... Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qaddafi 1 (Arabic: معمر القذافي Mu`ammar al-Qadhdhāfī) (born 1942), leader of Libya since 1970 and a controversial Arab statesman. ... Libyan prime minister, Baghdadi Mahmudi Dr Baghdadi Ali Mahmudi (born 1945?) was appointed prime minister of Libya in March 2006, in succession to Shukri Ghanem. ...

Background

With advanced degrees in International Economics and Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in the United States, Ghanem was previously in charge of the OPEC secretariat, and was the Director of its Research Division. He served as Deputy Director and Director of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economy in Libya; was Director of Marketing of Libya's national oil company (NOC); was Director of Economic Affairs and Under Secretary and Chief Advisor at the Ministry of Petroleum in Libya. In March 2006, Ghanem was appointed Chairman of Libya's NOC. The Cabot Intercultural Center of The Fletcher School at Tufts University The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, also called simply The Fletcher School, is the oldest graduate school of international relations in the United States. ... Logo The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is made up of Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela; since 1965, its international headquarters have been in Vienna, Austria. ...

Breaking the ice

Libya had been diplomatically isolated and subject to international sanctions since the November 1991 indictment of two Libyans for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21, 1988 (the Lockerbie bombing). Following Ghanem's appointment as prime minister, Libya successfully sought re-entry into the international community and the lifting of sanctions. Ghanem was seen as the main spokesman and architect of this rapprochement, which included paying $2.16 billion compensation in August 2003 to the families of the 270 people who died in the bombing, and renouncing weapons of mass destruction. In the common law legal system, an indictment is a formal charge of having committed a serious criminal offence. ... Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from Londons Heathrow International Airport to New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The cockpit landed in a farmers field near a tiny church in Tundergarth, Scotland Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan Ams daily Frankfurt-London-New York-Detroit evening flight. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) generally include nuclear, biological, chemical and, increasingly, radiological weapons. ...

Controversy

In February 2004, however, Ghanem was interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 Today program.[1] He stirred controversy in the interview by repudiating Libya's responsibility both for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and the 1984 murder of British WPC Yvonne Fletcher (who was shot and killed in April 1984 outside the Libyan Embassy in London). This incident led to the severing of UK/Libya diplomatic relations. A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. ... WPC Yvonne Fletcher. ...

"After the problems we [Libya] have been facing because of the sanctions, the loss of money, we thought that it was easier for us to buy peace and this is why we agreed a compensation," Ghanem said in the interview.

When asked whether the payment of compensation meant that Libya did not accept any guilt or responsibility, Ghanem replied:

"I agree with that, and this is why I say we bought peace."

Under pressure from the US and Britain, Ghanem's comments were quickly retracted by Gaddafi. ...

It is unclear whether Shukri Ghanem's dismissal as prime minister in 2006 was a consequence of those controversial remarks he made two years earlier.

External links

• BBC Radio 4 Today program, February 24, 2004
• Libya's reforming premier sacked