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Proceeding contribution from Lord King of Bridgwater (Conservative) in the House of Lords on Monday, 5 September 2011. It occurred during Ministerial statement on Libya.


Libya

My Lords, in relation to that last point, there is a very clear emphasis in the Statement that this is now increasingly a matter for the Libyan people to resolve. We must be extremely careful not to suggest that we are going to teach them how to do things, no matter how wise the advice that may come from other quarters. In that respect, if one looks at the unhappy situation now in Iraq, one can see that merely getting rid of a bad dictator is not the end of the problem at all. The challenge that is now faced by the new Libyan Administration, who I think have impressed many of us by their clarity and integrity at the present time, is absolutely enormous. If one considers that one of the core sources of the Arab spring has been the terrible shortage of jobs and unemployment in those territories, the challenge that a new Libyan Government will face—they are facing this in Egypt and in other territories now—is very daunting indeed. Money would at least help. In that connection, what is the situation at the moment with regard to the oil plants and refineries? Having said in the Statement what a rich country Libya potentially is, can the noble Lord say how soon those are likely to be able to come into fruitful use and benefit the Libyan economy?


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
730 c86 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Administration of justice Detainees Armed conflict Bombings Chemical weapons Bomb disposal Hospitals Intelligence services Humanitarian aid Fuels Landmines Oil Politics and government Terrorism Water supply UN resolutions Sanctions NATO Lockerbie Syria Libya Military intervention Police deaths on duty Gaddafi, Muammar al Megrahi, Abdelbasit Ali Mohmed Fletcher, Yvonne Freezing of assets
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk