Muammar Gheddafi strikes again: no European tourism allowed in Lybia anymore

[Budrinna]

Biggest problem for our agiencies.

Budrinnna

[Chris Scott]

He reminds me of a kid with Tourettes. He tries to behave well and do the right thing, but every once in a while it all gets too much and he has an outburst.

Ch

[gvdaa]

I read a book of some scientists suggesting he's suffering from borderline syndrome. I hear his son Seif is trying to make him behave, but he clearly is not always succesfull.

[Dave The Hat]

Originally Posted by Chris Scott

He reminds me of a kid with Tourettes.

Careful Chris if his boys read that they'll declare a jihad on you

[steveindenmark]

But why would the Swiss put him on a list to ban him?

Do they really expect him to apply for a visa to visit them?

I agree with Gadaffis policies though. Wouldn`t it be wonderful if Gordon Brown just put a carpet ban on everyone visiting England and then get round to kicking all those out who shouldn`t be there.

I might even come back from Denmark then.

Steve

[gvdaa]

I hear some agencies are still able to provide tourist-visa at the border. I wonder what the recent developments mean for the Libya Dessert Challenge scheduled for march? Is the Libyan agency organising the event powerfull enough to open the border for the participants?

[Sam Rutherford]

Short answer is no.

Safe travels, Sam.


PS I am looking forward to 2 weeks in the Ubari-Akakus with not another soul anywhere - fantastic!

Sam.

[ilesmark]

He doesn't get any better - now he's called for the Partition of Nigeria!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8575383.stm

[Sam Rutherford]

12 days in SW, met 2 kiwis. That's it.

Lots of really worried/unhappy guides/mechanics/restaurants/hotels etc. etc. Particularly as the season is now finishing anyway.

Sabratha this morning - nobody there, not even the guy on the gate for tickets. Leptis tomorrow...

Hope it sorts itself out soon, it's a great shame for the country.

Sam.

[nickt]

Ooo. Thanks Sam, I'll get that trip organized for later this year.

Solitude is underrated!

Nick.

[pbekkerh]

To Saif, nothing illustrates the divide with the West more starkly than Libya's bizarre feud with Switzerland. It began when Gaddafi's son (and Saif's half brother) Hannibal and his wife were arrested in July 2008 in Geneva for allegedly assaulting their servants. Charges were dropped, but in the tit-for-tat battle that has run ever since, a Swiss businessman has been jailed in Tripoli, Libya has pulled billions from Swiss banks, and Switzerland has barred Gaddafi and other top Libyans from entering its country. In January, Libya blocked access to YouTube and several websites run by Libyan exiles, and in February it stopped handing out visas to most European citizens. When I visited Libya's biggest gas-export facility in February, the Italian manager was stuck in Rome, with no visa to return to work. To all this, Saif sighs, clearly exasperated. "There is a big gap between ... our mentality and the Western mentality," he says. "I think we are not ready to deal in the right way with the Western world." Not yet

In Libya, Muammar Gaddafi's Son Begins to Rise - Yahoo! News

[tiwdy]

Libyan tourist visas to most European nations will be available in the coming few days

[ilesmark]

Until Gadaffi forgets to take his medication again.......