NationStates Jolt Archive

Since I've been in Switzerland, I've been hearing alot about this case and almost every Swiss citizen was up for a discussion about what the country should do about it....but then I had to leave the country for a short trip to France and I didn't hear any more news about the crisis. So, is this international news or just in Switzerland...also, what exactly is going on about it?

Libya Vs. Switzerland: Arrest Of Qaddafi's Son Leads To Oil Embargo

Libyans protest in front of their foreign ministry in Tripoli, Libya, Thursday July 24, 2008. Libya has halted all of its oil deliveries to Switzerland to protest the arrest there of Moammar Gadhafi's son, a state-run shipping company said Thursday. The oil cutoff was Libya's latest action in response to the arrest last week of Hannibal Gadhafi and his wife. Police arrested them on July 15 at a luxury hotel in Geneva for allegedly beating two of their servants, according to their lawyer.

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libya has halted all of its oil deliveries to Switzerland and barred Swiss ships from its ports to protest the arrest of Moammar Gadhafi's son in Geneva, a state-run shipping company said Thursday.

Libya's General National Maritime Transportation Company stopped oil shipments to Switzerland on Wednesday, said the head of the company, Ali Bilhajj Ahmed. The company says it is the only Libyan-based firm supplying oil to Switzerland.

Libya supplies more than 50 percent of Switzerland's crude imports, which totaled some 2.5 million tons in 2007, according to the latest available Swiss government figures. Nonetheless, the Swiss Petroleum Association said the country could cope with any cutoff and arrange to buy the oil elsewhere.

The oil freeze was Libya's latest action in response to the arrest last week of Hannibal Gadhafi and his wife. Police arrested them on July 15 at a luxury hotel in Geneva for allegedly beating two of their servants, according to their lawyer. They were released on bail two days later and left the country.

Libya has recalled some of its diplomats from Switzerland, suspended the issuing of visas for Swiss citizens, reduced the number of flights to Switzerland and has detained two Swiss nationals on various charges, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

Switzerland, in turn, warned its citizens not to travel to Libya.

Ahmed, of the Libyan shipping firm, would not provide a figure on the amount of oil involved, but he said the cutoff was appropriate, calling it the "least we should do."

The Swiss Foreign Ministry and the Swiss branch of Libya's state-owned oil company Tamoil declined to comment Thursday on the oil cutoff.

The Swiss Petroleum Association said the country could cope with a halt of oil deliveries from Libya.

The association's managing director, Rolf Hartl, said he has so far not received confirmation of a Libyan cutoff. He said any halt in supplies would not result in long lines at Swiss fuel stations and that sealing off the Tamoil refinery in Collombey in southern Switzerland would take two weeks.

In addition, the amount of oil coming from Libya could quickly be purchased elsewhere, Hartl said. Switzerland also has oil reserves that could be used, he added.

Also Thursday, the Libyan government organized a demonstration by employees of the Libyan shipping company in front of the Swiss Embassy in Tripoli. About 500 people chanted slogans and distributed flyers calling for an official apology to Gadhafi, his son and all the Libyan people.

The company also said Swiss ships will be prevented from entering Libyan ports and from unloading their goods.

"Unless the coming hours witness a closure of this file, which is a fabricated and an illegitimate, and unless the Swiss authorities issue an official apology to Gadhafi, his son and the Libyan people, escalating measures will be taken," the company said in a written statement.

The daily Tribune de Geneve has reported that two of Gadhafi's domestic servants claimed Gadhafi and his wife repeatedly beat them at the hotel with a belt and a hanger. It said a Tunisian woman was hospitalized.

Lawyer Alain Berger has said Gadhafi and his wife reject the allegations.

The 32-year-old Gadhafi has had previous run-ins with the law for violent behavior in Paris.

The two Swiss nationals detained in Libya since Saturday have been charged with breaching immigration and residence rules, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

They could be held for up to 20 days, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Philippe Jeannerat.

Electrical engineering company ABB Ltd. has said one of its employees is among the two Swiss nationals detained. The other person has not been identified.

Both individuals were being held in a cell with around 20 other people and being treated like illegal immigrants in Libya, he said. Jeannerat said their situation was difficult and that the ministry was giving highest priority to working toward their release.

Switzerland has dispatched a diplomatic delegation to Tripoli to give the Libyan authorities more details on the arrest of the Libyan leader's son. The Swiss Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the delegation was positively received.

Associated Press writers Maggie Michael in Cairo, Egypt, and Eliane Engeler in Geneva contributed to this report.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/24/libya-vs-switzerland-arre_n_114870.html

So, what do you guys think about this and does anyone have any further news on the issue?

By the way, if anyone cares to read more about him...this guy is a savage...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/2448861/Libya-retaliates-after-Swiss-charge-Colonel-Muammar-Gaddafis-son-Hannibal.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article510293.ece

It's dick-waving. The Libyans can't actually harm Switzerland and they know it.

It's dick-waving. The Libyans can't actually harm Switzerland and they know it.

they can with paratroopers,bombers and transport-planes

It's dick-waving. The Libyans can't actually harm Switzerland and they know it.
Well, the problem is they CAN harm the two Swiss they "detained" in their shitty third world African prisons. Also, the Swiss like to sound strong but nobody is sure how well the country could hold against the oil embargo....so far so good but, like I said, I had to take a trip to France and I havn't heard more updates on this issue...

It's a non event, and will blow over soon enough. I doubt either the Swiss or Libyan powers that be are really loosing any sleep over this.

Switzerland should just invade and forcibly take the oil away from the Lybians!

Given Switzerland's location, it would be damned silly if it didn't have alternatives to Libyan oil on hand in the event of circumstances like these. Libyan oil will just find some other market in the meantime.

they can with paratroopers,bombers and transport-planes
Keep in mind that every family in Switzerland has at least one rifle, and that the Libyans aren't know for their incredible military prowess.



As to this being discussed by the Swiss population - a sign of how boring their country is, really. It happened quite a while ago, and aye, we heard about it and even had a topic on NSG, which basically resulted in "who gives a shit?".

Unless Switzerland is dying on its knees from a lack of petrol, it has, at most, five months to wait until it can renew its supply contracts from somewhere else.

So, is this international news or just in Switzerland...
Your posted link is from the US... does that not answer your question?

Your posted link is from the US... does that not answer your question?
Thank you for that very helpful non-answer...:rolleyes:

Obviously, as it is an international incident, I would expect it to be documented in international news sources, however I was asking whether it was news...which means...was it being talked about, discussed and reported on...

There is a large difference.

so the guy got arrested, charged and released. he left the country and his daddy is all pissed that his son has charges pending so "no oil for you!"

thats kinda crazy isnt it?

Thank you for that very helpful non-answer.
Ask a stupid question...

There is a large difference.
Between news and news?

Anyhoo, we're discussing it, it's being reported on... so the answer to your question is, still, yes. Looks like Gadhafi's in a huff, but as other posters have already mentioned, I doubt the Swiss rely solely on Libyan oil. In these days, I doubt any government has given little thought to energy supply. And it's not as if the Swiss are short of funds.

Thank you for that very helpful non-answer...:rolleyes:

Obviously, as it is an international incident, I would expect it to be documented in international news sources, however I was asking whether it was news...which means...was it being talked about, discussed and reported on...

There is a large difference.

There are some other bigger things going on in the world at this moment in time in fairness.

Anyhoo, we're discussing it, it's being reported on... so the answer to your question is, still, yes. Looks like Gadhafi's in a huff, but as other posters have already mentioned, I doubt the Swiss rely solely on Libyan oil. In these days, I doubt any government has given little thought to energy supply. And it's not as if the Swiss are short of funds.

Wouldn't it be ironic if Gadhafi has an account in the swiss banks?