France will seek a leading role in post-war Libya, Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said Friday, arguing that Libya's new leaders "owe" Paris for leading the campaign to oust Muammar Gaddafii.


Speaking in an interview to Le Monde on the day after Libya's ousted strongman was captured and killed, Longuet said France is poised to take advantage of its leading role after a successful campaign.

France "will strive to play the role of a principal partner in the country where the leaders know they owe us a lot."

"Everyone will throw their hat into the ring. We will neither be the last nor the most blatant," he said of Libya's relations with various Western countries in the coalition.

"Our involvement was not belated, mediocre or uncertain. And we have nothing to be ashamed of."

Longuet said earlier that French planes had spotted Kadhafi's convoy fleeing Sirte on Thursday, though clarifying that it was the NTC forces that ultimately destroyed the vehicles along with the former dictator.

Libya, which produced 1.6 to 1.7 million barrels of oil daily before the conflict, is a coveted market for many countries that are also eyeing potentially massive contracts for rebuilding its infrastructure.

French and British forces spearheaded the air campaign against Kadhafi's forces by the NATO military alliance, which has carried out nearly 1,000 strike sorties since March 31.

The campaign will now be "phased out" in the coming "days or weeks" and Libya's NTC will be able to announce the new government, Longuet said.

"(The NTC) is now pushed into the difficult stage of establishing a stable political system," he said.

He said the campaign owed its success to France, which "used the political weight of its agreement with Britain , to win a UN Security Council resolution and then hand the command over to NATO."

"The political setup and military readiness were the conditions for success," he said.



http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2011/10/21/libya-owes-france-defence-minister

The vultures are circling and the exploitation will soon begin

So it begins.british lawmakers have said same,now its d french.my observation is that they will milk the nation dry and run as fast as they are entering in search of the next nation.Even with the death of the saudi crown prince,its no longer business as usual.rest assured another U.S puppet will be crowned

These guys are so shameless, and the stupid libyans think NATO cares about bloody civilians? Shameless Anglo Saxons,

I pity libyians,

Let the NTC get ra.ped - I dont care anymore for Libya and its perverse people.

Let the 'West' ra.pre the NTC and Libya multiple times with no condom and no lubrication.

Fcu.k the NTC.

People of Libya -There is a saying that goes something like this:

Be careful for what you wish for - because you might just get it.

Give it 3 months and Libyans will be praying that Gaddafi rises from the dead and comes to their aid.

Libyan money - Now you see it - now you dont!!!

The 'Nato' forces are to be repaid. Dont forget, they were dropping $500,000 bombs from day one!!!

They have started already publicising the costs to their nations.

And then the rebuilding - all contracts to go to the main Nato players - obviously at inflated costs. (Nothing for China)

The infrastructure that was deliberately bombed all needs to be rebuilt - the costs will run into the hundreds of billions.

Libya - in the blink of the eye has gone from being rich to being poor.

Mark my words - within months it will become apparent that Libya wealth has been stolen by the west and the people of Libya can look forward to debt servitude.

The Libyans have enslaved themselves with the help of Nato.

First it was US,followed by britain and now france.we are still expecting 25 other Nato members to ask for refund.So it's about making money all these while.mschewwwwwwww

Maga must pay

so who is being liberated here? liyans or foreign govts. the infrastures being built by china were destroyed by eurpeans and now eurpeans want to rebuild them by taking libyan oil rilled by european oil companies? i said we all are called third world countries is not for nothing. copy cats slowpoke. libyans welcome to ignominy. you killed the brother leader and replaced him with vampires. got what you wished for. cry and i will only laugh - the last laugh. when south africa refused to recognise the ntc some nlanders here could not see the reason. i am sure now you are seeing it!

US,Britain,France,Next? vultures indeed.
Go in there and shred libya further I dont feel sorry cz they are now free to express themselves.
Give them the gun salute libyans when they come to scoop their share. They deserve it for sure because He s dead.
emahs.

playmode:

Defence Minister Gerard , arguing that Libya's new leaders "owe" Paris ,
http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2011/10/21/libya-owes-france-defence-minister

This is the core of the dirty mentality that sustains western powers' behavior throughout the world ,particulary in Africa. As a head of state you become  a threat, a terrorist or a dictator when you
don't want your country to owe them.

In "Dictatorial" Cameroon dem dey owe. . .in "Democratic" Libya dem still dey owe

na wa oh, see predator wey wan chop any bushmeat (smh)

Did the Libyans even send for them?

emofine:

In "Dictatorial" Cameroon dem dey owe. . .in "Democratic" Libya dem still dey owe

na wa oh, see predator wey wan chop any bushmeat (smh)

Did the Libyans even send for them?

Its on record the NTC promised france 35% of all oil proceeds for their support.

Other countries are submitting their invoices -

E don start. Libya will pay ehn.

Sun of god:

Its on record the NTC promised france 35% of all oil proceeds for their support.

35%? wow

So the cost of Libya's "new found democracy" is 35% of the proceeds from sweet crude . . .and this is only evaluating France's generous support

Opulent "oppression" vs perilous "freedom". . .will be the themes that will hover over Libya in time to come . . .well nothing is for free anyway

Bonne chance  . . .I mean good luck

Other countries are submitting their invoices - 

Hhhmmm I kinda wish Nigeria were one of those selfless nations who offered Libya support now

More to come, I weep for the libyans in advance,