The six medics, who were sentenced to life in prison for allegedly contaminating children with the AIDS virus, arrived on board a French presidential plane with French first lady Cecilia Sarkozy and the EU's commissioner for foreign affairs, Benita Ferrero-Waldner.Bulgarian nurses spent over eight years in a Libyan prison. After a deal was reached with Libya on compensation and medical ties, the six were allowed to serve out their sentence in Bulgaria. But Georgi Parvanov the Bulgarian President pardoned the medical workers on Tuesday ( immediately) after they arrived in Sofia
Sergei Stanishev, the Bulgarian prime minister, said at the airport: "The return of the medics is a direct result of Bulgaria's membership in the European Union, of the solidarity which the EU showed Bulgaria."
Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday he would visit Libya following the release of the six. "I will have the chance tomorrow, with Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, to make a political visit to Libya to help Libya to reintegrate the concert of nations." France linked Wednesday's trip to Libya with the release beforehand of the five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor.
Diplomats said Libya had asked for normalized ties with the European Union in the talks and was holding out for more foreign funds to treat the children. The EU does not want to pay compensation that might suggest an admission the medics are guilty.
By analysing the event a few important points can by hilighted.
1- The immediate pardon and release of the nurses by the Bulgarian President while the agreement was to make them complete the sentense in Bulgarian jail shows how severe they intended to humiliate the Lybian authority. It shows also that the rest of the promises given to Lybia will not be done.
2- If Gazzafi was the one who decided the pardon, as long as the settlement is already done, he would have gained a lot of respect and benefits from the EU. But as usual he is stupid.
3- French first lady Cecilia Sarkozy firmly proved herself as a political negociator. She has been only in place for 3 weeks. Her travel to Lybia in person also hilights the importance of the issue and the unity of the EU.
4- Trasnferring the nurses in a Presidential plane indicate that the EU is considering the nurses as diplomats. That by itself means there will be more consequences.
4- Trasnferring the nurses in a Presidential plane indicate that the EU is considering the nurses as diplomats. That by itself means there will be more consequences.
5- The support the EU gave to Bulgaria, the newest member is giving Tukey a motivation and lesson since Turkey is dying to join the EU but still refusing the EU terms.
6- The lack of counteracting Arabic support to Lybia ( except for a vague role of Qatar) reinforces the belief that the Arabs will never unite. That by itself support the security of Israel.
I am saying it again.. The story is not done yet.
