Gadaffi urges oil, gas ban

Press, 15 April 1980, Page 8

Gadaffi urges oil, gas ban

NZPA-Reuter Tripoli The Libyan leader, Muammar Gadaffi, wants Algeria to join his country in a joint oil and gas boycott of States which help Israel, informed sources at a summit! meeting of hard-line Arab States have said. They said that Colonel Gadaffi had discussed the boycott proposal during talks with the Algerian President (TVIr Chadli Benjedid) whose country is a big natural-gas exporter, but did not say how it had been received. They pointed out that the Libyan leader had urged the use of oil to back Arab political objectives on a number of previous occasions and most Arab oil producers had resisted the call. Libya recently announced an average 17 per cent reduction in crude supplies to customers saying it was cutting its output by 350,000 a day to 1,750,000. The summit meeting of Libya, Syria, South Yemen, Algeria, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation, all members of the “Stead-

fastness and Confrontation Front” opposed to the Egypi'lsraeli peace accords, opened in Tripoli at the week-end. In a speech at the opening, Colonel Gadaffi said it! was time that both Libya and Algeria took action on oil and gas. “Those who supply America and its allies with oil (including members of the Steadfastness and Confrontation Front such as Libya and Algeria) are in fact fuelling the enemy,” he said. The Libyan and Algerian peoples should shoulder their responsibilities and accept the price of confrontation with Israel regardless of the consequences, he said. Conference sources said that North Yemen had sent the summit leaders a message supporting whatever resolutions they might make. This was seen by delegates as a first step by North Yemen towards joining the Steadfastness Front. The meeting is due to end today.