Gaddafi makes a fool of Europe

Libyan revolutionary leader Muammar al-Gaddafi has asked for five billion dollars per year from the EU to fight illegal immigration from Africa. Libya is the gateway for unwanted immigration, he said during his state visit to Italy. That smacks of extortion, writes the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "Italy has already signed one agreement with Gaddafi and forked over the money. In addition there are dozens of bilateral agreements between EU countries and African states vested with funds earmarked to limit migration within Africa. This problem is to a large extent homemade and can be ascribed to the incompetence of African politicians. With his political clout Gaddafi has been able to exert influence on them, paying aid money out of his gushing oil revenues. One wonders how long European politicians will put up with this man's dangerous foolery."

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