Libya snaps ties with Lebanon on Ayat As-Sadr’s disappearance

By: Karim Tellawi

BEIRUT, Lebanon: Libyan government on Wednesday has told Lebanese authorities about its decision of severing diplomatic relations with Lebanon in reaction to accusations against its leader Moamer Gadhafi over the 1978 disappearance of Ayatullah Mousa As-Sadr.

According to senior officials here the Libyan embassy diplomats were expected to depart the country on Thursday. An official said the move came after accusations by Lebanese religious and political officials who blamed Gadhafi for continuing to fail to reveal the fate of Lebanese Ayatullah Mousa As-Sadr who was disappeared during a trip to Libya in 1978.

Saturday, Ayatullah As-Sadr's followers delivered a petition to the Lebanese government demanding it take up the case against the Libyan government in the international courts.

Tripoli has always denied any responsibility in the Ayatullah's disappearance, claiming that he and his companions had traveled to Italy at the end of their stay in Libya.

On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the disappearance of Ayatullah Moussa As-Sadr on Sunday, Lebanese house speaker Nabih Berri called on the government to “do its utmost” to ascertain the fate of missing As-Sadr. He urged the government to exert pressure on Libya to find out the fate of missing Ayatullah and send a memorandum to the UN.

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