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Libya scoffs at U.S. tunnel report
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Copyright ) 1997 Nando.net
Copyright ) 1997 Agence France-Presse
TRIPOLI (December 4, 1997 10:41 a.m. EST http://www.nando.net) - Libya
on Thursday dismissed U.S. press reports that it is developing a
subterranean network of tunnels in the Libyan desert to use for moving
troops and equipment.
"The American media has made it a habit of playing this broken record
that the world is now refusing to listen to," wrote the commentator of
the official news agency JANA, accusing the United States of publishing
"false allegations."
Tuesday's New York Times reported that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was
building a 2,000-mile network of pipes as much as 13 feet in diameter
from Tunisia to Egypt. It quoted engineers who said it was designed for
a "clandestine military purpose."
But Libya says the tunnels are part of its "Great Man-Made River"
project to tap water from underground aquifers around its vast territory
and transport it to populated areas for use as drinking water or for
irrigation. They deny the project has any military purpose.
Pentagon spokesman Michael Doubleday agreed. "At this point, I am aware
of no evidence that this pipeline is anything but an irrigation
project," he said. "But again, we're going to continue to follow it
because it's a very large project."
The JANA commentator said the publication of the allegations was a
"flagrant attempt" to put pressure on European countries because of
recent developments in their cooperation with the Libyan regime, but he
did not elaborate.
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