December 20, 2003

A Long Slog' Led to Libya's Decision Washington Post - It took six hours to close the deal, British officials recalled Saturday. The British team -- two senior Foreign Office diplomats and two officials from the MI6 intelligence agency -- was looking for a clear statement that, contrary to its previous claims, Libya had indeed been pursuing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and was now prepared to go through a verifiable process in destroying those it had. The Libyans, led by intelligence chief Musa Kusa, sought to ensure that the statement would be clear and accurate but not humiliating.  Libya "was close to developing" a nuclear weapons capability.  10:28:12 PM

'Bin Laden' Tape Airs; CIA Says Appears Old Wired News - An audiotape purportedly by Osama bin Laden broadcast on Saturday accused Arab governments heeding US calls for democracy of being "infidel" agents of America, but the CIA cast doubt on the tape saying it appeared to be old. 5:28:13 PM