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US apologizes to Libya for dismissive comments: Spokesman says statements "do not reflect" U.S. policy

10 March 2010 03:08 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. The U.S. State Department apologized on Tuesday for dismissive comments its spokesman made about Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s call for "jihad," often translated as "armed struggle," against Switzerland, APA reports quoting â€œReutersâ€.

"I understand that my personal comments were perceived as a personal attack," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters. "These comments do not reflect U.S. policy and were not intended to offend. I apologize if they were taken that way."

In apologizing, he appeared to be trying to end a dispute that prompted the head of Libya’s state oil company to summon executives from U.S. energy companies Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), ConocoPhillips (COP.N), Occidental (OXY.N), Hess (HES.N) and Marathon (MRO.N) last week and warn them the dispute could hurt U.S. businesses in Libya.

The dispute showed the sensitivity of Tripoli’s ties with the West more than six years after its decision to abandon weapons of mass destruction led to a rapprochement with Washington, including the restoration of diplomatic relations.

The fracas centered on a Feb. 25 speech Gaddafi made calling for a "jihad" against Switzerland. The term is often translated as "armed struggle," but a Libyan official has since said Gaddafi meant an economic boycott.

Asked about the speech, Crowley on Feb. 26 said it reminded him of a previous Gaddafi address which, he said, involved "lots of words and lots of papers flying all over the place, not necessarily a lot of sense."

Libya’s ambassador to the United States last week told Reuters that his country wanted good relations with Washington but would not allow its leader to be insulted.