will dive into libya now, more than 10 years after the death of mo, mark adolphe in a divided, libya littered with a patchwork of rebel group vying for power. only one thing is unanimous by international observers. this north african country is a failed state. so just how did a once thriving society go from this to this in just a matter of a decade will discuss with a former us diplomat to africa. all right, let's get into the m, o. me . thousands of armed rebels. major cities in ruins opens slave trade happening on the streets. the rule of law no longer exists in this fractured country, destroyed by nato. bombings in 2011 now began as 3 separate colonies,

foreign niga, triple atanya, and phys on under the ottoman empire. but to day, we know it simply as libya, after world war 2, a sort of guardianship was granted to the u. k. and france. soon after the u. n. g, a granted independence and unification of all those 3 regions. but its independence, however, came at a cost. the agreement that western friendly king interests come into power in 1951 . now interest allowed the u. s. and u. k. to build military bases in the country and exchange for economic aid. for the americans part, they gave about $100000000.00 us dollars to interest, which was a lot of money at that time. especially for a country that was rather impoverished, but it wouldn't be long before libya discovered it wasn't poor at all. as it turns out, libya was sitting on one of the richest oil fields in the world,

and certainly the biggest reserves in africa. at the time, the year was $959.00. the nasir wells hit liquid black gold back then it was called a mall and delta. but in just 2 short years, libya was an oil exporter. now this after oil exploration had turned out dry since $915.00. so let's fast forward 10 years to 969. now there's a saying about jobs and management, right? that when you finally get to go on vacation, that's when anything that can go wrong will go wrong. and that's exactly what happened to king interest of the kingdom of libya. while interest was on holiday and turkey. but some argue he was actually seeking medical treatment. there a young army officer lead a blog list who to talk to posing king interests in 1969. that officer was more

mark adoptee. now one general gadhafi came to power despite libya, the vast oil well, little had been done for the general public in the way of education, health care, and even basic living standards. back then, only about a quarter 1000000 libyans were actually literate of the estimated 4000000 people of the country. the majority of libyans lived well below the un poverty line, and many were dying of terrible diseases. in one generation, under gadhafi rule, the nationalizing of the countries oil industry drove the literacy rate up to 88.4 percent. brought libyan life expectancy up to 74 and a half years. and a number of other positive indicators as measured by the un development program in 2010, just a year before his ouster and death. they called libya a quote, high development country in the middle east and north africa. so in the early 2,

thousands, libya had the highest g d, p per capita. and life expectancy on the entire african continent and percentage against population actually had similar numbers to poverty in the netherlands. i mean, sounds pretty good, right? especially compared to present day. but let's be clear about something gadhafi was an all come by yon rainbows and lollipops. he led his country as an authoritarian leader does with an iron fist that came crashing down on anyone who got out of life, political opposition, free speech, all of that iron fist. now gadhafi had a lot of grand ideas. so, chief among them building type bonds with the arab world and unifying africa even before there was an african union. he wanted a joint gold based the nar currency. he put libya and opec,

but he also liked the fun rubble groups and what some would say terror campaigns take, for example, the 1988 bombing of the pan am jet over lockerbie, scotland, killing all 259 people on board and 11 more on the ground that you went subsequently imposed sanctions on libya in 1992. they later removed them in 2003, after libya, formally accepted responsibility for that tragedy. libya had to pay $2300000000.00 us dollars in compensation for their role in international terrorism, but, and staving off the arab spring in neighboring tunisia and egypt in 2011. the discontent found its way into libya. aided by us, lead nato, a bombing campaign ensued in aid of good daffy's opposition. the 7 month campaign rip the corps of the country apart. displacing some 2000000 of its

residents, causing death in the thousands. now, multiple factions of rebel groups all claiming authority over territory. by all international accounts. libya is a failed state. for his perspective, we'll talk to a man who actually knew low mark adolphe. he spent decades as a career diplomat, retiring in 1993 as the assistant secretary of state for african affairs. ambassador herman cohen is now the president of cohen, woods international and advisement group on african and mid east business development. mr. ambassador, thank you so much for joining us. first, can you describe for us physically what libya actually looked like in the 40 years under marg adoptee? i mean, what was life like for the average libyan there? well, i think the life was pretty good. it would be there was plenty of money coming in

from oil and they, they could consume of consumer goods. so i think it was significantly above the poverty level for the average, libyan, and there wasn't much involved in politics. canarsie just controlled everything. so they weren't asked to, to vote on anything or to have referendum or anything like that. they just, they said, keep out of politics. crappy, said i'll run everything. and he made sure that they had a high standard of living. now historically, how would you describe the u. s. position on libya? well, you know, for many years we had a u. s. air base in libya. and this is what we use. well, we were planning to use in case we needed to intervene in the middle east or in africa. and so that was our highest priority. we and as long as the libyan

government didn't bother us, we didn't bother them we, we just operated our air base and then did exercise there. how would you characterize the, the us libya relationship for all those years prior to gadhafi is death? well, i wouldn't close friendly actually, it was, it was not friendly. after cadaver, he organized a terrorist attack in berlin. it was a u. s. army social club there. and he organized the terrorist attack against the u. the americans, and there was some americans killed. so at that point, the united states became very hostile to get our fee and we, we bombed his, his whole, we sent, we said the us,

us air force planes from england to bomb his home. and there was a death, there was a death of could that fees adopted child and this caused him to be very, very angry at the united states. and from that point, relations were quite bad. now, under brock obama, we saw the fall of gadhafi and ultimately his brutal demise. this came after us led nato intervention in the country. we know president obama made references to democracy, dictatorship violence, and welcome back to the program. let's listen into the russian foreign minister surgery lack rob, and it's a rocky counterpart for hussein hor, speaking at a press conference. now he he was in ministry of an idea and been a little over

a month with florida to kind of the he for some of my visitors, a portal for the redundant for the world's. i'm using this occasion so that the russian part, no iraq's position on seattle, john. see if he can, i am a tell effect on the war. we also heard russia's position on different issues, but it's really multiple out of us. and we also could hire rushes, justin's regarding the helping the facilities. iraq's position is clear, we are against hostilities. know us in the higher we are against casualties. now

we know what it is like to be in conflict. and this has formed our strong position. what we call for letty, and was that holds the seas fire and warm, and what the li eduphoria out clear loud. this was a new one. this initiative that has been offered by us and a number of other aerobic countries will see what government generate. this position is about forming a contact group from certain legal state members. we held consultations with the russian parts, and some other countries are made message is to see fire as soon as possible and hold negotiation which will allow us to put an end to the current world crisis. we're confident that are not at the way to this lies in peace talk,

a metallica be more drew their fee low crony at the thought. so besides provide a month of fighting in ukraine. we also discussed some regional issues the magellan and i. e, as well as some bilateral issues and up, up can be done and see what kind of a so regarding, allow turnkey. if it'll, let me point out that our countries have longstanding historical ties. america, robert island feel much less good. here we're near michaela to look for these ties, go a long way back, have positive interaction in security workers, military corporation and trade. and we know rush has positive role the positive role that played by rushes oil companies enough regarding investments and

continued initiatives in oil projects in iraq, law, coil, method, gospel was sharing among them. i would like to know companies such as lu coil got from and others that i went out here to tell mom how the how cotton molly, or whom the rocky government button is grateful and we're finding we're finding ways to pay off our old standing debts to these companies and this has been discussed during the negotiations. and of course, we keep in mind the national interest and the concerns voice by the central bank and the government of iraq to our lives. and we started at, they know, thought of a, we also agreed to hold non most are the most school, another session of the bilateral intergovernmental commission that, that up night last illusion center considering the fact that the last commission, his commission took place in moscow. it was decided that in the near future in

2023 to hold the next session in baghdad. so putting up my shockey during this event for the shed, he cut admiral cl, look in great detail, its aspects of russian companies operating in iraq and matters own a to them. so now when i see a lot of our i sharla decides that is discussed issues of financial corporation and interaction had in which could, montana, so progress will be made on will be made on them during negotiation. john of allowed during my forthcoming visit to the us, there will be consultations where we will look for ways of solving issues that will allow that will allow iraq to interact freely with rocks partners. first of all, russian companies working in, in the territory older

r agenda. but i would like to thank the russian side one for the ongoing practice of law in government voters for iraqi students. you mean studying in russia, diploma? you know, because i'm a learn the diploma seen such as this applies to quotas, marlene with students studying in russian university's at the government's expense and to iraqi diplomats studying in a diplomatic academy. how do you know who will also discuss matters irving at a cooperation with the governmental brocky curtis. some funny was not. and i noted that there was a good prospect of arriving at joint agreements on regarding budget her

also close to signing a law on oil and gas. parliament 2 commissions are working on either we're going to come up with their projects soon to be reviewed by the government. i would like to thank mister minister for this visits. we're going to keep in touch with the most frequent and i hope that in the near future will be able to hold a bilateral meeting of the intergovernmental commissioner. make sure that he's he's still on the hill it up. thank you, ladies and gentlemen. i would like to thank mister full, i do same the minister of foreign affairs of the rock for constructive negotiations for a very rich and eventful program for our delegation in baghdad to day chris, we talked in detail about our relations to son them c. as in cat plain attention to

the economic and investment ties. as my counterpart said, our russian studios oil companies have a very significant presence and investments building and in the studio and osha big plans for their iraq loudness. over $13000000000.00 has been invested already. and in today's situation, glenitia a made unlawful restrictions enforced by the americans and their satellites up it's crucial accordingly, economies to keep safe. the legal and low full economic relation relationships from the unlawful pressure deal exerted by the west. younger and many countries in the region have been doing just this. staunch the up switching from payments in dollars, including payments for oil coupled to currencies of other reliable countries, such as who value their good name. i mean, as players in the international economic exchange is still nurse,

was it you when it will? and of course we had which we have had positive experience. experiences during contacts with our iraqi friends. of scoring would suggest we expect soon to be agreed the day to intern governmental commissioners society as this oh, bug which is supposed to take place here in baghdad. some uni and i had no doubt because i may just get that out though that our economics operator is supposed to choose representatives of government institutions responsible for not some only mean economy. and the energy sector will be governed by the national interests of either party. and for this, with an approach like this, it is always possible to find what you're mutually acceptable solution as well. so talk about our governmental ties, just humanitarian ties. the issue where increasing quotas from the next academic year. so it's for students from 200 to 260 scholarships garage given to iraqi

citizens not done. meanwhile, in total bluetooth toyota species loose over $400.00 or $4200.00 students study in russia. but i'm not sure diploma jessica gene and what spill in our diplomatic academy. so through we accepted another to shallow group of 60, what would but his employees of the minister of foreign affairs of iraq got to nash and we expect to accept more. was gazillion them of them got so our friends told us about should go up. 73, iraq. hm. we how the situation develops bull inside your iraq and we expressed complete support to the airports taken by the government. use them a 100 them. so then you headed by prime minister mohammed, sudanese, super, normally that settler shiny to sort out the situation and to normalize relationships between baghdad and her bills. you knew bizarre boss was to ensure,

but it be a security to fight terrorism message. it was in this connections. so through dishes, the crucial aspect of our cooperation is helping with that settlement in syria for months. it's, there is a 4 side information center working in baghdad, which has already proved city, knew that you go to it's, it's worth fighting points of terrorism in the adjustment syrian arabic republic where it's like an iraq, most of the population. this is called the r as in you heard some scholars and where, unfortunately, our american nitrous counterparts keep playing the fire. you can encourage and curtis support says, you're ignoring not only territorial integrity and sovereignty of this syrian out of the republic, but also the risks that such was given. this is an approach creates

nationals in relations with the kurdish populations. i go into continue our cooperation, iraq of gotcha, still considering the role of iraq as an observer within the us to now the format which as you know, middle and i see was shaped up by russia, turkey. and just with gosh, and iraq was iraq is acting as an observer, which i think is very useful at the same role as played by george and level on what we also talked to you about the situation in the general area in the persian gulf in the gulf well, everything around that's the situation requires keeping an eye on this. and we are in favor of working on mutual beneficial williams and equal approaches that would take and jointly would form the basis of collective security for both the gold countries and iran in russia. together with other responsible

international players is ready to do everything for that. so we're creating conditions for such dialogue or sco guests, but you can use that for going into what if we were to be so as minister said, we commented the developments around to ukraine. you got the got to which you quote, which the west had been preparing for many years. and i see for that what is essentially hybrid war against the russian federation. we gave specific examples that confirm failure news, but that's the goal for supporting the men's agreements or serif bill that she probably is watching them was like was the goal actually. and that has been really if i publicly accepted shut down. so we gave fact that the show that the goal floating these agreement was in the unit,

but what you're going to create conditions to arm ukraine. again, the russian federation. and another goal was to, to destroy the rights of russian and russian speaking population in the ukrainian estate city concrete, this is further attested by the series of bills in sayings at destroying those rights useless mean, susco, the russians and other national minorities living in ukraine's iraq was the new so minister said that iraq is for peace, your position that we completely support, even us luke is nice. iraq knows very well what's war is and we remember how 20 years ago, i knew you may excuse for war in iraq was demonstrated at a un security council session. and later on it all turned out to be

a lie. so that's what, what the united states did to iraq and then to libya, together with their nato colleagues. a got to look, see, wouldn't we go let him, can not even be compared with the, with the conflicts that we're talking about today. but when we remember how they sold, tore down the muscle and other iraqi cities did go to rock how they raised down and leveled rocca to rico and many other military crimes that were she sadly did not cause your wasn't this any cool will it was through nervousness reputation in the international community. port st. lucie, we're waiting a lot. okay. lee, or any desire to put more in iraq and libya in the limelight of the international agenda of nicholas was our western counterparts are trying to do now. you. it only shows that some mobile delaney, a dispute to which it is about dutch,

their capability of them ensuring their hegemonic but any further on. but it is a very slow. so let me put doug, it's, it's about you, boy, you know, come loosely, lou. it's about their desire to suppress any sovereignty, any independence of any country on the international arena admitted cancer. this is the essence of the so called rules that the americans and their satellites are pushing on the international agenda instead of the un charter. while the principles of the un charter and we will keep on repeating their susie in our about respecting the sovereignty and the quality of the states. this is very simple shoes and easy to understand julia. for such any practical person social. so use it is enough just to look at the actions of the u. s. whole. and there is satellites. so it's you to understand that they completely neglect little stuff. this obligation that the un,

which out house just make unfair stipulates we will continue close contacts with our, with slow today colleagues at a spot that in you, disputed and the author of the study will also continue to work on pressing the golden issues that have been there for, for decades. because, and of course the palestinian israeli conflict was and the task because you were creating a palestinian state is one of the priorities are legal. and we are heavily on to see that the league of arab states does not forget this country about this conflict . and together with us, makes efforts for renew international efforts to solve the tasks i got the day to be said by the general assembly. and let's the franks, the west is trying to push this to push this away right now. we're still,

you know, trying to enforce their own vision of what is going on in the, in the ukraine now, where a war has been waged against our country. there are other problems in issues that need to be address and we are currently preparing us on an another ministerial meeting between russia and the legal veteran states. i hope it will take place in the 1st 6 months of 2023. but i will talk about that in detail there at mostly about the problems of the various of the middle eastern region. i would like to thank once again, my colleague and friend and express hope was during our next meeting that our next meeting will take place in the russian federation. and i'm happy to to give you an invitation. basheba. thank you. father. he, mike,

it looks la malcolm whole code as is michelle colorado. the amier the proposal at viagra is patton minus that issue hello polka would you like a law? i law so c l u c. marston cause, when not with the acclaim, could the son of a shady cut out rosier. hello. so what is your opinion on russia's investment and iraqi kurdistan is mark these guys were enough? what vehicle could the summit club? should he cut r o c, in your for a common enough? does she did you on the prospects of russia's investments in the company? iraq iraqi kurdistan is due for the article to start smuggled. good, good. what's your deeds? those to us go guess budget minister, national companies this are about to law. well,

i can only confirm what the cycling minister said. here are. companies are working on the base of agreements reached to the central government and i have nothing more to that fear garafola and no longer our lives the island. would you mail it up? we got a letter dated. i loaded it out. okay. and to couldn't be more for her to work those most. i'd up with it. come on, marcia. no, no, no, adolfo. and i'm with us. if there's no mind my lazoodo here, like i say, the racial, you know, we have another a meeting ahead of us or not. so i have to ask you to a short analyst press conference because i have a nice young with the president's coming up more so much. sorry guys. so i hope i will be able to answer. now will i say little to cover more of the topics lesson little during our next meetings. i your platinum ha, i'm sorry, i couldn't dance her to all you members of this press conference, but we have a meeting with mr. president coming up. thank you very much.

and that was russian foreign minister, sorry, very rav rav and his iraqi counterpart at or press conference, discussing bilateral relations. and the latest in the ukraine conflict, the iraqi counterpart called for and is fees, fire, and peace talks immediately will bring you up to date to the story coming up and breaking news on our teen or national a massive 7.8 magnitude. earthquake has his central trickier with at least 284 people dead. hundreds of residential buildings have collapsed in southern provinces with the vice president saying more than 2300 people are injured. rescue services continue to search for victims in affected areas with many still trapped under rubble o.