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7/18/07

The Economist: Libya cashes in on misery

For the complete report from the Economist.com click on this link

Libya cashes in on misery

The Sordid saga of the Bulgarian nurses effectively held hostage by Libya since 1999, accused of intentionally infecting more than 400 children with the virus that causes AIDS, appears to be nearing resolution. So much about the case has been cynical and shabby that its distasteful ending is hardly a surprise. The families of the infected children waited until yesterday morning to verify that cheques for one million dollars had cleared, allowing them to sign agreements renouncing their claims for the Bulgarian nurses to be executed.

Libya's ruler, Muammar Qaddafi, never appeared embarrassed that two eminent international experts in the field of HIV infection, Luc Montagnier and Vittorio Colizzi, testified that the children were infected with HIV a year before the arrival of the Bulgarian medical staff, most probably because of poor hygiene at the hospital. With public opinion in Libya outraged, a show trial of the Bulgarians (several of whom insist they were tortured to sign confessions), was in order.

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