Word: washingtonization
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Just over six years ago, Saif coaxed his father into abandoning Libya's chemical- and nuclear-weapons program. Muammar Gaddafi's stunning aboutface, which followed longstanding demands from Washington, ended Libya's isolation from the West. Trade embargoes and an air blockade that had sealed most Libyans from the outside world for decades were lifted. In late 2008 the U.S. confirmed its first ambassador to Tripoli since 1972. More than 100 oil companies, including U.S. majors like Chevron and ExxonMobil, and European giants such as BP and Royal Dutch Shell, arrived to tap Libya's vast oil reserves, betting that...
...assume the country's second-highest post. "I would not accept [a position] because you need to have a constitution," Saif says. "You need transparent political rules of the game." He's also prepared to test the system. Tensions erupted into full view last December after Saif invited the Washington and Middle East directors of Human Rights Watch to launch its report on Libya's human-rights violations at a press conference in the heart of Tripoli. Few groups had ever been allowed to speak out publicly against the government, and security forces attempted to disrupt the event. Some Libyans...
...West, and especially Washington, could also play a more active role in encouraging reforms. Washington promised billions of dollars of private investment to help revamp Libya's economy if Tripoli dropped its nukes program. So far, interest has fallen far short of that. Libyans were also outraged when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security added the country to a security watch list after the attempted bombing of a plane over Detroit last December. "We extended a friendly hand and got slapped in the face," Gebril says...
...While expectations are low for any sudden jump in the value of the renminbi, the recent détente could make it easier for China to begin gradual changes. China's leadership was never likely to make any move on currency in the face of overt pressure from Washington, for fear of appearing weak in the eyes of its people. "Our view is that China was going to move around the middle of the year," says Green. "The China timetable was six months behind the U.S. on this, which creates tension. The tension makes a move harder. What we need...
...Washington, Obama will also be looking for China's help to curtail Iran's nuclear program. So far, Beijing has been reluctant to support tough sanctions and has repeatedly urged more patience to allow for diplomatic overtures. Saeed Jalili, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, spent Thursday in Beijing meeting with Chinese officials including Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and State Councillor Dai Bingguo. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday that China "is striving for a proper settlement of the issue through diplomatic means," Xinhua reported. The message is that Hu Jintao may be willing to go to Washington, but China...