No Water at Libyan Embassy in D.C.

[DoYouEverWonder]

August 8, 2006, 2:23 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- Libya wants to reopen an embassy in the United States, but it can't get the District of Columbia to turn on the water.

The Libyan government sued the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority last week in federal court, demanding that the property's water and sewer service be turned on. The lawsuit also asks for $1 million in damages.

At the heart of the dispute are more than $27,000 in outstanding water and sewer bills. The D.C. utility won't provide water or sewer service until someone pays.

The city's records show water and sewer accounts at the property in the name of the "United Kingdom of Libya," and the authority has filed a lien demanding payment, The Washington Times reported Tuesday.

Libya says it hasn't occupied the Wyoming Avenue building since 1981, when the U.S. government cut diplomatic ties with the country and shut the embassy.

Washington announced in May that it would restore normal diplomatic relations with Libya. The U.S. State Department officially removed Moammar Gadhafi's regime from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on June 30.


http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-libya-water-spat,0,139652.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines


So whose been using the water?

[maxsolomon]

1. Libya has 27K extra, but I think they're getting screwed:

SQUATTERS IN AN EMBASSY?

<snip>The United Arab Emirates took control of the embassy property after the Libyans left. And, according to the suit, squatters stayed there for several years without permission from Libya or UAE.

The UAE evicted the squatters in 2003 and ordered water and sewer service to be shut off, the suit said.

The Libyan government said it shouldn't have to pay because it didn't authorize the service

[Kagemusha]

2. That is so, so cheap.

Is there any concept of diplomacy left?