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Boris Johnson: Sirte can be next Dubai once it 'clears the dead bodies'
Source: The Guardian
Boris Johnson: Sirte can be next Dubai once it 'clears the dead bodies'
Tory and Labour MPs call for Theresa May to sack foreign secretary over ‘unbelievably crass’ comments about ruined Libyan city
Rowena Mason and Jessica Elgot
Tuesday 3 October 2017 20.45 BST
Theresa May is facing further calls to sack Boris Johnson after he said that a war-torn Libyan city only has to “clear the dead bodies away” to become a world-class tourist and business destination.
Johnson was accused by Labour of being “unbelievably crass, callous and cruel” about those who died in the battle to reclaim Sirte from Islamic State (Isis), after he was asked at the Conservative party conference what it was like visiting Libya as foreign secretary.
Speaking about the potential of Sirte, the Libyan city where Muammar Gaddafi was killed, Johnson drew gasps and embarrassed laughter from the audience as he said: “There’s a group of UK business people, wonderful guys who want to invest in Sirte, on the coast, near where Gaddafi was actually captured and executed as some of you may have seen.
“And they literally have a brilliant vision to turn Sirte, with the help of the municipality of Sirte, to turn it into the next Dubai.
“The only thing they’ve got to do is clear the dead bodies away and then they’ll be there.”
-snip-
Tory and Labour MPs call for Theresa May to sack foreign secretary over ‘unbelievably crass’ comments about ruined Libyan city
Rowena Mason and Jessica Elgot
Tuesday 3 October 2017 20.45 BST
Theresa May is facing further calls to sack Boris Johnson after he said that a war-torn Libyan city only has to “clear the dead bodies away” to become a world-class tourist and business destination.
Johnson was accused by Labour of being “unbelievably crass, callous and cruel” about those who died in the battle to reclaim Sirte from Islamic State (Isis), after he was asked at the Conservative party conference what it was like visiting Libya as foreign secretary.
Speaking about the potential of Sirte, the Libyan city where Muammar Gaddafi was killed, Johnson drew gasps and embarrassed laughter from the audience as he said: “There’s a group of UK business people, wonderful guys who want to invest in Sirte, on the coast, near where Gaddafi was actually captured and executed as some of you may have seen.
“And they literally have a brilliant vision to turn Sirte, with the help of the municipality of Sirte, to turn it into the next Dubai.
“The only thing they’ve got to do is clear the dead bodies away and then they’ll be there.”
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/oct/03/sirte-can-become-a-holiday-destination-if-it-clears-the-dead-bodies-says-johnson
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