U.S. and Libya not enemies anymore

According to the State Department, the United States and Libya have formally re-established diplomatic ties after a 24-year break. This announcement marks the end of a two-day visit to Tripoli by a senior-level U.S. delegation headed by Assistant Secretary of State William Burns.

The two countries have had diplomatic representatives in each other's capitals since last February as so-called "interest sections" operating out of other countries' embassies, quotes voanews.com. William Burns, assistant secretary of state, opened a new US liaison office in Tripoli. The State Department described it as the "resumption of direct diplomatic ties". The US closed its embassy in the Libyan capital in 1980. Mr Burns said Libya would establish a diplomatic presence in the US.

In a second meeting with Mr Gadaffi since he announced plans last December to dismantle Libya's weapons of mass destruction programmes, Mr Burns was joined by Cofer Black, the State Department's counter-terrorism co-ordinator, reports ft.com.

A State Department spokesman said they discussed "concerns over Libya's past support for terrorism and our engagement with Libya on its support for the global war on terrorism". The alleged plot against Crown Prince Abdullah was discussed, but the US did not have a "conclusive judgment" about its veracity, the spokesman said.