On this day in ...… 2004 (5 years ago today), the United States resumed direct diplomatic ties with Libya (flag at left) when it reopened a U.S. Liaison Office in the capital city of Tripoli. In December 1979, staff members had been withdrawn after a mob attacked and set fire to the U.S. embassy; the United States declared Libya a "state sponsor of terrorism." Relations between the 2 countries remained poor for decades. In 2003, Libya "accepted responsibility for the actions of its officials, renounced terrorism and arranged for payment of appropriate compensation for the families of the victims" of the bombings of a Berlin discotheque and two airliners, and also announced its decision to abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs. (image credit)
… 1969 (40 years ago today), a police raid in the early morning hours at the Stonewall Inn (right) in New York's Greenwich Village touched off the Stonewall riots, frequently cited as the first instance in U.S. history when gays and lesbians fought back against the persecution of homosexuals. Stonewall, in turn, sparked the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. Today, gay pride events are held annually worldwide toward the end of June to mark the Stonewall riots. (photo credit)(Prior June 28 posts are here and here.)
