Kadhafi son says US committed to protecting Libya

AFP ^ | December 24, 2003

[polemikos]

His "throne" is a plastic patio chair.

[marron]

"The son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi has said the United States has committed itself to providing security for the country and that US officials will travel there soon to ascertain its needs."

If one was paying attention, Khaddafi has actually been hinting at this for some time, so its not a complete surprise. I was surprised anyway. I pride myself in seeing things coming before they do, and while I sort-a saw it coming it still made my head spin around. It hasn't entirely stopped spinning.

Khaddafi first signalled the change back when he launched a tirade against his Arab brother-states for their failure to support Libya, and announced that Libya was thenceforth an African country, not an Arab one. His remarks that were more-or-less supportive of the US on the Afghan war and the overall war on terror, his earlier decision to hand over the Lockerbie suspects followed by his recent decision to pay off the families of the victims told me that he was ready to come out of isolation.

I have met Americans who worked in Libya during the embargo, although not recently, but I assumed that Americans were still there. He never let politics get in the way of his oil industry, and US oil workers seldom do either.

If this opens the door for US firms to operate there openly, that will be good news for some of us. Actually, it probably means that the wages will come down, so maybe thats good news for Khadaffi.

[hoosierham]

Anyone with eyes to see will note that Islamic fanatics KILL the usual military dictator in order to put the mullahs firmly in charge. They definitely believe and practice "civilian" control of the military. Khadaffy simply looked at his best chance for survival and just maybe is also able to understand that a supposed culture that uses and demands suicide by its followers is a losing one.

[Grampa Dave]

Krazy Kadaffy is not stupid.

The $oddomite stood up against GW and tried to stand up the military power of our military and look at what happened to him, twice.

Krazy Kadaffy on the other hand will get the US military to protect him if he cooperates.

[Heatseeker]

It'd be nice, but that family is one big bowl of flakes. Get some bases and buy some friends in their government, then arrange for the Colonel to have a car accident somewhere.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

This is bigger than it may seem, Qaddafi is simply the first of many who will realign to position themselves with the "strong horse" they now perceive the US to be. This is precisely what Victor Davis Hanson has predicted would happen, first humiliation, which could not have been accomplished without the very public whipping of Saddam, then fear, then capitualation. We are witnessing the process which will ultimately defeat terror.

We live in interesting times!

[AdmSmith]

A 1998 attempt by the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group to assassinate Kadhafi led Libya to crack down on Islamist opposition and reportedly issue an arrest warrant for bin Laden. Kadhafi has shared intelligence on AQ for many years and he and his son understand that the logical consequence of our mutual interest to get rid of the islamists is to cooperate 100 % with the West. The threat to his throne is fundamentalist islam.