Well I'm the sheik of Araby
Your love belongs to me
Well at night where you're asleep
Into your tent I'll creep
Aha
The stars that shine above
Will light our way to love
Ah you rule this world with me
I'm the sheik of Araby
Posted on 12/18/2002 4:08:06 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
The whole world would be screaming if a Western leader tried what Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi is getting away with in Africa: turning the continent into his own personal empire of gore and plunder.
Gadhafi has been trying to style himself as friend to America, but we're going to have to blow the whistle on him. Consider the following:
Zimbabwe: Gadhafi's oil and hundreds of millions of dollars in aid keep genocidal madman Robert Mugabe in business.
Central African "Republic": Gadhafi's forces have saved unpopular dictator Ange-Felix Patasse from three coup attempts since May 2001. "Libya's prize: a monopoly on mining the country's lodes of gold, diamonds and uranium - although Patasse's government has denied it," the Associated Press reported today.
"These Libyans are mercenaries. Even if the population is in front of them, they will fire. It means nothing to them," said Gbossokotto Maka, editor of Le Citoyen newspaper in Bangui.
Chad: Remember years ago when Chad used to be in the news? It still should be. Big bully Gadhafi invaded it to use as his sandbox.
Liberia: Thanks to aid from Gadhafi, dictator Charles Taylor remains in control after seven bloody years of civil war.
Burkina Faso: Dictator Blaise Compaore seized power after having his best friend murdered.
Sierra Leone: Like the strongmen of Liberia and Burkina Faso, Foday Sankoh got his start in one of Gadhafi's guerrilla training camps during the Clinton years. But Sankoh, described by AP as a "doped babbler," lost his 10-year campaign of terror in which he tried to seize power and diamond mines. Rotting in jail, he faces the prospect of a trial for war crimes.
Ivory Coast: The embattled government says Gadhafi's proteges in Liberia and Burkina Faso are shipping fighters, guns and money to guerrillas.
Congo: The government, plagued by a four-year, six-nation war, says Libya is flying in tanks and other weapons to guerrillas.
"Liars," fumed Ali al-Treiki, Libya's minister of African affairs.
AP warned, "At the same time, a generation of African leaders who have fallen out with the West could turn to Gadhafi for money, guns and friendship."
The Tripoli terrorist is throwing himself into the continent with a vengeance after turning against the Arab League in October. Its offense: refusing to join African dictators in condemning U.N. sanctions on Libya for the Lockerbie airline bombing of 1988.
"Now, the 60-year-old leader is throwing his energy and oil wealth into the African Union, which he prodded into being in July, succeeding the old dictators' club of the Organization of African Unity," AP revealed.
"Gadhafi's coveted returns: The respect denied him in the Arab world, a shot at a statesman's role a la Nelson Mandela, and shares of the wealth knocking around unstable, resource-rich Africa."
John Stremlau, director of Center for Africa's International Relations in Johannesburg, South Africa, said: "Gadhafi has become a quixotic figure. He's decided Africa is going to be his playground now that the Arab world has ignored him.
"But he's not so loony that he gives troops away for free. He's not a charitable organization."
And if you wonder why the TV networks and your local newspaper have reported little or none of this, note the establishment media's curious double standard. They would deem a fraction of these atrocities in Europe to be big news, but they don't much care about what happens to Africans.
Do morons write for newsmax? Chad was invaded by Lybia and Lybia got handed its ass. That's why the only "chad" we heard in the news in the last decade is the Florida ballot kind.
,,, that's resource rich Africa. The Russians have put a lot of time and money into trying to secure it's minerals and South Africa's trade routes over the years. The reason this headcase is gaining power is because of the oil he has. He virtually owns Zim thru Mugabe's efforts, which he's backing and he's happy with the unrest in Angola, Nigeria and other countries where BP and other multi nationals are drilling while they still can.
That's all you need to know about Africa - to understand why it has become a toilet.
Can you imagine a land, that considers a murderous old communist - as a statesman?
What good did he bring to South Africa...
It has been a plunge into the sewer from his rein on..
Semper Fi
Limosine liberals. Let's not get out of the car to investigate the real icky stuff.
OR
Cognitive dissonance liberals: "It goes against my carefully constructed realm of good guys and bad guys = I'm soooo confused..."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.