Posted on 11/01/2006 6:33:08 AM PST by rellimpank
Libya?
Most are rightly taken aback at the thought. But I was also intrigued when an educational cruise line invited me to lecture this past April on the classical antiquities of Libya—or, more properly, “The Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya the Great,” which since 1986 has been Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s name for his ancestral country.
As petroleum engineers will point out endlessly in the lobby of the Corinthian, Tripoli’s only Western hotel, Libya is both huge and tiny. Slightly larger than Alaska, it is likewise relatively empty of people and almost unexplored. Oilmen like both. We forget that, for all its notoriety, Libya, given the dearth of water and the nearness of the desert to within 50 miles of the coastline, has fewer than 6 million residents—one of the smallest populations of any Arab nation.
ping for future.
Interesting. I spent 40 days on TDY in Libya in 1963. I was glad to get back to of all places, France. I was struck by all the one-eyed Arabs that worked in the mess hall. As I recall, this was said to be their way to get out of military service. Weird is the proper adjective.
Note, for example, the nugget within that Lionel Ritchie was headlining Quaddafi's "celebration" of the 20th anniversary of Reagan's reprisal attack.
Good article.
bump & a ping
Let me know if you want in or out.
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> The story is not dated but the editon is marked as "Autumn 2006." <
I think the event occurred back in May 2006. I heard VDH recount the incident on Hugh Hewitt's radio show in June. And a pretty amazing story it was!
there are some roman ruins in libya that are simply amazing in photo (also in syria but that is completely out of the question now); I would love to go see the archaeological sites there but there are so many places to go first that don't put you on a bad list with fedgov and maybe even nofly or whatnot.....(is there still a travel ban to libya for americans?)
The professor can't even get sick in a s**thole and not come out with some memorable and instructive observations...
P.S. He really should have been getting his fiber, there's really no excuse for appendicitis.
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