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  1. #34
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    Rebels hold most of Tripoli, Gaddafi out of sight
    By Missy Ryan and Ulf Laessing | Reuters – 13 mins ago




    TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan government tanks and snipers put up scattered, last-ditch resistance in Tripoli on Monday after rebels swept into the heart of the capital, cheered on by crowds hailing the end of Muammar Gaddafi's 42 years in power. The 69-year-old leader, urging civilians to take up arms against rebel "rats", said in an audio broadcast that he was in the city and would be "with you until the end". But there was little sign of popular opposition to the rebel offensive, two of Gaddafi's sons were seized and it was unclear where he was.

    Reuters correspondents saw rebel forces hunt sharpshooters from building to building. Sporadic gunfire and shelling kept civilians off the streets, waiting anxiously for the fighting to end after a brief outpouring of jubilation late on Sunday. "Revolutionaries are positioned everywhere in Tripoli," said a senior rebel in the city, who used the name Abdulrahman. "But Gaddafi's forces have been trying to resist. "There is gunfire everywhere," he added, saying government tanks were in action near Tripoli's Mediterranean port and downtown near Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound. "Snipers are the main problem," he said. "There is a big number of martyrs."

    World leaders were in no doubt that, after six months of an often meandering revolt backed by NATO air power, the disparate and often fractious rebel alliance was about to take control of the North African desert state and its extensive oil reserves. Some warned of a risk of a longer, anarchic civil war after what has been the bloodiest of the Arab Spring uprisings inspired by the overthrow of autocrats in Tunisia and Egypt.

    The fall of Gaddafi could also give new heart to embattled opposition groups across the Middle East, notably in Syria. "Time has run out," said Franco Frattini, foreign minister of Libya's former colonial ruler Italy, adding that Gaddafi's forces now controlled only 10 to 15 percent of the capital.

    Laila Jawad, 36, who works at a Tripoli nursery, told Reuters after the rebels arrived: "We are about to be delivered from the tyrant's rule. It's a new thing for me. I am very optimistic. Praise be to God."

    CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE

    State television seemed still to be held by Gaddafi loyalists. "The morale of our troops is high," a presenter said. But children's programing replaced the martial music and images of Gaddafi which have dominated its airtime for months.

    In a coordinated move late on Saturday by rebel cells in the capital and assaults on several fronts, Tripoli saw some of the heaviest fighting of the war. A government official told Reuters 376 people on both sides were killed, and about 1,000 wounded, though it was unclear how the figures were arrived at.

    Civilians had flocked late on Sunday to Green Square, long the showpiece of the leader's personality cult, waving rebel flags. Some said they would rename it Martyrs' Square. But early on Monday, rebel spokesman Nouri Echtiwi said, tanks and pick-up trucks mounted with machineguns had emerged from Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound: "They fired randomly in all directions whenever they heard gunfire," he said.

    U.S. President Barack Obama and other Western leaders urged Gaddafi to accept defeat and prepared to work with the rebels -- though the future leadership of Libya remains very unclear. The European Union, whose members had in recent years resolved disputes with Gaddafi in return for energy supplies, welcomed a "new era": "We are witnessing the last moments of the Gaddafi regime," EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said. She urged the rebels not to settle scores in blood and to respect human rights and move swiftly toward a new democracy.

    South Africa, a leading power on the continent to which Gaddafi devoted much of Libya's wealth and influence, denied it had sent a plane for Gaddafi or was planning to shelter a leader who has been indicted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

    Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said: "We are watching history." But he cited the bloody epilogue to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and warned: "There is a risk for actions of revenge, and uncontrollable violence."

    First signs emerged of moves to begin restoring oil production that has been the foundation of the Libyan economy. Technical staff of Italy's oil and gas major Eni arrived to look into restarting facilities, Frattini said.

    In China and Russia, both powerful critics of the NATO war launched in March in support of the rebels, officials agreed that Libya appeared to have new masters. In Beijing, the foreign ministry said it would respect the people's choice.

    SONS DETAINED

    Two of Gaddafi's sons, including Saif al-Islam who was once seen as heir apparent and a potential friend of the West were captured by the rebels. But the whereabouts of Gaddafi himself, one of the world's longest ruling leaders, were unknown. He had made two audio addresses over state television calling on Libyans to fight off the rebels. "I am afraid if we don't act, they will burn Tripoli," he said. "There will be no more water, food, electricity or freedom."

    But resistance to the rebels faded away. Near Green Square youths burned the green flags of the government and raised the rebel tricolor last used by the post-colonial monarchy which Gaddafi overthrew in a military coup in 1969.

    Many Tripoli residents received a text message from the rebel leadership saying: "God is Great. We congratulate the Libyan people on the fall of Muammar Gaddafi."

    Gaddafi, a colorful and often brutal autocrat, said he was breaking out weapons stores to arm civilians. His spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, predicted a violent reckoning by the rebels. "A massacre will be committed inside Tripoli if one side wins now, because the rebels have come with such hatred, such vendetta," Ibrahim said on Sunday. "Even if the leader leaves or steps down now, there will be a massacre."

    Obama, on vacation in the island of Martha's Vineyard, said in a statement: "The surest way for the bloodshed to end is simple: Muammar Gaddafi and his regime need to recognize that their rule has come to an end. Gaddafi needs to acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls Libya. He needs to relinquish power once and for all."

    NATO said the transition of power must be peaceful and warned it would bomb any Gaddafi forces who kept on fighting.

    TRIPOLI FALLS QUICKLY

    After civil war that became a stalemate in the desert for long periods, rebels raced into Tripoli, with a carefully orchestrated uprising launched on Saturday night to coincide with the advance of rebel troops on three fronts. Fighting broke out after the call to prayer from the mosques.

    Rebel National Transitional Council Coordinator Adel Dabbechi confirmed that Gaddafi's younger son Saif al-Islam had been captured. The ICC, which wants him along with his father on charges of crimes against humanity, confirmed he had been held and said he should be handed over for trial.

    Gaddafi's eldest son Mohammed had surrendered to rebel forces, Dabbechi told Reuters. In a television interview, Mohammed said gunmen had surrounded his house. He told Al-Jazeera in a phone call that he and his family were unharmed. Only five months ago Gaddafi's forces were set to crush the rebel stronghold of Benghazi in the far east of the vast and thinly populated North African state of six million. He warned then that there would be "no mercy, no pity" for his opponents. His forces, he said, would hunt them down "district to district, alley to alley, house to house, room to room".

    The United Nations then acted quickly, pushed notably by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, clearing the way for the creation of a no-fly zone that NATO, with a campaign of bombing, used ultimately to help drive back Gaddafi's forces.

    In Benghazi, thousands gathered in a central square. They waved red, black and green opposition and trampled on pictures of Gaddafi as news filtered through of rebel triumphs. "There are still plenty of questions," said Anthony Skinner, Middle East analyst, at risk advisers Maplecroft. "We know there have been some serious divisions between the rebel movement and we don't know yet if they will be able to form a cohesive front to run the country."

    Just last month, the rebels military commander was killed after being taken into custody by fighters from his own side.

    http://news.yahoo.com/rebels-enter-h...000932445.html
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  3. #35
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    double post
    Last edited by Jolie Rouge; 10-21-2011 at 02:33 PM.
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  4. #36
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    Moamar Gaddafi's Costly Retirement Party
    By Richard Miniter | Forbes – 11 hrs ago


    Cheering crowds greeted Libyan rebels as they poured into the center of Libya’s seaside capital, while the Arab world’s longest-serving ruler, Col. Moamar Gaddafi, fled into his own private spider hole.

    Beneath the cheering throng, the strongman is said to have built an elaborate series of tunnels and chambers in a dark honeycomb that may take weeks to clear out. It is camouflaged with children’s playgrounds and neighborhood clinics to deter NATO air strikes.

    Like the death of Osama bin Laden, this looks like a victory for the Obama Administration. Gaddafi seems to be gone and his three sons, who helped run the murderous regime, are now in rebel custody. But, the “victory” is less clear-cut upon closer inspection.

    There are two ways to assess this apparent triumph: by examining what happens next and by weighing realistic options against Obama’s Libya policy.

    In short, we need a “retirement plan for dictators,” a much less violent way to coax them from power. (I suggest one below.) We need to learn the lessons of the Libyan experiment because, most likely in the coming months, the Obama Administration will be called on to repeat it in Syria and, perhaps, Yemen.

    What Happens Next?


    If everything unfolds perfectly, it is possible that the rebel Transitional National Council will rebuild the shattered economy, heal the wounds of war, hold fair trials for captured Gaddafi loyalists, maintain public order and hold free elections. If so, then President Obama’s daring foreign adventure will have paid off. A stable and free Libya, which doesn’t threaten its European neighbors with waves of refugees or terrorist bombings, may well be worth the billions of dollars spent and the lives risked.

    Yet even Pollyanna would see that rosy outcome as remote. Looting, mob “justice” and even civil war are just as likely.

    Libya is a nation of 140 major tribes, all of which are armed with small arms and big grievances. Most of those tribes have spent the past few months killing members of other tribes—setting up an epic cycle of revenge killings that could go on for years.

    Of course, Gaddafi would be partly to blame, even if he is dead. For 42 cruel years, he strangled or smothered every independent, intermediate institution: local government, free mosques, charitable organizations, firms with more than 50 employees, and independent media in all forms. With no virtually no civil society, Libya has no trusted national institutions that transcend tribe or geography. Even the army splintered into regional and tribal factions.

    There is no history of self-government at the national level, only kings, sheikhs and dictators. What’s worse, Libya is really two nations in one. Historically, Benghazi (the rebel capital) and Tripoli (Gaddafi’s last stronghold) vied for control of the nation. Does Benghazi now rule and how would that sit with the people of Tripoli, Libya’s largest city?

    Who will keep order? The police have fled and the rebels lack the radios, leadership and structure to keep order. Without large numbers of American and allied troops on the ground—which no one is proposing—there is no force to stop riots, looting, and revenge attacks. As America’s experience in Baghdad in 2003 shows, even a large, modern army cannot necessarily stop determined mobs of looters.

    The Dictator’s Retirement Plan

    The other means of deciding whether the Libya adventure was worthwhile is to measure it against other policy alternatives. Could the U.S. have achieved the same results (the departure of Gaddafi, the dismantling of his evil regime, and safeguarding of civilian lives) at less cost? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. It is time to consider the alternatives to military action as the Libyan situation replays in Syria and Yemen.


    The U.S., together with its allies, needs to develop a “dictator retirement plan.”

    Let’s consider the world from the point of view of an Arab dictator. Currently, there are three retirement options for any dictator: die in office and hope your sons take over, flee the country as the citizens storm the palace gates, or face trial and execution in a rebel court.

    The first option is the goal of any dictator, but it rarely works out. Establishing a dynasty while enjoying the power and wealth is not a retirement strategy in the Arab world. Very few Arab leaders last more than 40 years in the Middle East—and that was before “Arab Spring” put bullseyes on their backs. Egypt’s Anwar Sadat was gunned down by an Islamic militant. Lebanese leaders last little longer than second lieutenants in Vietnam. Yemeni dictators are replaced about as often as vinyl siding in a sketchy neighborhood—about once every 25 years.

    Option two is rarely used and rarely turns out well. Sudan’s dictator, Ja’far Numeri, fled to Saudi Arabia in 1989, where he joined Uganda’s onetime dictator Idi Amin. With comparatively little money, little freedom to leave the oil kingdom, and life entirely dependent on the goodwill of his hosts, both Numeri and Amin complained bitterly about their haven. While it is hard to work up much sympathy, the press statements of the former strongmen were certainly noticed by the current crop of tyrants.

    Option three is to depend on rebel justice. This, too, is unappetizing to dictators. Egypt’s former strongman, Hosni Mubarak, on a hospital gurney, now waits for a hostile judge to decide his fate. Saddam Hussein fled, was captured, tried and executed by his enemies.

    Given a Sophie’s choice between death or powerlessness, it is little wonder that most dictators cling to power. Why not make option two, fleeing to a neutral country, more attractive to them?

    That would mean allowing them to keep some sizeable percentage of their loot hidden away in secret bank accounts and a reliable treaty mechanism that would make them immune to prosecution by both their former subjects and various international courts, such as the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

    Issuing a literal “get out of jail free” card to dictators may well be seen as rewarding evil behavior. But it is not. It is simply a way to use a dictators’ own ill-gotten gains and desire for freedom to buy him out of waging a civil war that could cost tens of thousands of civilian casualties while sparing America’s war fighters and taxpayers the burden of removing him. Think of it as “greenmail” for totalitarians.

    This idea needs work. But it is high time that we start thinking about a retirement plan for dictators that encourages them to flee, not fight. We cannot afford too many triumphs like the one convulsing Tripoli today.

    http://news.yahoo.com/moamar-gaddafi...092543972.html
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  5. #37
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    Bodies may be Gaddafi son and Libya intel chief
    By Omar Fahmy | Reuters – 2 hrs 44 mins ago


    CAIRO (Reuters) - Two bodies have been found that could be those of Muammar Gaddafi's son Khamis and his intelligence chief Abdallah Senussi, Al-Jazeera television reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

    http://news.yahoo.com/bodies-may-gad...175152973.html
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    Libya victory holds little political promise for Obama
    By George E. Condon Jr. National Journal | Exclusive – 20 mins ago


    No one in 2008 could have anticipated that the greatest triumphs and signature moments in Barack Obama's presidency would come in the realm of foreign affairs. But with the reports Thursday of the capture and possible death of Muammar el-Qaddafi in Libya, Obama's successes overseas now dwarf his domestic accomplishments.

    Under Obama's watch, the foreign dictators responsible for the most American deaths — Qaddafi and Osama bin Laden — are gone , giving a measure of justice to the thousands who died on Sept. 11, 2001 and the 270 killed in the downing of Pan Am 103 in 1988. Add to the terrorist toll Anwar al-Awlaki killed just last month, and add the winding-down of the war in Iraq and the president has a record Democrats will be eager to run on in 2012.

    The problem for the Democrats and for Obama, of course, is that foreign policy is likely to be at best a minor factor in next year's presidential campaign. Americans today — and voters next year — are focused almost entirely on the domestic economy. Foreign policy has been little more than an after-thought at the Republican candidate debates this year, with Obama taking a beating for his Libya policy. The numbers in Gallup have been consistent this year when voters are asked to name the most important problem facing the country. Month after month, between 73 and 76 percent have named economic problems, with only 1 or 2 percent naming wars or terrorism or overseas issues.

    That is unlikely to change regardless of the news from Misrati or Tripoli. The killings of bin Laden, al-Awlaki and Khan did not even slow the GOP contenders from their favored lines of attack. They would much rather blast him for what they see as his "apologies" for America than credit his successes as commander-in-chief.

    This makes Obama just the latest in a long line of presidents to confront the reality that Americans rarely vote on their foreign policy concerns. That benefited Obama in 2008, first against the more-world-savvy Hillary Rodham Clinton and then against the war hero John McCain. Obama did just enough to pass the foreign policy threshold but still lagged far behind McCain at the time of the election when voters were asked which candidate they trusted to handle foreign policy and defend against terrorist attacks.

    The president who suffered most memorably from this reality was President George H.W. Bush after his big victory in the Persian Gulf War pushed him to 91 percent approval. His chief of staff, John Sununu, infamously downplayed the need for a new domestic agenda and declared in 1990 that "there's not a single piece of legislation that needs to be passed in the next two years." The voters had another idea and tossed Bush out of office, replacing him with a Democrat who pledged to focus on the economy "like a laser."

    And Libya is no Persian Gulf War. Libya is a military operation the American public never warmed to, never really understood and never paid much attention to, according to pollsters. They were unhappy when allied military operations began on March 18 and remained skeptical even after the president pledged there would be no American boots on the ground. Throughout, it was hard for the news about Libya to break through stories about Hurricane Irene and economic hardship. "There was a good deal of interest in Libya during the first week of NATO bombing but relatively little since then," said Carroll Doherty, associate director of the Pew Research Center. He said that in the week that rebels captured Qaddafi's compound, only 22 percent said they were following the story very closely.

    And those who did follow Libyan developments were less than enthusiastic about Obama's policy. A Fox News poll conducted Aug. 29 to 31, found that only 30 percent favored the U.S. military involvement. A majority of 55 percent opposed it, with 14 percent unsure. The opposition included 66 percent of Independents, 58 percent of Republicans and 50 percent of Democrats. More recently a NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed 61 percent of the public views Obama's foreign policies as favorable. The same poll shows they generally disapprove of his job performance.

    Numbers like those are why Obama never ran to be a foreign policy president.

    http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/exclusiv...160504716.html
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  7. #39
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    After turbulent ties, U.S. relief at Gaddafi demise
    By Tabassum Zakaria | Reuters – 11 mins ago


    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If ever there was a roller-coaster of a relationship it was the one the United States had with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, which went from bombing to befriending to supporting bombing again.

    But after decades of bloodshed and turmoil, the U.S. reaction to Gaddafi's death during a battle for his hometown of Sirte could be summed up in one word: relief.

    "I think it's about time," Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told reporters in Sioux City, Iowa. Gaddafi was "a terrible tyrant that killed his own people and murdered Americans and others in the tragedy at Lockerbie. The world is a better place with Gaddafi gone."

    If Gaddafi had survived the war with the Libyan opposition forces who are now internationally recognized as the new government, it could have started yet another downward cycle with the United States.

    "Gaddafi was a major threat to the United States up until a few years ago, and if he had survived this regime change, he very well could have continued to be a threat since he would have blamed us for his demise," said Darrell West, director of governance studies at The Brookings Institution.

    How three different U.S. presidents handled the mercurial man who seized power in Libya in a 1969 coup illustrates the tempestuous journey of U.S.-Libyan ties.

    A generation ago, President Ronald Reagan called Gaddafi the "mad dog of the Middle East," and named Libya a suspect in the deadly 1986 bombing of a West Berlin discotheque frequented by members of the U.S. military.

    About a week later, U.S. military jets struck Libya, hitting a Gaddafi compound in Tripoli and reportedly killing his adopted baby daughter. Reagan said: "Today we have done what we had to do; if necessary, we will do it again."

    Gaddafi, in short, was a U.S. nemesis long before al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden or Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, whom he joins in death.

    U.S. animosity toward Libya intensified further after the 1988 bombing by Libyan agents of a Pan Am airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people.

    But over a decade later the ice started to thaw under President George W. Bush after Gaddafi promised in 2003 to give up his weapons of mass destruction and completed a compensation settlement for the families of the Lockerbie victims in 2008.

    Bush is believed to be the first U.S. president to speak to Gaddafi when he phoned the Libyan leader in November 2008 to express satisfaction about the Lockerbie claims settlement.

    Diplomats and businessmen flocked to Libya in greater numbers. Famous U.S. entertainers performed for the Gaddafi clan. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Gaddafi in Tripoli in 2008.

    TENUOUS TIES

    But when the rebellion against Gaddafi's rule began earlier this year, the United States demonstrated how tenuous the relationship had been. It backed the rebels against a fierce onslaught by Gaddafi's forces. President Barack Obama came out and said Gaddafi must go.

    On Thursday, in a statement after Gaddafi's death, Obama declared: "You have won your revolution."

    Under Obama, the United States played a mostly supporting role in NATO military operations over Libya. As far as is known, Washington had no direct role in his death.

    Others nonetheless saw the events as a fulfillment of the long, winding road of U.S. policy on Libya. "It completes the Reagan legacy, he called him the mad dog of Tripoli and tried to kill him," Lawrence Korb, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, said. "Yes he was welcomed back into the international community in 2003, but even so I think they had to hold their nose when they did it."

    The biggest relief was likely felt by the Lockerbie families. "I hope he's in hell with Hitler," said Kathy Tedeschi, whose husband was killed on Pan Am Flight 103.

    Along with antagonism toward Gaddafi, his eccentricities, such as having a tent pitched on property owned by New York real-estate magnate Donald Trump ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, became fodder for American jokes. "He seemed very strange, but yet the guy maintained his hold on office over a very long period of time, and so he clearly was more wily than people gave him credit for. He survived most other leaders on the world stage," West said.

    Gaddafi's death did not provoke the same jubilation in the United States as the killing of bin Laden, when crowds gathered outside the White House chanting "USA, USA."

    But it was generally welcomed among the smattering of tourists meandering outside the White House on Thursday. "It's good news," said Dan DeBoise, 49, a nurse from Spokane, Washington. "The U.S. constantly feels like we need to police the world and the less bad guys out there it's going to be better."

    http://news.yahoo.com/turbulent-ties...205526242.html
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    The Seven Weirdest Things About Moammar Gadhafi
    By RUSSELL GOLDMAN | ABC News – 8 hrs ago


    Col. Moammar Gadhafi, the dictator who ruled Libya for 42 years, was killed by rebels in his hometown of Sirte on Thursday. A dictator who oppressed his own people and sponsored terrorism abroad, Gadhafi's legacy will be stained by violence. But beyond his brutality, Gadhafi will be remembered for something else entirely… being a first-class weirdo.

    In no particular order, ABCNews.com brings you the seven weirdest things about Moammar Gadhafi.

    1. The "Bulletproof" Tent: When Gadhafi was at home in Tripoli, he lived in a well fortified compound with a complex system of escape tunnels. But when he travelled abroad, this "Bedouin" brought a bit of the desert with him, camping out in the world's capitals. The tent was so heavy it needed to be flown on a separate plane, wherever the dictator travelled. To complete the Arabian Nights theme, Gadhafi often would tether a camel or two outside.

    2. All-Female Virgin Bodyguard Retinue: They apparently weren't around when Gadhafi needed them most on Thursday, but the eccentric dictator was historically protected by 40 well trained bodyguards – all of them women. The bodyguards, called "Amazons," were all reportedly virgins who took a vow of chastity upon joining the dictator's retinue. The women, trained at an all-female military academy, were handpicked by Gadhafi. They wore elaborate uniforms, as well as makeup and high-heeled combat boots.

    3. His "Voluptuous" Ukrainian Nurse: For a decade, Galyna Kolotnytska, a Ukrainian nurse often described in the press as "voluptuous," was regularly seen at the dictator's side. Kolotnytska was described in a leaked diplomatic cable as one of Gadhafi's closest aides and was rumored to have a romantic relationship with him. Several other Ukrainian women served as nurses and they all referred to him as "Papa" or "Daddy."

    4. Crush on Condoleezza Rice: In 2007, Gadhafi called former Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice his "darling black African woman" and on a 2008 visit she made to Tripoli, the dictator gave her $200,000 worth of gifts, including a ring and a lute. But it wasn't until rebels stormed his Tripoli compound that the depths of the dictator's infatuation were exposed. There among Gadhafi's belongings was a carefully composed photo album made up of dozens of images of no one but Rice.

    5. Fear of Flying and Elevators: Part of the reason Gadhafi loved travelling with that tent of his was because he was worried about lodging in a hotel where he'd have to ride an elevator. According to leaked diplomatic cables, the Libyan didn't like heights much either, and would only climb to a height of 35 steps. He therefore wasn't much of a fan of flying, refusing to travel by air for more than eight hours at a time. When he would travel to New York of the U.N.'s annual general assembly, he would spend a night in Portugal on the way to the U.S.

    6. Bunga Bunga: In 2010, one of Gadhafi's most eccentric pastimes was exposed by Italian prosecutors investigating Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. A 17-year-old prostitute named Karima el-Mahroug, better known as Ruby Heartstealer, revealed that she had been invited to an orgy, called a "bunga bunga." "Silvio told me that he'd copied that formula from Muammar Gadhafi," she told prosecutors according to La Repubblica. "It's a ritual of [Gadhafi's] African harem."

    7. An Eclectic Wardrobe: In those photos of world leaders standing shoulder to shoulder on the sidelines of this or that international forum, Gadhafi was always the easiest to pick out. His wardrobe was an eclectic mix of ornate military uniforms, Miami Vice style leisure suits, and Bedouin robes. Gadhafi, who pushed for a pan-African federation of nations, often decorated his outfits with images of the African continent. He'd sport safari shirts printed with an Africa pattern, or wear garish pins or necklaces of the continent.


    http://news.yahoo.com/seven-weirdest...170209296.html
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    For $1 billion cost to US taxpayers, one dictator
    By Kevin Baron National Journal Exclusive – 1 hr 0 mins ago


    Call him the billion-dollar man. One billion for one dictator.

    According to the Pentagon, that was the cost to U.S. taxpayers for Muammar el-Qaddafi's head: $1.1 billion through September, the latest figure just out of the Defense Department.

    And that's just for the Americans.

    The final totals will take some time to add up, and still do not include the State Department, CIA, and other agencies involved or other NATO and participating countries. Vice President Joe Biden said that the U.S. "spent $2 billion total and didn't lose a single life." NATO does not track the operational costs to each member country, but the funds directly taken from a common NATO account for Libya operations have totaled about $7.4 million per month for electronic warfare capabilities and $1.1 million per month for headquarters and command staff, a NATO spokesman said.

    From the beginning of Operation Unified Protector in March, critics have questioned whether the U.S. could afford to open a third front. The Congressional Research Services estimate the Afghanistan war has cost nearly $500 billion so far. With Iraq, the figure easily tops $1 trillion.

    In the first week of Libya operations, bombs were dropped from B-2 stealth planes flown from Missouri and roughly 200 missiles launched from submarines in the Mediterranean, causing alarm that any extended campaign would quickly cost billions more.

    But after the U.S. military ramped up the operation, other NATO countries shouldered most of the air burden. Americans took a supporting role: aerial refueling tankers, electronic jamming, and surveillance.

    The behind-the-scenes role was something President Obama celebrated in remarks in the Rose Garden on Thursday. "Without putting a single U.S. service member on the ground, we achieved our objectives and our NATO mission will soon come to an end," Obama said.

    As to when that mission would end, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement NATO issued from Brussels, "We will terminate our mission in coordination with the United Nations and the National Transitional Council."

    U.S. and NATO officials steadily maintained their mission was never to hunt, capture or kill the Libyan leader. The mission, they said, was to enforce the arms embargo, establish and hold a no-fly zone, and take actions to protect civilians from attack or the threat of attack.

    That last directive seemed to give plenty of reason to target Libya's top commander. But Pentagon officials said for months that if Qaddafi should happen to be at one of those locations when NATO missiles strike, so be it.

    Since the operation began on March 31, getting to Qaddafi's final stand required 7,725 air sorties and 1,845 strike sorties, 397 of which dropped ordnance, and 145 Predator drone strikes.

    NATO aircraft, including those supplied by the U.S., totaled 26,089 sorties and 9,618 strike sorties through Wednesday.

    More than 70 U.S. aircraft have supported the operation, including Predator drones.

    NATO flew 67 sorties and 16 strikes sorties over Libya one day before Qaddafi was killed.

    The NATO mission also employed submarines, aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, destroyers, frigates, and supply ships—as many as 21 vessels at one time.

    Additionally, as of one week ago, the U.S. had sold participating countries in the operation roughly $250 million in ammunition, parts, fuel, technical assistance, and other support, according to the Pentagon.

    Several members of Congress put out statements celebrating Qaddafi's downfall but did not comment on the cost. Several offices contacted did not provide additional reaction to the monetary figures.

    But presidential candidate Ambassador Jon Huntsman did question the cost of the Libya operation. His statement on Thursday said, "I remain firm in my belief that America can best serve our interests and that transition through non-military assistance and rebuilding our own economic core here at home."

    http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/exclusiv...094911231.html

    comments

    I think this should come out of the congress and senate retirement fund..

    ...

    Nice that we can spend this much to get rid of a tyrant in a 3rd world country but are cutting benefits to our own military and citizens. NATO should reimburse the U.S. for the costs involved (or maybe we can just withhold it since we are the largest contributor) and use the money to fund the proposed eductation cuts to our military or other domestic plans. Time to start taking care of our own. Being the world police has driven our country to the brink; hopefully its not too late...

    ...

    I guess the deficit situation is not real when our government spends this kind of money overseas.
    Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?

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    Is Obama hogging credit for Gadhafi's death?
    By The Week's Editorial Staff | The Week – 9 hrs ago


    President Obama hailed the death of Libya's longtime dictator, and the NATO mission that hastened his end. Do you get credit for "leading from behind"?

    President Obama confirmed the death of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi in a brief Rose Garden speech, welcoming the lifting of "the dark shadow of tyranny" in Libya and the definitive end of the Gadhafi dictatorship. "Without a single U.S. service member on the ground, we achieved our objective," he added. Obama's Republican rivals denied him credit, however, heralding Gadhafi's death without mentioning the president. As the Heritage Foundation's James Carafano quipped, "You can't lead from behind and then elbow to the front for applause." Is Obama claiming credit where none is due?

    No, give Obama his due: As the 9.1 percent unemployment rate reminds us, "Obama has been a bad president," says Matt Lewis in The Daily Caller. "But when it comes to killing terrorists, pirates, and dictators," he's racked up some impressive wins: Osama bin Laden, Anwar al-Awlaki, and now Gadhafi. And that's just the past six months. Others deserve credit, too — George W. Bush made sure Gadhafi didn't have nukes — but this happened under Obama's watch, and his policies.

    Obama barely led, even from behind: It's "outrageous for this White House to take credit for Gadhafi's death," says Richard Grenell in Politico. In fact, "how about [accepting] blame for it taking so long?" Obama had to be dragged into action by France and Britain, then he "dithered and ended up doing too little too late." Remember, the U.S. only led the NATO mission for 10 days, and never committed the resources to the fight that our allies did.

    Obama earned the win, but it won't help him much: Obama did take credit, and rightfully so, in the same "low-key" way he waged war in Libya, sharing the spotlight with NATO and Libyans, say Eleanor Clift and Daniel Stone in The Daily Beast. But voters care only a little about foreign policy, so Obama's key role in taking out Gadhafi and his regime, "at minimal cost and with no loss of American life," won't matter nearly as much as his unfocused economic record.
    Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?

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    Again, America sticks its nose somewhere and what did we get? A new regime that feels murder is the answer. Instead of fearing their old dictator, whom held a tight lid on the various factions, they now have a group who will end up murdering any one involved with the old group.

    Me

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    Libya's transitional leader declares liberation
    AP – 10 hrs ago


    BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — Libya's transitional leader declared his country's liberation on Sunday, three days after the hated dictator Moammar Gadhafi was captured and killed.

    He called on Libyans to show "patience, honesty and tolerance" and eschew hatred as they embark on rebuilding the country at the end of an 8-month civil war.

    The transitional government leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil set out a vision for the post-Gadhafi future with an Islamist tint, saying that Islamic Sharia law would be the "basic source" of legislation in the country and that existing laws that contradict the teachings of Islam would be nullified. In a gesture that showed his own piety, he urged Libyans not to express their joy by firing in the air, but rather to chant "Allahu Akbar," or God is Great. He then stepped aside and knelt to offer a brief prayer of thanks.

    "This revolution was looked after by God to achieve victory," he told the crowd at the declaration ceremony in the eastern city of Benghazi, the birthplace of the uprising against Gadhafi began. He thanked those who fell in the fight against Gadhafi's forces. "This revolution began peacefully to demand the minimum of legitimate rights, but it was met by excessive violence."

    Abdul-Jalil said new banks would be set up to follow the Islamic banking system, which bans charging interest. For the time being, he said interest would be canceled from any personal loans already taken out less than 10,000 Libyan dinars (about $7,500).

    He also announced that all military personnel and civilians who have taken part in the fight against Gadhafi would be promoted to the rank above their existing one. He said a package of perks would later be announced for all fighters.

    "Thank You, thank you to the fighters who achieved victory, both civilians and military," he said. He also paid tribute to the Gulf Cooperation Council, a six-nation alliance led by Saudi Arabia, The Arab League and the European Union. NATO, which aided the anti-Gadhafi fighters with airstrikes, performed its task with "efficiency and professionalism."

    http://news.yahoo.com/libyas-transit...155513082.html

    comments

    Man, these people thought they were getting freedom, a democracy and now they're getting Sharia Law??? What a kick in the a*s.

    ...

    Great!!!! So.... exactly how did we help these people by helping to get rid of Gadhafi??? Sounds like one of those "out of the frying pan, into the fire" situations; we should just keep our noses out of other countries' business unless there is a direct threat to our national security!

    ...

    From dictatorship - to Sharia law...One step forward 3 steps backwards... a different form of tyranny. We spent 2 billion for this?

    ....

    From the frying pan into the fire! Sharia law is no form of liberation. It is Fascism in it's purest form. also it's crueslest form. Beheadings, maimings, stonings, all in the name of Allah

    ...

    I never thought I would ever say this. Those poor Libyans no longer have Ghaddafi between them and radical islam. If Obama worked as hard at creating US jobs as he did creating a homeland for al-Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood in north Africa we'd have 0% unemployment.
    Laissez les bon temps rouler! Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?

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