In an exclusive interview in Tripoli last week, Libyan strongman Muammar Qaddafi revealed that Libya is now providing intelligence to the United States about Al Qaeda. Indeed, U.S. officials concede that the former master of terror appears to have gotten out of the terrorism business.
That's something I noticed in the immediate wake of 9-11. For all the "daffy" in "Qadaffy," Muammar's been a creature of fashion since taking power. He was a "revolutionary" when being a revolutionary was fashionable. When Mao had his Little Red Book, Muammar produced a Little Green Book. When it was fashionable to be an international terorist â not only the PLA, but also the Red Brigades, Carlos the Jackal, all that sort of spy novel stuff â he was an International Teror Master. Getting bombed is what threw him out of that business, and since then he's been concentrating on being a large frog in the African pond, culminating in his recent dumping of the Arab League.
KADDAFI MADE IT CLEAR in the interview that he would like to see U.N. sanctions lifted. But sanctions will remain unless Libya accepts responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. In spite of his recent cooperation with the United States against Al Qaeda, Kaddafi denounced the American plan to overthrow Saddam Hussein. But President George W. Bushâs tough policy on Iraq has had an effect here. One of Kaddafiâs senior officials recently asked a British diplomat, âWill they come after us?â
"I mean, we ain't a hotbed of terrorism no more. We're Africans now..."
And the meat of the interview: You must know Saddam?
I know him well.
Is he rational?
I donât think so. If Muammar doesn't think you're rational, you're probably not rational... Will he stay and wait to be killed by American weapons?
Even if he is not rational or wise, he does not constitute a threat. Ummm... That wasn't the question. But President Bush thinks he does.
We donât know who poses a greater threatâthe American president or Saddam Hussein. I have never been in agreement with Saddam. But he doesnât deserve this. If he did "deserve this" then Muammar might deserve it, too. That would be a Bad Thing. |