| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Africa: North | |
| Landmark U.S. Delegation Visits Libya | |
| 2004-01-25 | |
| U.S. congressmen flew into Tripoli on Sunday aboard a U.S. Navy plane they said was the first plane flying an American flag to land in Tripoli since Col. Muammar Gadhafi took power in 1969. In other news, an unidentified American man was seen at the officers club at former Wheelus air force base stocking gin and cleaning glasses. "Iâm here to reinforce the positive steps that have been taken by the leader of Libya," Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., said. Led by Weldon, the bipartisan delegation arrived as U.S. and British experts were preparing to start dismantling Libyaâs weapons programs with Gadhafiâs blessing. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., arrived in Tripoli earlier Saturday, but he wasnât on a U.S. military plane.
| |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #12 Well, I don't really have any way of judging whether we're more pessimistic on average than the rest of the Europeans, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's true, where political issues are concerned at least. Probably because of the fact that every major success Greece has had in the past century has been followed (or happened concurrently) with a major tragedy. The victory at WW1 and the Balkan wars, was followed by the Asia Minor catastrophe and the eviction of millions of Greeks from Smyrna -- the liberation at the end of WW2 was quickly followed by the greek civil war. The fall of the dictatorship at 1974 happened alongside the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus. |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-1-26 4:12:37 AM |
| #11 Aris, I recently read a story about Athens Olympics, believe it was in the NYT. One of the major themes in it was that Greeks may be the greatest pessimists in Europe. Is that a true characterisation? Been meaning to ask since I read this about two weeks ago. |
| Posted by: RMcLeod 2004-1-26 12:24:29 AM |
| #10 Aris, you should be happy. Have you read about the nuke black market? We needed that info and it wouldn't have come out except for Qaddafi. |
| Posted by: Anonymous2U 2004-1-25 10:54:42 PM |
| #9 Actually, we've had a couple instances here where Muammar's been making attempts to institute some sort of capitalism. He's seen that the Armed Struggle⢠route doesn't work - he's even worked out that he's been on the wrong side all this while. He's pointed out to his legislature (such as it is) that the oil money's all been pissed away and they've nothing to show for it. He's ordered his party cadres to institute capitalism as a form of revolutionary activity - kind of an off-the-wall approach, admittedly, but I'm assuming he doesn't know any better. He's also decided he's not an Arab, but an African, and lined up a dynastic marriage for his son with an Ugandan princess. He seems to have had something going with the princess' Mom, too, which may influence some of his thinking. I think we're looking at a guy who started out being a revolutionary and running a dictatorship, who wants out of the revolutionary business because revolutionary dictators' families don't end up succeeding them nowadays. (Whatever happened to Nasser's kids? What're Ben Bella's kids doing nowadays?) He has no idea how to actually be a capitalist, but he wants to try. He's probably got as much chance of actually making it work as I have of becoming an international financier. We both have about the same amount of knowledge of how to go about our intended career shifts. This isn't the end of the Libyan book, just the beginning of a new and interesting chapter. I actually wish the guy luck. |
| Posted by: Fred 2004-1-25 8:45:40 PM |
| #8 Qaddafi's shift in alliances doesn't have to have long-lasting positive effects on his nation or the area at large. In case you hadn't noticed, you're talking about Arab Muslim states. Completely immune to positive effects of any kind; they seem to be prohibited. What is positive is it's one less dictatored Islamic s***hole with the capacity to give crazy people who hate us nukes. That's all we have a right to expect. |
| Posted by: John Mendenhall 2004-1-25 7:51:16 PM |
| #7 That counts.... everyman for their own poison. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-1-25 3:25:22 PM |
| #6 I'm happy for the continuing existence of chocolate. Does that count? :-) |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-1-25 3:17:15 PM |
| #5 Aris please be happy for something. ;) |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-1-25 1:09:16 PM |
| #4 A dictator deciding to have good relations with America (though good for America itself) doesn't actually make him any less of a dictator, or any more of a bringer of "renaissance" to his people.... When we've heard things about Libya moving towards the path of democracy or of human rights, not just yielding to WMD-related demands, *then* I'll start thinking Gadhaffi's shift in alliances may actually have long-lasting positive effects to his nation or the area at large. |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-1-25 1:05:57 PM |
| #3 We probably left more WMD's there from our weapons training missions than the mad Colonel ever developed. But if we have a renunion there then the only way to fly is a SA-16 via the Azores. Who is make the date palm wine? |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2004-1-25 10:08:48 AM |
| #2 Câmon M Gad, just imagine yourself in the year 2020, looking back on your repentant history while reading the headlines: âGadhafi, father of the African renaissanceâ. |
| Posted by: Hyper 2004-1-25 9:05:48 AM |
| #1 Next year in Wheelus. Holiest site for Rantburgers? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-1-25 7:02:54 AM |