Honest, that's his name...
[Tripoli Post] The job diplomat to many would present a stereotype of someone driving around in a big chauffeur driven car, attending parties and receptions in some exotic location and earning a large salary. Never was this further from the truth as far as Libyan career diplomats are concerned.
For political appointees perhaps the above scenario is much closer to the truth along with fat cat bank accounts and golden parachutes.
Qadaffy... the like of whose wardrobe will never be seen again. At least that's what we hope...
had always had a bee in his bonnet believing his diplomats in the 1970s to be from the old elite and against his Green Book theory. This was probably true but these were a group of enterprising Libyans who had chosen not to join the then booming oil industry or the military and instead worked for Libya abroad and at home.
Their salary never came near to that earned by the oil company workers and on average was US$150 a month and abroad reflected the cost of living of the various countries. By enlarge they were liberal in their outlook and reflected a good picture of the Libyan population.
By the time 1979/80 arrived, the Student revolutionary bodies were in full swing and Qadaffy ever one to introduce his own system of government abolished embassies and replaced them with "People's Bureaus".