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View Full Version : Gaddafi's Last Days Seen as a Chance to Profit



Conley
11-18-2011, 09:40 AM
WASHINGTON — To a colorful group of Americans — the Washington terrorism expert, the veteran C.I.A. officer, the Republican operative, the Kansas City lawyer — the Libyan gambit last March looked like a rare business opportunity.

Even as NATO bombed Libya, the Americans offered to make Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi their client — and charge him a hefty consulting fee. Their price: a $10 million retainer before beginning negotiations with Colonel Qaddafi’s representatives.

Now the confidential documents describing the proposed deal have surfaced on the Internet, offering a glimpse of how some saw lucrative possibilities in the power struggle that would end Colonel Qaddafi’s erratic reign. A Facebook page called WikiLeaks Libya has made public scores of documents apparently found in Libyan government offices after the Qaddafi government fell.

The papers contained a shock for the Americans: a three-page letter addressed to Colonel Qaddafi on April 17 by another partner in the proposed deal, a Belgian named Dirk Borgers. Rather than suggesting a way out of power, Mr. Borgers offered the Libyan dictator the lobbying services of what he called the “American Action Group” to outmaneuver the rebels and win United States government support.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/world/africa/us-group-offered-to-aid-qaddafi-documents-show.html

Once you get up high enough, it's all about money. Money and nothing else...pretty shameless. I bet they were wishing those documents had been destroyed but I guess the good Colonel had other stuff on his mind at the time. :-\

Captain Obvious
11-18-2011, 07:47 PM
Why not?

What if these guys were retained and they were able to negotiate a peaceful settlement?

They'd be richer and more people might be alive.

Why would this be criticized?

Conley
11-18-2011, 08:08 PM
Well...the fact that these guys are in full spin mode suggests they're not too happy about this being found out.

They were trying to circumvent normal diplomatic channels and do business with someone who they were legally prohibited from working for. Lobbying in DC for Gaddafi while our soldiers and our allies' soldiers are putting their lives on the line isn't ok with me.

At some point you have to call people on it when they say, "it's only business", or "I'm just doing my job". Some jobs are more decent than others IMO.

Peter1469
11-19-2011, 08:57 AM
Looks like the last son has been captured. I wonder if he will make it to trial.

Mister D
11-19-2011, 11:07 AM
Looks like the last son has been captured. I wonder if he will make it to trial.


I thought he went abroad? Or you mean the last one holding out in Libya itself?

Conley
11-19-2011, 11:12 AM
Looks like the last son has been captured. I wonder if he will make it to trial.


I thought he went abroad? Or you mean the last one holding out in Libya itself?


Check my thread son.

O0