Comments on: Ex-Congressman in Libya to 'Help' Once Proposed Arming Gadhafi

By: Keith

Keith — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

But he’s a Republican so not only is this patriotic, but the natural and beneficent result of the Free Market in action.

Meanwhile, Obama once over-tipped his waiter at a Lybian restaurant, the traitor.

By: jjsaul

jjsaul — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

How about Cheney? He could call in a favor or two… after all, it was under him that in Halliburton was fined for selling Libya detonation triggers suitable for nuclear application in 1991.

By: PaulR

PaulR — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This sounds like one of the subplots in Peer Gynt.

By: Fang Xianfu

Fang Xianfu — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m not sure what the controversy is here. If the objective is to talk Gadaffi down off the ledge, a familiar face is a great way to do that. Of course selling arms to him is a bad idea in hindsight, but it’s no worse than any other arms sale in Africa or the Middle East. The deal didn’t happen, but it did put this diplomat in a position to try and help out.

An equally outrageous headline might be “Former Repblican congressman is well-known and liked by Gadaffi, but refuses to help because of fears about his political image”. So it’s the fact that he was known to Gadaffi before that’s the issue, not that he’s there now. And that’s a completely different discussion.

By: bmcraec

bmcraec — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Gotta love the comments in the Wired article; Oops, we know he’s a psychopath, but he’s OUR psychopath. As long as the weapons we sell him don’t get used against our boys (and girls) then it’s a profitable dealâ€¦

Is anyone else feeling sick to their stomaches of all the seasoned, pragmatic REAL-POLITIK being practiced? Sure would be nice if someone insisted on a Litmus test for senior policy-makers in any position: if you can’t see your loved ones on the receiving end of your deal, then don’t make the deal. Oh, what a naive fool I am, I know.

Nobody ever made a profit thinking like that. Not even Warren Buffettâ€¦

By: k7aay

k7aay — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Duke, paging Duke…

By: Nadreck

Nadreck — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Get this man George Galloway’s lawyer!

By: teapot

teapot — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I hope that political settlement comes in the form of an explosive briefcase because that is all Gaddafi and his scumbag family deserve.

By: urpBurp

urpBurp — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

So we don’t want to try and talk things out with dictators anymore? Now we are for bombs and violence as the solution? Did President Obama try to diplomatically talk this out? (That isn’t an attack, I really don’t know and would like some references.)

All I saw is Obama unilaterally calling in air-strikes and putting CIA on the ground in Libya. Innocent civilians have been killed by American bombs and guns and the only thing you can say is some sarcastic comment about “over-tipped his waiter at a Lybian restaurant”?

No, we shouldn’t be selling Gaddafi any weapons. Of course that’s moronic at this point. And if the ex-congressman does, then he should be held accountable. But anyone who could help at all in the situation should be welcome. Or are we so politically one-sided that we would let this atrocity continue because those evil people on the opposite side of the isle eat their toast butter-side-down?

By: Umbriel

Umbriel — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I think it makes some sense to make someone like him the contact person, so long as he doesn’t get much actual say in our policy.