Qadhafi's Thuggish Tactics
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Despite the propaganda words of oil-hungry Western leaders that Qadhafi was reformed, the Libyan tyrant remains the same thuggish person prone to acts of terrorism as he's always been.
There is no explaining Qadhafi. An eccentric who combines Arab Bedouin culture with socialist doctrine in his "Green Book," a man who prefers to travel and meet foreign leaders in tents and who maintains a battalion of sexy female presidential guards. If Qadhafi was just odd, he would provide the world with harmless fun. Of course, Libyans would still suffer under him but at least the rest of the world would be spared his asinine behavior. But Qadhafi is not harmless. A former financier of international terrorism, though he had parted with blatant forms of terrorism he still employs an almost equally vulgar, albeit nonviolent, brand of state terrorism and uses his vast oil reserves to intimidate resources deprived Western nations.
The recent release of Libyan intelligence official and terrorist Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi - the only man ever convicted for the Pan Am bombing that killed 270 people - had to do in no small measure with the concern for the lives of Westerners in Libya. Libyan officials had made it clear in veiled language that of al-Megrahi died in Scottish prison, there would be consequences for Western diplomats and oil and gas workers working in the country.
“Word went out that there could be reprisals . . . . We were told not to go into the centre of Tripoli. Everybody went ‘eek!’. It’s so unpredictable here. You don’t know what’s going to happen. It could be something or it could be nothing," a Western oil and gas employee was quoted in the Times of London.
Such are the thuggish tactics of Qadhafi. Going on a random reprisal against innocent people solely because they share geographic-origin with the judge whom had the temerity to sentence al-Magrahi for terrorism.
Westerns in Libya had an example to fear. In July 2008, Swiss police arrested and held for two nights Qadhafi's Neer-do-Well son Hannibal and his pregnant wife Aline after they couple abused their two servants, servants whom are hotel staff not servants brought from Libya, in a Geneva hotel. After posting bail, the couple fly back to Libya where Qadhafi then took revenge on Switzerland.
$5 billion were withdrawn from Swiss banks, flights from Switzerland were ceases, trade sanctions imposed and crude exports that provide half of Switzerland's oil imports were cut off. Such tactics, although reflective of a Kangaroo-style government, are not entirely beyond the pale. The self-entitlement predictable in a son of Qadhafi is grotesque, but if Libya feels that its ruling family was dishonored, it may stop trading with anyone. By doing so it does not harm anyone in any unwarranted way. No nation should be forced to trade and maintain relations with another.
But what was uncalled for was what also happened. Two days after the arrival of Hannibal and Aline, a director of the Swiss engineering company ABB. Max Goeldi, was arrested in his along along with Swiss citizen Rachid Hamdani on the dubious grounds of breach of immigration law. After ten days, they were released from policy custody though prohibited from leaving Libya. Swiss media properly identified them as prisoners of state and the director claimed sanctuary in the Swiss embassy. Mr. Goeldi has been under, in essence, house arrest in the Swiss embassy where the Swiss staff consists on one sole diplomat (the new ambassador was denied a visa). Food is delivered to the embassy which Mr. Goeldi is to fearful to leave.
This is character of Qadhafi. A dangerous and unpredictable thug who goes on random attacks against innocent people all for sharing a common trait with someone whom offended Qadhafi. Qadhafi's tactics did not lead to a Swiss condemnation, but a capitulation to Libya. While the media was focused on the return al-Megrahi, last Thursday Swiss President Merz flew to Libyan capital Tripoli to formerly deliver an "official and public apology for the unjustified and unnecessary arrests." He added that an investigation into the arrest will be set up. This was predictable. Qadhadi intimidates Western nations with his vast oil and gas reserves and the Swiss had a lot to lose by withholding an apology. And while the abused servants have withdrawn their complaint after a financial settlement, the Qadhafi couple have filed a civil lawsuit in Geneva court against Geneva authorities.
Thursday, as al-Megrahi was returning from Scotland, President Merz of Switzerland flew to Tripoli and delivered an “official and public apology for the unjustified and unnecessary arrests”. He promised to have Hannibal Gaddafi’s arrest investigated by an arbitration panel. Libya promised to restore normal relations. Mr Goeldi and Mr Hamdani should soon be on their way home.
And now Qadhafi used veiled threats against other Westerns in Libya to secure the release of a terrorist. Remind me: how is Qadhafi reformed?
