Rice Meets With Gadhafi In Historic Visit

Secretary Of State Is Highest-Ranking U.S. Official To Visit Libya In More Than 5 Decades

(CBS/ AP)  The United States and Libya sealed a historic turnaround after decades of terrorist killings, American retaliation, suspicions and insults with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's peacemaking visit Friday with Moammar Gadhafi, Libya's mercurial strongman.

"The relationship has been moving in a good direction for a number of years now and I think tonight does mark a new phase," Rice said following a traditional Muslim dinner — the evening meal that breaks the day's fast observed during the holy month of Ramadan — at Gadhafi's official Bab el-Azizia residence. It is the same compound hit by U.S. airstrikes in 1986 in retaliation for a deadly Libyan-linked terrorist attack in Germany. The attack killed Gadhafi's baby daughter.

"We did talk about learning from the lessons of the past," Rice said. "We talked about the importance of moving forward. The United States, I've said many times, doesn't have any permanent enemies."

Rice is the highest-ranking American official to visit Libya in a half-century. The United States considers Gadhafi rehabilitated since the days when President Reagan called him the "mad dog of the Middle East," because of the Libyan's surprise decision in 2003 to renounce terrorism and give up weapons of mass destruction. His government has also agreed to resolve legal claims from the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and other alleged terror attacks that bore Libyan fingerprints.

"Libya has changed, American has changed, the world has changed," Foreign Minister Abdel-Rahman Shalgam said following a meeting with Rice. "Forget the past."

Gadhafi welcomed Rice in a room redolent of incense. Wearing flowing white robes, his trademark fez and a green pin of Africa, Gadhafi bowed slightly and put his right hand over his heart in a traditional Arab greeting. The two did not shake hands, but Gadhafi did shake the hands of Rice's male aides.

They then exchanged pleasantries, with Rice offering Gadhafi greetings from President Bush and Gadhafi asking about the hurricanes that have hit or are headed to the U.S. mainland, before dozens of reporters, photographers and television cameramen were ushered out.

Their small talk belied almost 30 years of dismal U.S.-Libyan relations that hit their low point in the 1980s when Reagan ordered the retaliatory airstrike and Gadhafi swore revenge.

"We're off to a good start," Rice said later. "It is only a start, but I think, after many, many years, it's a very good thing that the United States and Libya are establishing a way forward."

Will Rice's landmark visit to Libya have implications elsewhere?

"Clearly the leaders in Pyongyang and Tehran have watched Tripoli and Washington close the gaps on their once significant differences," says CBS News State Department reporter Charles Wolfson. "It raises the question of whether similar trips to Pyongyang and Tehran would make outstanding problems easier to solve than they proved to be with Tripoli."

The United States withdrew its ambassador from Libya in 1972 after Gadhafi renounced agreements with the West and vilified the United States in speeches and public statements. Washington cut off diplomatic relations with Libya after a mob sacked and burned the American Embassy in 1979.

The notoriously secretive Gadhafi was to host Rice at but the venue remained mysterious and U.S. officials could say only that they expected it to be in a tent.

Gadhafi is known for often unpredictable behavior and has cultivated images as both an Arab potentate and African monarch since taking power in a 1969 coup. In a televised address to the nation this week he said he considers the United States neither a friend nor an enemy.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera television last year, Gadhafi spoke of Rice in most unusual terms, calling her "Leezza" and suggesting that she actually runs the Arab world with which he has had severe differences in the past.

"I support my darling black African woman," he said. "I admire and am very proud of the way she leans back and gives orders to the Arab leaders. ... Leezza, Leezza, Leezza. ... I love her very much. I admire her, and I'm proud of her, because she's a black woman of African origin."

Rice is the first secretary of state to visit Libya since John Foster Dulles in 1953 and the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit since then-Vice President Richard Nixon in 1957.

Libya has agreed to pay compensation to the families of victims of the 1988 Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, and those of a 1986 attack on a disco in Berlin. The disco attack killed two U.S. servicemen and drew Reagan's order to attack Libyan targets, including Gadhafi's residence.

Rice was spending only a few hours in Tripoli, an ancient city fronting the Mediterranean Sea and backing to the North African desert but took time to visit the offices that serve as the U.S. Embassy in Libya.

Plans to send a full-fledged ambassador and build a new embassy are hung up in Congress over concern that Libya has not fulfilled its promises to compensate terror victims.

Rice's visit comes amid a surge in interest from U.S. companies, particularly in the energy sector, to do business in Libya, where European companies have had much greater access in recent years. Libya's proven oil reserves are the ninth largest in the world, close to 39 billion barrels, and vast areas remain unexplored for new deposits.

Rice said she raised the case of a prominent Libyan dissident who remains detained, and said she discussed other human rights concerns "respectfully." Shalgam defended Libya's record.

[closethippy1]

Ghaddafi is getting ready to pass on the reins to his son. Weren''t the Bush people''s main concern to have democracy in the Middle East?
Saddam gave up WMDs and renounced terrorism but that wasn''t good enough for Bush and his ilk.
Ghaddafi is not only a dictator but he also invaded one of his neighbors, the country of Chad on the south of Lybia.
Ghaddafi is also known for sending hit squads to kill his opponents, even if they have to do it overseas!
Just like Saddam.
So what''s going on here? Is kissing US @ss more important than democracy all of a sudden?
I''ve always said the US doesn''t know what it''s doing overseas, and there''s nothing that shows this better than how it inconsistently applies its values and international law.
But anything can be rationalized and made to sound as if it makes sense and Americans swallow the party line whole.
Face it, the US simply doesn''t know what''s doing.
It doesn''t have a clue and when things explode in its face like the Russian invasion of Georgia or the events of 9/11, it starts running around like a chicken without a head.
And on it goes with its mindless ways.

[nextgenman]

Il tell those soldiers killed by a roadside bomb the other day in Baghdad that the surge was a success.

Sheesh. Screeching RINOs desperate to save face by denying failure.

[nextgenman]

The Bush Administration negotiates with a known terrorist.

[hacker2xy]

Iraq surge succeeded beyond wildest dreams Obama Don''t be fooled Americas first potential black president will be no different from George Bush Apart from declaring an Iranian nuclear weapon unacceptable, he has also said that in response he would never take military action off the table

[b0ludo]

Keep on beating up on Palin! It only shows she''s under your skin, with her great looks, great demeanor and decisiveness (compares nicely with Barack Hussein''s 130+ "present" votes. The fact that her speech blew your "golden" boy''s out of the water. The facts are that she is a woman who got elected in a state where the ratio of men to women is 7-1 and even with her lack of experience she has been to the Middle East about twice as much as Barack Hussein.

[downtowner97]

Reagan gave Gadhafi a son burn. In exchange, he ordered flight 103 blown up as Reagan left office. Then Reagan beat Gadhafi to death (think about it).

[deacon20081]

Rice Meets With Gadhafi .....interesting thing to note
They Look Alike!! She should Marry Him!

[mainedoggie]

Sarah Palin is a zero.

Pretty? Not really, kinda plain, and boring.
But she''s milking the miss dragon-queen (or whatever that repuke award was... back in the early 80s.... decades ago and stuff...)


Smart? Nope. Sorry, X-sports casters won''t get my vote for VP of the US. Degree in Journalism is just not enough in my book, sorry.


Interesting? Yes, she has a very good public appearance -- and that is to appear to tell the truth, on the contrary. She is a very good liar.

"Bridge to nowhere" ? Let''s talk.
This was your bridge Mrs. Palin... what happened? Hmmmm?

[mainedoggie]

============
Time for Condi to just come home, write a book or something, and hang up the political career. She''''s a good person, well educated and attractive, but it''''s time to move on. Of all the people in the Bush administration, she''''s the only one with a brain.

Posted by SistaTee
====================

Not really. Her legacy lies with that of the likes of Karl Rove and Donald Rumsfeld. Both of which are complete failures.

Rice has travelled all over the world for the last 8 years, and has accomplished nothing.

She is a complete failure. Don''t be fooled.

[mainedoggie]

Rice appeasing to the terrorist.
Once again, rethuglican double standard. What''s good for the GOP is anti-american for everyone else.. er.. is it the other way around... jeeezus.. I''m confused!

Rice, loves terrorists.

Kiss, Kiss, Hug, Hug XOXOXO

Luv ya babe.

[sistatee-2009]

Time for Condi to just come home, write a book or something, and hang up the political career. She''s a good person, well educated and attractive, but it''s time to move on. Of all the people in the Bush administration, she''s the only one with a brain.

[shoebox119]

If you really want to know Sarah Palin''s history (in detail) this is a "must read". It was written by Anne Kilkenny, another resident of Wasilla, Alaska.

Posted by DaShortRound
______


With all due respect to Ms. Kilhenny, are we to really expect a fair and objective commentary on Sarah Palin''s history from a fellow Wasilla resident who is also probably her friend?

[voidmaster-2009]

Moammar lookin'' old these days.

[shoebox119]

I love reading leftist bloggers--all you have is your hate for anything conservative-no solutions, just bitter, anti-American venom, you''''re like your comrades in the Kremlin, you need a "boogeyman" to justify your existence. "Deny a people their Heritage and they are more easily persuaded."-Karl Marx, 150 years ago. God BLESS America! (apologies to Obama''''s spiritual mentor the most Reverend Wright who would prefer that God *** America).

Posted by cbsfan55

__________


If what you say is true, your comments are a pretty *** good imitation of a Democrat''s: full of hate for one group and offering nothing of any substance on any one particular issue.

Nice work, Dem!

[cbsfan55]

I love reading leftist bloggers--all you have is your hate for anything conservative-no solutions, just bitter, anti-American venom, you''re like your comrades in the Kremlin, you need a "boogeyman" to justify your existence. "Deny a people their Heritage and they are more easily persuaded."-Karl Marx, 150 years ago.

[cbsfan55]

I love reading leftist bloggers--all you have is your hate for anything conservative-no solutions, just bitter, anti-American venom, you''re like your comrades in the Kremlin, you need a "boogeyman" to justify your existence. "Deny a people their Heritage and they are more easily persuaded."-Karl Marx, 150 years ago. God BLESS America! (apologies to Obama''s spiritual mentor the most Reverend Wright who would prefer that God *** America).

[cbsfan55]

I love reading leftist bloggers--all you have is your hate for anything conservative-no solutions, just bitter, anti-American venom, you''re like your comrades in the Kremlin, you need a "boogeyman" to justify your existence."Let''s bring change by destroying the decadent traditional American capitalist bourgeois and create a global workers paradise." "Deny a people their Heritage and they are more easily persuaded."-Karl Marx,150 years ago. God BLESS America! (apologies to Obama''s spiritual mentor the most Reverend Wright who would prefer that God *** America).

[cbsfan55]

I love reading leftist bloggers--all you have is your hate for anything conservative-no solutions, just bitter, anti-American venom, you''re like your comrades in the Kremlin, you need a "boogeyman" to justify your existence."let''s bring change by destroying the decadent traditional American capitalist bourgeois and create a global workers paradise." "Deny a people their Heritage and they are more easily persuaded."-Karl Marx,150 years ago...long before Obamacrats seized on the idea and it''s brought nothing but suffering into the world. God BLESS America! (apologies to Obama''s spiritual mentor the most Reverend Wright who would prefer that God *** America).

[cbsfan55]

I love reading leftist bloggers--all you have is your hate for anything conservative-no solutions, just bitter, anti-American venom, you''re like your comrades in the Kremlin, you need a "boogeyman" to justify your existence... "yes we can!" i.e."let''s bring change by destroying the decadent traditional American capitalist bourgeois and create a global workers paradise." "Deny a people their Heritage and they are more easily persuaded."-Karl Marx,150 years ago...long before Obama and his Obamacrats seized on the idea and it''s brought nothing but suffering into the world. God BLESS America! (apologies to Obama''s spiritual mentor the most Reverend Wright who would prefer that God *** America).

[cbsfan55]

LOL--I love reading leftist bloggers--all you have is your hate for anything conservative-no solutions, just bitter, anti-American venom, you''re like your comrades in the Kremlin, you need a "boogeyman" to justify your existence... "yes we can!" i.e."let''s bring change by destroying the decadent traditional American capitalist bourgeois and create a global workers paradise." "Deny a people their Heritage and they are more easily persuaded."-Karl Marx,150 years ago...long before Obama and his Obamacrats seized on the idea and it''s brought nothing but suffering into the world. God BLESS America! (apologies to Obama''s spiritual mentor the most Reverend Wright who would prefer that God *** America).