Back In The Day Qadhafi was Bush’s BFF
by digby
Joshua Holland did some digging for this so I didn’t have to. Before everyone gets too sucked into the nonsense already percolating on the right that Obama is somehow responsible for the carnage in Libya, they need to remember this little bit of Bushian braggadocio:
Because of American leadership and resolve, the world is changing for the better. Last month, the leader of Libya voluntarily pledged to disclose and dismantle all of his regime’s weapons of mass destruction programs, including a uranium enrichment project for nuclear weapons. Colonel Qadhafi correctly judged that his country would be better off, and far more secure, without weapons of mass murder. Nine months of intense negotiations involving the United States and Great Britain succeeded with Libya, while 12 years of diplomacy with Iraq did not. And one reason is clear: For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible — and no one can now doubt the word of America.
That was the 2004 State of the Union address. Libya was welcomed into the world of civilized nations and Qadhafi was treated as a conquering hero. Everyone was so proud of what had been accomplished through deft diplomacy backed by threats of annihilation. Huzzah for the Bush doctrine.
Nobody seemed to care much about this:
According to the US Department of State’s annual human rights report for 2007, Libya’s authoritarian regime continued to have a poor record in the area of human rights.[60] Some of the numerous and serious abuses on the part of the government include poor prison conditions, arbitrary arrest and prisoners held incommunicado, and political prisoners held for many years without charge or trial. The judiciary is controlled by the government, and there is no right to a fair public trial. Libyans do not have the right to change their government. Freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, and religion are restricted. Independent human rights organizations are prohibited. Ethnic and tribal minorities suffer discrimination, and the state continues to restrict the labor rights of foreign jobs. In 2005 Freedom House rated both political rights and civil liberties in Libya as “7” (1 representing the most free and 7 the least free rating), and gave it the freedom rating of “Not Free”.[61]
But then this wasn’t really about terrorism or human rights anyway:
The removal from the terrorism list is expected to take place after a 45-day waiting period.However, Libya will immediately be removed from an annual list of countries that do not cooperate with U.S. anti-terrorism efforts, according to Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch.The move is likely to have a major impact on oil markets and could even bring down fuel prices, CNN’s David Ensor reports.Oil companies have been lobbying Congress to do business in Libya, but Welch denied that the United States decided to restore ties to ease the rising cost of gasoline prices.
So, taking Libya off the terrorist list was useful for oil companies? Very convenient. How’s that going to work out now, I wonder?
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