Kadafi Duck and our daffy war on terror.

Today the WaPo reports:

"The United States will restore full diplomatic relations with Libya, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said today, ending more than a quarter of century when the African nation was considered one of this country's worst enemies...The statement released this morning said the United States would open an embassy in Tripoli soon and take Libya off its list of state sponsors of terror."

Condi Rice said, "We are taking these actions in recognition of Libya's continued commitment to its renunciation of terrorism and the excellent cooperation Libya has provided to the United States and other members of the international community in response to common global threats faced by the civilized world since September 11, 2001."

So let me get this straight, we went to war with Iraq to overthrow Saddam because he was such a bad guy that we just could not allow him to stay in power one minute longer: American lives were at stake. Not that he actually ever killed any Americans, but he might have at some point in the future (with his romote control planes and nonexistant anthrax.)

Now Moamar Kadafi on the other hand, killed 259 Americans and 11 British citizens on December 21 1988 by blowing up Pan An Flight 103 over Lockerbee Scotland. Years later he paid $2.7 billion to the families of those he killed and that makes everthing alright. If Saddam would have just coughed up some cashy money, I guess, he'd still be killing Shiites and writing novels.

This is just unbelievable: It's one thing to make kissy faces with Vlad "the impaler" Putin or maybe Ilham Aliyev to make some oil deals, but Moammar Kadafi????

Not only did this guy kill 259 Americans and finance and support the likes of Charles Taylor in his raping and murdering rampages in Sierra Leone and Liberia, but as recently as a few years ago, according to a 2003 LA Times article, Kadafi "offered aid to the families of Al Qaeda militants arrested in Pakistan. In May 2002, Kadafi paid for the transport of six wives and 14 children of militants from Pakistan to Libya."

As the negotiations were going on between the US and Kadafi to give up his WMD he was plotting to assassinate then Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia! [By the way, Grover Norquist's good buddy Abdurahman Alamoudi was involved in the plot]

As an added bonus, the LA Times reported in September of last year that:

"Kadafi's point man for dealing with Washington is his head of foreign intelligence, who is banned from entering the U.S. because of his suspected involvement in terrorist acts, including the Lockerbie bombing. He also is suspected of taking part in a plot to kill Saudi Arabia's ruler."

And even worse:

"In turn, the U.S. has handed over to Tripoli some anti-Kadafi Libyans captured in its campaign against terrorism. And Kadafi's agents have been allowed into the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba to interrogate Libyans being held there."

So all this guy has to do is open up his oil-wells to Exxon/Mobil and say 'I'm really sorry about killing all those people, so here's some money' and the next thing you know, his henchmen are interviewing Gitmo detainees and he's coming to the White House for a state dinner!

That's Realpolitik for you!