Saturday, November 22, 2008

Carlyle Group's Next Stop, Libya?


The Jamahiriya News Agency published a curious report on thawing U.S.-Libya relations. They cite a missive from President Bush to Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gadhafi, the son of Libya's notorious leader. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley delivered the message, alongside David Welch, Assistant Secretary of State.

The article highlighted a Tuesday evening dinner in honor of Muammar's son. The Carlyle Group hosted the event at the Washington Club. The Libyan reporter butchered the names of influential Reagan officials, but one could deduce James A. Baker, III and Frank Carlucci attended, in addition to the State Department's David Welch.

Saif met with thirty one Senate and House members during his trip. The story ended with:

Former and present US officials welcomed the visit of Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gadhafi and expressed a keen interest in developing American-Libyan relations.

JANA learned US officials informed Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gadhafi of the desire of the American side to sign a package of cooperation agreements with Great Jamahiriya in the areas covering prevention of double taxation, ensuring and promoting investment, trade exchange and cultural cooperation.

They also expressed desire to operate direct flights between US and Great Jamahiriya. JANA also learned that meetings of Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gadhafi with US officials in Washington stressed on the need to facilitate granting entry visa and residency to Libyan students and nationals and easing travel within US airports.

U.S. Corporacrats and their sponsors work to open up Libya to American investment. History shows it will be on their terms. Was that part of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's message in their Thursday visit? Or did President Bush relay it in his phone call to the elder Gadhafi last Monday?

Update 3-7-11:  HuffPo reported David Welch left his State Department post in 2009 to take a job with Bechtel, the construction giant which later opened its first office in Libya since the 1960s and helped build a massive power plant east of Tripoli, Libya's capital city. Welch, who is the president of Bechtel's Europe, Africa, East and Southwest Asia region, did not return a request for comment. Yet another glimpse of the Government Corporate Monstrosity (GCM), Eisenhower's MIC on steroids....