Ex-Congressman in Libya to ‘Help’ Once Proposed Arming Gadhafi

Ex-Congressman in Libya to ‘Help’ Once Proposed Arming Gadhafi

The Independent News Alternative Real News

During the last decade, former Congressman Curt Weldon traveled repeatedly to Libya, becoming so close with the Gadhafi regime that the firm Weldon worked for even floated the idea of selling arms to Tripoli.

So now that Gadhafi is under assault from NATO airstrikes and rebel ground troops, it should come as no surprise that Weldon is back in Libya, “to try to help negotiate a political settlement with Gadhafi and family,” according to CNN.

And while Weldon’s there, the controversial former vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee is looking to do a little image re-polishing for himself.

It wasn’t long ago — April, 2008, to be exact — that Weldon was boasting in a report that he had become the “1st non-Libyan Board Member of the Ghadaffi Foundation [sic].” During a trip to Tripoli the month before, the self-proclaimed “friend of Libya” carried “a personal letter from Libyan Chamber [of Commerce] President to US Chamber President.” Weldon also visited with with the country’s “Nuclear Ministry Leadership and agreed to reinforce US nuclear cooperation/collaboration.”

Finally, Weldon agreed “to quickly return to Libya for meetings with [Moammar Gadhafi's] son Morti regarding defense and security cooperation.”

Two weeks later, Defense Solutions — a company which, at the time, counted Weldon as a key executive and adviser — drew up a proposal to refurbish the country’s fleet of armored vehicles, including its T-72 tanks, BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, and BTR-60 armored personnel carriers.

“Besides refurbishing these vehicles, we are capable of providing a full logistics support package, including a two year supply of spare parts, maintenance and repair services, and operator, maintenance, and repair training,” the letter states.

(As Danger Room’s Sharon Weinberger reported at the time, the deal was never carried out. Defense Solutions CEO Timothy Ringgold denied sending the proposal, and claimed his signature on it was a forgery.)

Weldon doesn’t mention any of these interactions, in an op-ed in today’s New York Times. Nor does Weldon — – whose congressional career was marred by repeated criminal probes — disclose that many of his earlier visits to Libya were paid for by the Gadhafi Foundation. Instead, he complains that “Washington has squandered many opportunities” to “hel[p] the Libyans build a new government.”

But not all hope is lost, Weldon adds. “First, we must engage face-to-face with Colonel Qaddafi and persuade him to leave, as my delegation hopes to do. I’ve met him enough times to know that it will be very hard to simply bomb him into submission.”

Of course, it would’ve been considerably harder to do so, had Gadhafi received the military help Weldon’s associates had once proposed.

Source: Wired

WEAPONS