Right after 9/11, Libyan and Sudanese leaders feared US retaliation

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Qadhafi — who was behind the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing that killed 270, as well as the 1986 bombing of a Berlin disco that killed three — was "hysterical" with fear that he'd be targeted by the U.S. for vengeance after the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, according to a newly declassified Sept. 20, 2001, cable from the U.S. Embassy in Egypt.

Concerned that the U.S. would attack Libya again (U.S. air strikes reportedly just missed Qadhafi in his tent, in a retaliatory attack after the Berlin bombing), Qadhafi began to "call every Arab leader on his Rolodex" to lobby for an Arab summit, the cable says. U.S. diplomats had learned, from sources whose identity appears to be blacked out, that "Qadhafi was concerned that he had no direct communications with the [u.S. government] other than through his speeches," according to the cable. U.S. embassy officials were told "that Qadhafi had sounded hysterical in his telephone call to [Jordan's] King Abdullah, as if only the King's personal intervention would prevent U.S. action."

[...]

Qadhafi was not alone in his fears, according to the cable, which was provided to TIME by Judicial Watch, an investigative watchdog group. Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, the president of Sudan, Osama bin Laden's onetime refuge, also implored other Arab leaders to vouch for his lack of involvement in 9/11 and hold an Arab summit. The idea, apparently, was to try to show solidarity with the U.S. and other U.S.-friendly Arab regimes. "The Sudanese and Libyans sounded very afraid to their Egyptian and other interlocutors," the cable says. The Sudanese ambassador "had a quivering voice" in a call to the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs, the cable says, and Sudanese president Bashir's message to Mubarak "was more an urgent plea for help than a reasoned discussion.... The Sudanese still seemed to believe themselves a likely target."

[...]

Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, says the cable he unearthed also reveals the Libyan and Sudanese leaders were aware that 9/11 made it likely they would be called to account for "their past record." And it took the threat of retaliation after the attacks on the U.S. homeland to get their attention. "I think the documents indicate that that's what speaks to them — force. Force and serious threats of force," Fitton says.

Sudanese and Libyan diplomats in Washington did not return phone calls for comment.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,...1179975,00.html

Primary Source: http://www.time.com/time/qadhafi/statedocqadhafisudan911.pdf

[almaty 19]

a bunch of chopf##ks there...both were fearful of getting their azzes blown-up..i think they made a wise decision to call their comrades to vouch for them...

[Saddle Bronc 124]

a bunch of chopf##ks there...both were fearful of getting their azzes blown-up..i think they made a wise decision to call their comrades to vouch for them...

[Mirorgate 0]

Let's see... military dictatorship regimes... force.. understand of force and its consequences.. fear the bigger force. yep makes sense! and they had to get a think tank write up to see that?

I live in the wrong era. To many people depending on others to tell them what to think and how to get that answer.

[Jasman0717 9]

I guess Qadhafi didn't draw the 'line of death' this time

[almaty 19]

I guess Qadhafi didn't draw the 'line of death' this time

the only line he drew was the line of sh!t in his trousers

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I guess Qadhafi didn't draw the 'line of death' this time

Considering he narrowly missed being PUSHED ACROSS IT (one he had drawn to boot) once...

Still, when will that chopf#ck step down--37 years is WAY TOO LONG for an absolute ruler to be in power.