# How can Bush not take Gaddaffi out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 16, 2003, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560 "2003-08-16T08:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/21 "2003-08-16T17:31:44Z")
Actually, I don’t think Libya has just ‘calmed down’, I think it is actively helping the U.S. in a number of ways. I suspect there is a lot of back-room negotiation going on with old Moammar. This public admitting of responsibility and payment to the families of Pan-Am 103 was probably just the _public_ step that Quadaffi had to take to keep himself in the good books. BTW, don’t worry about the zillion different spellings of his name. It’s a transliteration thing. They’re all correct. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/22 "2003-08-16T17:59:15Z")
There was already a link to Cecil’s column on the spelling matter - scroll up. Now, how do you truly differentiate “calming down” and “engaging in back-room negotiating”, in their effects? If Gadhafi is no longer engaging in terrorism, his motives for doing that are certainly of interest, and so are the deals he’s been offered if that’s what’s happening. You’re still begging the question of why the situations are being treated differently - a regime with a real anti-US terrorism history getting a deal, while one without one getting invaded. Got any ideas to offer there, sport? ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/23 "2003-08-16T18:09:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by syncrolecyne \* > **I am not being a war monger, really…its just if I am to understand the Bush Doctrine, Gaddaffi’s open admission of involvemnt in Pan Am 103 should be the signal for us to be in Tripoli by the end of the year.** I think operation El Dorado Canyon was the appropriate military response at that time, as much as I would love to see wackykadaffy getting another PGM enema ,Iran should be the next of the Islamic states to have the American flag raised. Personally I can think of 444 reasons why Iran gets it over libya. But thats my opinion. People should realize that Americans have long memories , long memories. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/24 "2003-08-16T18:50:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElvisL1ves \* > You’re still begging the question of why the situations are being treated differently - a regime with a real anti-US terrorism history getting a deal, while one without one getting invaded. Got any ideas to offer there, sport? Iraq was offered a deal - get rid of WMD’s and prove it to the Weapons inspectors and not get invaded. Only problem being it seems they didn’t have any to get rid of. Then they were offered another deal - Saddam and his sons to leave Iraq and no action would be taken, the Ba’ath Party would be allowed to stay in power. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/25 "2003-08-16T19:07:52Z")
Right you are, **Avenger**. Note that they were not actually allowed to take up the first of those offers, though. Note the second of those offers in light of the statements that the war was fought for the purpose of removing the regime and providing democracy etc. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/26 "2003-08-16T19:11:00Z")
It may also be worth considering that the killing of Gadhafi’s daughter, albeit in a raid that had actually targeted him, might constitute a sufficient blood price for the bombings in his mind, if not necessarily in ours. That may have been the “deal”, in effect. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/27 "2003-08-16T22:27:43Z")
Qaddafi’s daughter was killed in 1986 after the West German bombing that killed three American servicemen. ANd this is crazy, there is stronger evidence that Libya took down a French airliner that same year…Qadhafi’s own half brother’s fingerprints are on that one. Is there a country Moammar hasn’t killed a lot of citizens from? But Nelson Mandela is his buddy so he must be alright. By the way I am sure the French bombing was a repayment for France’s principled refusal in 1986 to allow the American jets from l’Albion perfide to fly over, requiring a more complex route. No good deed goes unrewarded with Qadhafi! By the way he hasn’t just been twiddling his thumbs for the last ten years, he is probably Robert Mugabe’s principal backer. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/292565.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/292565.stm) > **[Report: An Armed Group Is Stopping Migrants From Leaving Libya](https://time.com/4910469/libya-armed-group-migrants/)** > > Migrant arrivals to Italy have dropped by more than 50% in July compared to a year ago [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1437460.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1437460.stm) ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/28 "2003-08-17T00:00:22Z")
The simple truth is that the Bush Doctrine differs between what Bush says it is and what it really is. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/29 "2003-08-17T00:02:56Z")
Well, don’t we have an executive order forbidding assassinations of foreign leaders? At least, without justification. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/30 "2003-08-17T00:09:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*Well, don’t we have an executive order forbidding assassinations of foreign leaders? At least, without justification. \*\* No, theres an a clause in there allowing it if its a leader of a country that has something we want, or if Haliburton came make a buck off of it, or if the president needs to boost approval ratings. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/31 "2003-08-17T01:40:15Z")
Umm… not to throw a wet blanket on the idea or anything, but the Army’s kind of busy nowadays. That victory over in Iraq is tying down an awful lot of troops for some reason. Odd, since it was supposed to be a quick win and then most of the troops are pretty much out of there, right? [73% of the US active duty Army brigades overseas](http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2003/07/mil-030723-dod03.htm) > [@](#): > > This is what it means to us down at unit level: 24 of the 33 active component brigade combat teams are deployed overseas during fiscal year '03, or 73 percent. Of our National Guard enhanced battalions, 15 of the 45, or 33 percent of them deployed overseas in '03. ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/32 "2003-08-17T14:23:19Z")
Now that I think of it… I have oil at some remote place in my backyard… Mmmm… Do you think that is enough for me to ask Mr. Bush to send the bombs? Now that I think further on it: The place could actually use some reconstruction. I think I’m going to ask to do it for me for free. US soldiers can get showers (which they didn’t have while marching on Bagdad) and toys and pornvideo’s … whatever they might want. Go-pils are also no problem. I can have that made coming from my hidden illegal drug plantations. Oh… almost forgot: That’s an other reason to ask US bombing. I think I’m standing an extremely good chance for the Bushy clan to come and mingle in my affairs. Now callling garden architects to compete in a contest for pre-emptive design of new gardens and other architects for the contest of pre-emptive design of new private places. Costs no problem. US government is going to pay for all of it like they do in Aghanistan… Where the hell is Afghanistan again?? . Must phone OBL to ask… Salaam.A.[ ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560/33 "2003-08-17T14:36:58Z")
While we’re talking about his connections to terror let’s not forget that he was a major supplier to the IRA. Lots of British died from the arms he suppied. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-bush-not-take-gaddaffi-out/195560.md?page=1)