Camping With Gaddafi?
The United Nations General Assembly is being held in New York, and world leaders are taking up residence in hotels across Manhattan – except for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who is pitching a tent. That’s right. On his first-ever visit to the United States, Gaddafi is pitching a tent. Or at least he’s trying to.
You see, when 67-year-old Gaddafi travels the world, he prefers to set up camp in a sprawling Bedouin tent.1 Gaddafi apparently does this for three principal reasons. First, he prefers to receive visitors in the traditional Libyan setting. Second, Gaddafi despises elevators. (Who doesn’t?) And third, the Libyan needs ample space for his vast all-female security team. Sound strange? Well, it gets even more bizarre.
For much of his 40 years as Libyan leader, Gaddafi has been accused of state-sponsored terror, and not surprisingly, Gaddafi’s mere presence in the United States has been met with protest.2 But a tent in your backyard? That brings the hostility to another level altogether. Gaddafi’s handlers are well aware of this and have employed various intermediaries in an attempt to disguise the Libyan leader’s campground. Apparently, Donald Trump fell for it and leased his 113-acre estate in upscale Bedford, New Jersey to Gaddafi’s people. Gaddafi’s tent was raised, and Bedford officials quickly ordered a shutdown of the desert oasis. The Secret Service overrode the order, however, and instructed local and state law enforcement officials to protect Gaddafi. But then Trump stepped up and evicted his tenant. (No word on whether Trump dramatically eyed the camera and declared “Gaddafi, you’re evicted!”)
So for now, Gaddafi is homeless and we can only imagine the eccentric leader camping out with The Donald, The Donald’s many apprentices and Gaddafi’s army of female security personnel. One can only wonder if there would have been Godiva chocolate smores . . .
Have fun discussing this wild Dinner Topic!
Read on:
Wikipedia – Muammar al-Gaddafi
UN.org – General Debate of the 64th Session
(Image taken from http://abcnews.go.com/International/Politics/gaddafis-tent-blocked-stop-work-order/Story?id=8649084&page=1)
- What’s a Bedouin tent, you say? In short, it’s a lavish Arabian desert tent. ↩
- Opposition is even more intense following the hero’s welcome Gaddafi staged for recently released Lockerbie bomber, al-Megrahi. (See Dinner Topics post http://www.dinnertopics.com/geography/lockerbie-controversy/.) ↩
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