Welcome back, Moammar
After nearly thirty years of exile, I’m happy to welcome Moammar Gadhafi and the nation of Libya back to the international community. According to this article on CNN.com, the United States is restoring normal diplomatic relations and will establish an embassy in Tripoli in the near future. So why am I so happy about this?
Why wouldn’t I be happy about it? Isn’t this the ultimate goal of our foreign policy? A country once accused of sponsoring terrorism and stockpiling WMD’s has renounced its evil ways and rejoined the community of nations. Wouldn’t it be great if North Korea did this?
I’m sure many people will always feel a special sense of loathing for Gadhafi himself considering his past thoughts and actions. That is to be expected actually and I don’t think any apologies are needed if you feel that way. However, now is a time to look forward. Gadhafi won’t be around forever, but the changes that he has set in motion will have far-reaching positive effects long into the future. American and Libyan kids aren’t aware of any need to hate each other, nor should they be.
On a personal note, I’ve been wanting to travel to Libya for quite a while. It’s a place that’s always fascinated me and now it will be that much easier to actually get there. Maybe I’ll say hi to Gadhafi himself. I bet you didn’t know there are only two degrees of separation between Moammar and me. When I lived in Malawi, I was friends with Lucius Banda. He’s a very popular musician and local celebrity who traveled to Libya with Malawi’s president at the time, Bakili Muluzi, and performed for Gadhafi. Small world, isn’t it?
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