NPR : News

Filed Under:

In Gadhafi's Compound: A Condoleezza Rice Photo Album

Guns. Cars. Artwork. Statues.

And an album full of photos of former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Odd as that may sound, what appears to be something of a keepsake about Rice — who Moammar Gadhafi once referred to as "my darling black African woman" and of whom he said, "I love her very much" — was found by opposition fighters as they searched and ransacked the Libyan leader's compound in Tripoli.

MSNBC has posted a gallery of photos from the album. They appear to be official photos taken at various public events where Rice appeared.

As Politico adds:

"Rice and Qadhafi are no strangers — the two shared an intimate, late-night dinner together three years ago, as Qadhafi broke the Ramadan fast. 'The strong scent of incense hung heavy in the air,' wrote The Washington Post in September 2008. 'His [Qadhafi's] face lit up when he saw Rice ... Gaddafi simply placed his right hand over his chest, a traditional and respectful welcome.'

"At the time of their 2008 meeting, Rice was the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Libya since then-Vice President Richard Nixon visited in 1957."

Update at 3:25 p.m. ET. State Department comment:

At the State Department today, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland was asked by a reporter about the "bizarre and somewhat creepy scrapbook" found in Gadhafi's compound.

Nuland said she had not heard about it, then added that "I don't need to see the photos, but bizarre and creepy are good adjectives to describe much of Gadhafi's behavior."

Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

NPR

China Builds Museums ... But Will The Visitors Come?

China is on a spree to build world-class museums and has opened about 100 of them annually in recent years. Two of the biggest opened on the same day last fall on opposite banks of Shanghai's Huangpu River. But filling these museums — with both art and visitors — is proving more challenging.
NPR

Nutrition Group Says Chocolate Milk Is OK, No Need For Aspartame

The nation's largest group of nutritionists is urging the FDA to reject the dairy industry's petition to change the definition of milk. The petition aims to allow aspartame or other alternatives to be used to sweeten milk in an effort to boost consumption in schools.
NPR

IRS Official In Charge Of Nonprofits Declines To Testify

Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division dealing with nonprofits seeking tax-exempt status, will not testify on Wednesday despite a congressional subpoena, her attorney says. She is accused of closely scrutinizing conservative groups that sought tax-exempt status.
NPR

Microsoft Reveals New Xbox One Game System

Microsoft unveiled its new Xbox One Tuesday, displaying a device that takes new steps in game consoles' journey into becoming all-purpose entertainment and communication devices. The new console replaces the Xbox 360, which has been on the market for more than seven years.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.