Posted on 09/27/2009 2:36:22 AM PDT by nickcarraway
St. John's mayor says Libyan leader's trip 'shrouded in mystery'
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi confirmed his reputation for mercurial behaviour and undoubtedly triggered waves of Canadian government relief by abruptly cancelling his stopover in Newfoundland.
The African strongman apparently made the decision after one media report said his bizarre request to stay at the lieutenant-governor's residence in St. John's was rebuffed. But officials haven't confirmed what the reason was.
Gadhafi's visit was to come on the heels of his blustering rant at the United Nations, with its allusions to "fish flu" and the Kennedy assassination, which unnerved many delegates.
The sudden change of plans left local officials scratching their heads over a trip that never made much sense in the first place.
"We've been told this afternoon that he's not coming now," said RCMP Sgt. Wayne Newell, who is based in Newfoundland.
"We weren't given a reason, just that he's not coming."
In St. John's, Mayor Dennis O'Keefe said he hadn't received word from any officials as to whether Gadhafi was coming, saying that he was relying on media reports.
"I never heard anything from foreign affairs up front or from the federal government initially -- absolutely not one word about his visit."
The mayor said he would have appreciated some kind of advance warning, considering Gadhafi's reputation.
"You're talking about an individual who controls a state that has financed and housed and promoted terrorism, and violations of human rights ... I would have thought that we would have been informed when anybody (like) this individual is going to be in our city and on our streets.
"The whole thing is just shrouded in mystery."
The Libyan Embassy in Ottawa did not return calls.
The federal government planned to send Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon to meet Gadhafi to express Canada's displeasure over a huge welcome-home celebration thrown for convicted Pan Am terrorist Abdel Baset al-Megrahi.
The man is crazy...
You were expecting maybe someone would argue with you?
He’s trying to be a “rock star”.
Is he going to trash his tent?
(((.)))
“on the heels of his blustering rant at the United Nations”
But was it all blustering? I read that he told the nations they sat there through 63 wars and didn’t do a thing about it. Some peace organization!
lol, I don’t think he’ll trash his tent. I’ve never seen a picture of his “female bodyguards”. Is he as dumb as an ox or as smart as a fox? First impression is that he is desperately seeking attention. Second impression, he’s nuts. Third impression, he’s still a terrorist. Forth impression, how could any woman have married him. Fifth impression, he was angling for a spot in the Obama administration. He can be the “tent czar”.
A new meaning to the town of Come By Chance,NFLD, has just been Khadaffyized.
He is the Michael Jackson of world leaders.
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