10 Craziest Gaddafi Moments/Eccentricities

HedgeFundLIVE.com –
1) Nursing Staff – Gaddafi relies heavily on his long-time Ukrainian nurse, Galyna
Kolotnytska, who has been described as a ”voluptuous blonde.” Of the rumored staff
of four Ukrainian nurses that cater to the Leader’s health and well-being, one inf
ormant emphasized to multiple Emboffs that Qadhafi cannot travel without Kolotny
tska, as she alone “knows his routine.”
When Kolotnytska’s late visa application resulted in her Security Advisory Opinion
being received on the day Gaddafi’s party planned to travel to the U.S., the Liby
an Government sent a private jet to ferry her from Libya to Portugal to meet up
with the Leader during his rest-stop. Some embassy contacts have claimed that Qa
dhafi and the 38 year-old Kolotnytska have a romantic relationship. While he did
not comment on such rumors, a Ukrainian political officer recently confirmed th
at the Ukrainian nurses “travel everywhere with the Leader.”
2) Female Body Guards – His recent travel may also suggest a diminished dependence
on his legendary female guard force, as only one woman bodyguard accompanied h
im to New York. In the past Gaddafi has traveled with a group of 30 – 40 female s
ecurity guards that are rumored to be virgins.
3) Self Promotion – When applying for Gaddafi’s visa, one of his staff asked whether
it was necessary for the Leader to submit a portrait of himself that fit consul
ar application regulations, noting that his photo was displayed throughout the c
ity and that anyone of hundreds of billboards could be photographed and shrunken
to fit the application’s criteria. When the rule was enforced, Gaddafi’s staff rel
uctantly conceded to take a portrait of the Leader specifically for the visa app
lication.
4) The Man likes his Tent – When one of Gaddafi’s staff began to search for proper
accommodations for Gaddafi, he informed us that the Leader must stay on the firs
t floor of any facility that was rented for him. (he separately told U.S. offici
als in Washington that Gaddafi could
not climb more than 35 steps.) He than cited this requirement as the primary rea
son that the Libyan residence in New Jersey was selected as the preferred accomm
odation site rather than the Libyan PermRep’s residence in New York City. The memb
er of Gaddafi’s staff also sought to find accommodations with room to pitch Qadhaf
i’s Bedouin tent, Qadhafi’s traditional site for receiving visitors and conducting m
eetings, as it offers him a non-verbal way of communicating that he is a man clo
se to his cultural roots.
5) Who fly’s for more than eight hours? – Gaddafi’s dislike of long flights and appare
nt fear of flying over water also caused logistical headaches for his staff. Wh
en discussing flight clearances with Emboffs, the staff explained that the Libya
n delegation would arrive from Portugal, as Gaddafi “cannot fly more than eight ho
urs” and would need to overnight in Europe prior to continuing his journey to New
York. His staff also revealed in the same conversation that Qadhafi does not lik
e to fly over water. Presumably for similar reasons, Gaddafi staff also requeste
d a stop in Newfoundland to break his travel from Venezuela to Libya on Septembe
r 29.
6) Gaddafi‘s Trusted Staff - Gaddafi appears to be almost obsessively dependent on
a small core of trusted personnel. This group coordinates the logistics of Gadd
afi’s visit. This group balanced the UNGA preparations between equally frenetic pr
eparations for the August 31 African Union (AU) Summit and September 1 celebrati
on of Gaddafi’s coup. At large events such as the August 31 AU Summit and Septemb
er 1
celebrations, the group takes care of every last detail of these complex gatheri
ngs, ranging from the overall program to the position of the press pool. Long-ti
me Gaddafi Chief of Staff Bashir Salah appears to play an equally important role
in Gaddafi’s personal retinue, via an old-fashioned green phone. It is next to a
red phone, which presumably connects to Gaddafi himself. We constantly hear that
National Security Adviser and son, Muatassim, also plays a key role as his fath
er’s confidante and handler during travel abroad. Muatassim also seems to have bee
n tasked with insuring that the Leader’s image is well-preserved through the full
array of carefully-planned media events.
7) Gaddafi loves Flamenco Dancing – In addition to the personality quirks reveale
d through Gaddafi’s travel to New York, the Gaddafi’s preferences for dancing and cu
ltural performances were displayed over the last month. The three-day spectacle
of his 40th anniversary in power included performances by dance troupes from Ukr
aine, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco, as well as musical performances by b
ands from Mexico, Russia, New Zealand, and a number of other nations. Gaddafi ap
peared particularly enthralled by Tuareg horse racing during two of the events,
clapping and smiling throughout the races. The flamenco dancers that participate
d in his celebratory events appeared to spark a similar interest, as Gaddafi dec
ided to stop in Seville (for a “personal trip” according to the Spanish Ambassador h
ere) on his way back to Libya from Venezuela specifically to attend a flamenco d
ance performance.
8) The Awkward Silence – When Hilary Clinton was briefed for a meeting with Gaddaf
i she was told Gaddafi is notoriously mercurial. He often avoids making eye cont
act during the initial portion of meetings, and there may be long, uncomfortable
periods of silence.
9) Well Traveled - One member of his staff described Colonel Gaddafi’s attitude to
the U.S. as ‘childlike’, quoting him asking: ‘How much of New York… will I get to see?’ a
nd ‘Is Washington far from New York? Do you think I might have time to visit?’
10) Gaddafi knows how to have a temper tantrum – A previous release from WikiLeaks
revealed that dangerous nuclear material was left on an airport runway because
Colonel Gaddafi threw a tantrum after being refused permission to pitch a tent o
utside the UN. The Libyan leader allegedly went back on a promise to dispose of
weapons-grade uranium after the diplomatic spat and the highly-enriched materia
l came close to cracking its containers and leaking into the atmosphere.
Come listen to our live broadcast on hedgefundlive.com, Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm ,
just pick a channel and get connected