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O P 291721Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5305
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0239
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
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RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 5851S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TRIPOLI 000771
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND INR.
E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/29/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV LY PINR
SUBJECT: A GLIMPSE INTO LIBYAN LEADER QADHAFI’S ECCENTRICITIES
CLASSIFIED BY: Gene A. Cretz, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy Tripoli,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
¶1. (S/NF) Summary: Recent first-hand experiences with Libyan
Leader Muammar al-Qadhafi and his staff, primarily in
preparation for his UNGA trip, provided rare insights into
Qadhafi’s inner circle and personal proclivities. Qadhafi
appears to rely heavily XXXXXXXXXXXXX reportedly cannot travel with his senior Ukrainian nurse, Galyna
Kolotnytska. He also appears to have an intense dislike or fear
of staying on upper floors, reportedly prefers not to fly over
water, and seems to enjoy horse racing and flamenco dancing.
His recent travel may also suggest a diminished dependence on
his legendary female guard force, as only one woman bodyguard
accompanied him to New York. End Summary.
QADHAFI’S PERSONALITY REFLECTED IN HIS PHOBIAS
¶2. (S/NF) Muammar al-Qadhafi has been described as both
mercurial and eccentric, and our recent first-hand experiences
with him and his office, primarily in preparation for his UNGA
trip, demonstrated the truth of both characterizations. From
the moment Qadhafi’s staff began to prepare for his travel to
the United States, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX of
his 40-year rule, various proclivities and phobias began to
reveal themselves in every logistical detail. When applying for
Qadhafi’s visa, XXXXXXX asked whether it was necessary
for the Leader to submit a portrait of himself that fit consular
application regulations, noting that his photo was displayed
throughout the city and that anyone of hundreds of billboards
could be photographed and shrunken to fit the application’s
criteria. When the rule was enforced, XXXXXXXXX
reluctantly conceded to take a portrait of the Leader
specifically for the visa application.
¶3. (S/NF) When XXXXXXX began to search for proper
accommodations for Qadhafi, XXXXXXXX informed us that the Leader
must stay on the first floor of any facility that was rented for
him. (XXXXXXXXXX separately told U.S. officials in Washington that
Qadhafi could not climb more than 35 steps.) XXXXXXXX cited this
requirement as the primary reason that the Libyan residence in
New Jersey was selected as the preferred accommodation site
rather than the Libyan PermRep’s residence in New York City. XXXXXX also sought to find accommodations with room to pitch
Qadhafi’s Bedouin tent, Qadhafi’s traditional site for receiving
visitors and conducting meetings, as it offers him a non-verbal
way of communicating that he is a man close to his cultural
roots.
¶4. (S/NF) Qadhafi’s dislike of long flights and apparent fear of
flying over water also caused logistical headaches for his
staff. When discussing flight clearances with Emboffs,XXXXXXX
explained that the Libyan delegation would arrive from Portugal,
as Qadhafi “cannot fly more than eight hours” and would need to
overnight in Europe prior to continuing his journey to New York. XXXXXXXX also revealed in the same conversation that Qadhafi
does not like to fly over water. Presumably for similar
reasons, Qadhafi’s staff also requested a stop in Newfoundland
to break his travel from Venezuela to Libya on September 29.
[Note: The Government of Canada recently confirmed that the
Libyan delegation canceled plans to stop in Newfoundland. End
Note.]
DEPENDENCIES: RELIANCE ON A SELECTIVE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS
¶5. (S/NF) Qadhafi appears to be almost obsessively dependent on
a small core of trusted personnel. This group includes
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX coordinate the logistics of Qadhafi’s
visit. XXXXXXXXXX balanced the UNGA preparations between equally
frenetic preparations for the August 31 African Union (AU)
Summit and September 1 celebration of Qadhafi’s coup. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX At large events such as the August 31 AU Summit and
September 1 celebrations, XXXXXXXXX every last
detail of these complex gatherings, ranging from the overall
program to the position of the press pool. At UNGA, XXXXXXXXX Qadhafi to the podium at the UNGA and XXXXXXXXXX his papers and props upon the conclusion of
the Leader’s remarks. Long-time Qadhafi Chief of Staff Bashir
Salah appears to play an equally important role in Qadhafi’s
personal retinue, and XXXXXXX via an
old-fashioned green phone XXXXXXXX. It is next to a
red phone, which presumably connects to Qadhafi himself. We
constantly hear that National Security Adviser and son,
Muatassim, also plays a key role as his father’s confidante and
handler during travel abroad. Muatassim also seems to have been
tasked with insuring that the Leader’s image is well-preserved
through the full array of carefully-planned media events.
¶6. (S/NF) Finally, Qadhafi 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, XXXXXXXXXXX emphasized to multiple Emboffs that Qadhafi
cannot travel without Kolotnytska, as she alone “knows his
routine.” When Kolotnytska’s late visa application resulted in
her Security Advisory Opinion being received on the day
Qadhafi’s party planned to travel to the U.S., the Libyan
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 Qadhafi and the 38 year-old
Kolotnytska have a romantic relationship. While he did not
comment on such rumors, a Ukrainian political officer recently
confirmed that the Ukrainian nurses “travel everywhere with the
Leader.”
PREFERENCES - FROM DANCING TO HORSEMAN
¶7. (S/NF) In addition to the personality quirks revealed through
Qadhafi’s travel to New York, the Qadhafi’s preferences for
dancing and cultural performances were displayed over the last
month. The three-day spectacle of his 40th anniversary in power
included performances by dance troupes from Ukraine, Tunisia,
Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco, as well as musical performances by
bands from Mexico, Russia, New Zealand, and a number of other
nations. Qadhafi appeared particularly enthralled by Tuareg
horse racing during two of the events, clapping and smiling
throughout the races. The flamenco dancers that participated in
his celebratory events appeared to spark a similar interest, as
Qadhafi decided to stop in Seville (for a “personal trip”
according to the Spanish Ambassador here) on his way back to
Libya from Venezuela specifically to attend a flamenco dance
performance. [Note: That stop has reportedly been scrapped for
unknown reasons. End note.]
NO NEW YORK PHOTO OPS - QADHAFI LEAVES FEMALE GUARDS AT HOME
¶8. (S/NF) While Qadhafi’s reported female guard force has become
legendary, it played no role in his travels to New York. Only
one female guard was included among the approximately 350-person
strong Libyan delegation to New York. This is the same female
bodyguard who sticks close to Qadhafi in his domestic and
international public appearances and may, in fact, play some
sort of formal security role. Observers in Tripoli speculate
that the female guard force is beginning to play a diminished
role among the Leader’s personal security staff.
¶9. (S/NF) Comment: Qadhafi’s state visits and appearances at
various conferences and summits, both at home and abroad, have
revealed greater details about his personality and character.
While it is tempting to dismiss his many eccentricities as signs
of instability, Qadhafi is a complicated individual who has
managed to stay in power for forty years through a skillful
balancing of interests and realpolitik methods. Continued
engagement with Qadhafi and his inner circle is important not
only to learn the motives and interests that drive the world’s
longest serving dictator, but also to help overcome the
misperceptions that inevitably accumulated during Qadhafi’s
decades of isolation. As XXXXXXX told us, pointing to a
larger-than-life portrait of Qadhafi, “When you have been
isolated for so long, it is important to communicate.” End
comment.
CRETZ
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