UNITED NATIONS — Moammar Khadafy on Wednesday suggested the United States take a cue from his governing style and make Barack Obama president for life, delivering surprisingly lavish praise for the American during the Libyan leader’s first-ever speech to the U.N. General Assembly.
Khadafy gave a long, rambling address that was mainly critical and touched on everything from jet lag to the invasion of Iraq, which he called “the mother of all evils.” He blasted the U.N. Security Council as an elitist organization that favors superpowers over small nations.
But Khadafy’s comments took a sharp turn about midway through his address. Pre facing his words by saying they were a bit “sensitive,” he confessed to being thrilled that Americans had elected a black man as their leader.
“We Africans are happy, proud that a son of Africa governs the United States of America,” said Khadafy, whose relations with the United States generally have been sour. Even his visit to New York for this event has been fraught with controversy as his plans to stay in a lavish tent erected in a New Jersey suburb were quashed after local protests.
He then planned to stay in a tent on a property owned by Donald Trump north of Manhattan, in the town of Bedford, but town officials were threatening criminal action if the tent stayed there.
Khadafy alluded to the difficulties of moving around a city under air-tight security measures but said Obama, at least, offered hope for the next eight years. After that, he said, “I’m afraid we may go back to square one. We are content and happy if Obama can stay forever as the president of the United States.”
It was not immediately clear what Obama’s reaction was. He had left the huge hall after delivering his own speech, as had Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
