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Qadhafi, a difficult guest for France

PARIS: French President Nicolas Sarkozy is probably mulling over the political price he has had to pay for the €10-billion worth of commercial contracts he obtained from Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi. The Libyan “supreme guide’s” declarations contradicting statements made by President Sarkozy over human rights are proving extremely embarrassing to the Elysee presidential palace and Mr. Qadhafi, who is on a state visit until Saturday, is proving to be a difficult guest.

“We, President Sarkozy and I, did speak about those subjects,” Mr. Qadhafi said when asked if the French President had rapped him on the knuckles for Libya’s dismal human rights record.

The President “spoke” of human rights, Claude Gueant, the Elysee chief of staff, said adding, “I am witness; I was present.” The press in France, generally hostile to the red carpet treatment reserved for Mr. Qadhafi, had a field day. “It’s Mr. Qadhafi’s word against the President’s” crowed a national daily in Paris.

In a speech at UNESCO, Mr. Qadhafi went a step further in publicly embarrassing his hosts by criticising France’s treatment of immigrants. “We are in the country that speaks of human rights. Before talking about human rights, you should make sure that immigrants all enjoy these rights in your country. We are the victims of injustice.”

Mr. Sarkozy has been roundly criticised both by his own supporters (including the Minister for Human Rights) and by his opponents for the lavish welcome given to the Libyan leader. Whether by oversight or intention, his arrival in France coincided with a particularly symbolic event — the observation of International Human Rights Day. Mr. Qadhafi’s visit to the French Parliament was boycotted by the opposition. “You do not roll out the red carpet for a dictator in the house of democracy,” fumed Socialist Jean-Marc Ayrault.

Mr. Sarkozy’s own Minister for Human Rights, Rama Yade, wrote a scathing article on the visit, saying, “France should not be a doormat on which a leader — terrorist or otherwise — can wipe off the blood of his crimes.”

Mr. Sarkozy, faced with a barrage of criticism finally resorted to the only defence he could muster. “I have done this for French workers,” he said referring to the sale of Airbus planes, 14 Rafale fighters, and nuclear reactors to the tune of €10 billion.

But, as the press pointed out, there is nothing at all concrete in the announcement over the Rafale, the most expensive (and therefore un-saleable) fighter jet in the world. Mr. Qadhafi has agreed to consider the plane. Nothing has been concretely signed. And as for the Airbus, it’s an old contract, which has been under discussion for several months.

As if to add insult to injury, Mr. Qadhafi also brushed off any attempt to internationalise the question of Darfur, which Mr. Sarkozy has described as one of his foreign policy “priorities.”

“If we leave the inhabitants of Darfur to manage their own affairs, the crisis will end by itself,” he said.

Once again, the Elysee Palace issued a statement contradicting the Libyan leader’s words. “The question of Darfur is essentially international,” Mr. Claude Gueant said.

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