An amazing end to an amazing spectacle this week of Qaddafi’s diplomatic corps summarily abandoning him in cities around the world. I remember reading somewhere long ago how western diplomats once spoke privately with Tariq Aziz about defecting, and he dismissed the idea on grounds that while he’d be safe afterwards, his extended family back home in Iraq wouldn’t be. I’m not sure why that logic hasn’t held for Libyan diplomats. Maybe they figure that Qaddafi’s grip on power is so weak that they don’t have to worry as much about targeted retaliation anymore. Or maybe they think he’s capable of such horrors against so many innocents that they have to speak out, the risk to their families notwithstanding. That’s not to defend these guys — like the UN ambassador, many of them have obviously been in bed with the regime for ages — but a humanitarian act at the end that might save lives partly mitigates the damage.
If you don’t want to watch both clips, just watch the first. It ends with him crying and being consoled by other ambassadors. Serious question: Has this ever happened before at the UN, where a country’s envoy ends up making the case at the Security Council against the man who appointed him?
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