It details a request by the congressman for information he needed to lobby American lawmakers to suspend their support for the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) and to put an end to NATO airstrikes. According to the document, Kucinich wanted evidence of corruption within the NTC and, like his fellow countryman Welch, any possible links within rebel ranks to al-Qaeda.
The document also lists specific information needed to defend Saif Al-Islam, who is currently on the International Criminal Court's most wanted list.
I would not for a second believe that Kucinich would want Gaddafi to stay in power. His desire was to see an end to the conflict, and he believed that if he could raise serious questions about the rebels, he could end America's involvement in the fight. The problem, of course, is that means implicitly supporting Gaddafi. Where he steps over the line is in trying to contact Saif directly in order to dig up some dirt on the rebels.
In a way his actions are refreshing. Examples abound from recent American history of supporting national leaders because we fear who would replace them. Much as he would resent the accusation, Kucinich fits right into this mold -- Americans supporting dictators. He is also going behind the President's back on an issue of foreign policy, which is the biggest no-no in my book of Congressional ethics. Lying down with dogs and waking up a little itchy comes to mind.
The bigger issue, though, is how blinded those on the political extremities can become. Kucinich is committed to human rights, and is certainly happy to see the Libyans freed from Gaddafi's rule. But his desire to avoid war, even to rid the world of a man like Gaddafi, clouded his judgement to the point that he was willing to work with Gaddafi. Results matter, and we were able to help the Libyan rebels remove Gaddafi from power without using any American soldiers on the ground. But extremists quite often miss the forest for the trees.
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