‘WikiLeaks Libya:’ American group wanted to help Gaddafi — for $10 million

A group that calls itself ‘WikiLeaks Libya’ has released to the public scores of documents supposedly found in deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi’s former government offices. Among those documents is a letter from a group of Americans offering to help Gaddafi defeat the rebels and remain in power, all for an initial fee of $10 million.

(Radu Sigheti/Reuters)

“The fees and payments set forth in this contract are MINIMUM NON-REFUNDABLE FEES,” the drafted contract read. “The fees are an inducement for the ATTORNEYS AND ADVISORS to take the case and nothing else.”

The New York Times reports that Neil C. Livingstone, 65, the terrorism consultant who helped put together the deal, said the goal was not to keep Gaddafi in power but create a way out for the dictator and his family. Livingstone is also a television commentator and previously attempted to run for governor in Montana.

In the contract, the American consultants promised Gaddafi they could help him better comply with U.N. resolutions, get access to billions of dollars in blocked Libyan assets, and ultimately find sanctuary in an Arabic-speaking country. The consultants, however, never got a required Treasury Department license to accept payment from Gaddafi before he was captured and killed Oct. 20.

The leaked documents also show another partner in the deal, a Belgian named Dirk Borgers, had offered lobbying services to Gaddafi to try to gain U.S. government support.

“Our group of Libyan sympathizers is extremely worried about this and we would like to help to block the actions of your international enemies and to support a normal working relationship with the United States Government,” the letter said. “Therefore it is absolutely required to speak officially and with one strong voice with the American Government.”

Livingstone said he had never seen the letter, which was signed by Borgers but included his name, and that lobbying for U.S. support was never his intention.

“Let’s not argue about semantics,” Borgers told the Times. “I don’t think [Gaddafi] was that brutal a dictator,”

In September, correspondence between Libyan intelligence and the C.I.A. was made public that included discussion of handing over terrorist suspects to Libya.