Where in London can Gadafy pitch his tent?

[Massimo]

<<The garden of Buckingham Palace would be ideal if her inside could be 
persuaded. It's either that or the back garden at No 10. >>

<<In recent visits to Paris and Brussels his black Bedouin gaff has been 
erected in government-owned gardens.>>


Where in London can Gadafy pitch his tent?


Now the Libyan leader is a cuddly old labrador, maybe he can camp out in 
the garden of No 10
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2008/sep/09/libya.usforeignpolicy

After Condi's trip to Muammar's tent in Tripoli, western leaders are 
wondering how to treat the "mad dog" now he has become a cuddly old 
labrador.

Dressed in a long, flowing white robe, a purple and gold sash and a 
green Africa brooch, he certainly pulled out all the charm stops for his 
"darling black African woman" as he greeted her with a hand on his 
heart. And she was quite taken: "Quite frankly, I never thought I would 
be visiting Libya, so it's quite something," she said.

Now Gordon Brown has a problem. It could be tricky. He wants to invite 
Gadafy to London for an international oil summit in December. The 
problem is where to pitch his tent. In recent visits to Paris and 
Brussels his black Bedouin gaff has been erected in government-owned 
gardens.

Naturally, there will be a question of security and suitable 
accommodation for his female bodyguards. That probably rules out the 
Royal parks, although he might like the view from the top of Primrose 
Hill. Horse Guards' Parade would be too sensitive since it was from 
there that the colonel's erstwhile mates in the IRA tried to blow up 
John Major's cabinet. But an obvious solution is at hand. The garden of 
Buckingham Palace would be ideal if her inside could be persuaded. It's 
either that or the back garden at No 10.

Italy has already got in on the act with an agreement of $5bn (£2.85bn) 
in compensation for all the nasty things done during 30 years of 
occupation. Although, as you might expect, Berlusconi is not doing it 
out of the kindness of his heart. He wants Libya to crack down on the 
number of illegal migrants turning up on Italian shores.

Meanwhile, the US Senate is considering delaying the appointment of the 
new ambassador, Gene Cretz, until Tripoli puts the cash into the 
compensation fund agreed between the two countries for the victims of 
terrorism – including those killed over Lockerbie.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace advises caution and the 
usual US meddling. It calls on the government "to use its limited but 
growing influence in Libya to support growth in non-governmental sectors 
rather than implicitly endorsing the regime's status quo. The regime 
remains opaque, unpredictable, and, buoyed by its petroleum wealth, is 
increasingly assertive in international negotiations." And to promote a 
free press. Gadafy would love that. He gave Condi short shrift on her 
plea for the release of a dissident.

In a sage commentary, Michael Frendo, Malta's foreign minister, thinks 
otherwise. "Drawing Libya deeper into international discourse, despite 
the possibility of roadblocks along the way, is a strategic decision 
that, now that it has been taken, the west must pursue with patience, 
perseverance, and constant nurturing. In that process, underestimating 
Libyan diplomacy, shrewdness and negotiating skills is the folly of the 
ignorant."

As a sign of the times, the Sunday Times has spotted what it calls the 
boutique theory of international relations in the shape of a 16-room 
riad-style hotel in Tripoli's old city, with courtyards, chandeliers and 
balustrades made from Roman columns recovered from the basement. Four 
nights from £725, including flights.