The pan-Arabic daily ash-Sharq al-Awsat reported on August 22 that a high-level delegation including Assistant Secretary of State David Welch and “democracy czar” Elliott Abrams plan a mid-September trip to Libya to pave the way for a visit by Condoleezza Rice.

After all, Qadhafi is now an ally. That he declared earlier this year, “The Iraqi people can continue fighting until Judgment Day. They are invincible, while the American army can be defeated,” was probably only a slip of the tongue.

Meanwhile, Libyan democracy activist Fathi El-Jahmi remains in prison. Bush once cited El-Jahmi’s release as a sign that Qadhafi had changed. Two weeks later, Qadhafi threw him back in jail. He remains condemned by White House silence.