Libya's Qaddafi Gave Condi Rice $212,000 In Gifts, Including A Diamond Ring

Scroll down for the State Department report

In its final months in office, the Bush administration made out pretty well in odd and exotic gifts from foreign leaders - including diamond jewelery, a taxidermied lion, and Israeli bike shorts.

One of the most generous gift-givers was Libya's Moamar Qaddafi, who seemed particularly grateful for former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to Tripoli last year, giving her gifts with a total value of $212,225, including a diamond ring and a locket with his own picture inside, according to a newly-released State Department report.

The gifts sometimes show familiarity with the interests of the receiver. President George W. Bush, for example, a known biker, received mountain bikes from two leaders (Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister Janez Jansa of Slovenia) while Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave Bush the aforementioned shorts, decorated with Bush's name and Israeli flags.

Often, however, the gifts were symbolic, if opulent, of the donor nation. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, of Thailand gave the President a series of books, including the title, "Glorious Celebrations of the Reign: Celebrations of the 60th Anniversary of His Majesty the King's Accession to the Throne." The lion came from Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.

There are strict rules about the acceptance of gifts by public officials but when it comes to foreign leaders, diplomatic concerns take priority. For each of the gifts, the reasons cited for the acceptance of the gift was listed as "non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government." By law, officials are required to turn such gifts over to the U.S. government, even the brown leather Hermes saddle given to President Bush by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

You can read the entire report here:

2009-15022_PI -

Comments

[judesuper]

04:23 PM on 06/25/2009

WOW, and a diamond ring too! Does that mean they're engaged?

[livnletlive]

03:58 PM on 06/25/2009

This is the tip of the iceburg as far as american politicians repubs and dems, granted worse with the BUSH administrations including his dad...who asked the kuwaitis to hold on their gifts for him in kuwait until he's out of the office... and does not have to declare it....these little things highlight EXACTLY what's wrong between mideast and USA, a bunch of IMMORAL politicians and dictators with no moral compus beyond hypocracy MASCARADED BY THEIR CONCERN FOR THEIR NATIONAL INTEREST...and all this talk about human rights is just a MIRAGE/LIES.....IF CONDI or the Bushes felt obligated to diplomatically take these gifts, they could've donated them to charity....POWEL, SCHWARSCOFF, CHENEY, CLINTON racked tens or hundreds of millions from mideast dicators for little stupid hush hush favors on brutazlising their ppl and mideasterns know that and that's why they can NEVER TRUST AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY....NEVER

[johnr49]

03:53 PM on 06/25/2009

"The Honorable Condoleeza Rice" - "Honorable"? ROFLMAO!

[kappa08]

03:53 PM on 06/25/2009

pigs at the trough....

[Sauron21]

03:40 PM on 06/25/2009

LOOK at Condi Rice! Negotiating with TERRORIST!!!!!!!

Imagine if Ms. Rice were a Democrat? You would never hear the end of it.

[stevezep]

03:01 PM on 06/25/2009

Whoring it up for real!

[WorldGoneWild]

02:55 PM on 06/25/2009

I always had a feeling Condi had some gold digging skills in her. Go Condi! It's your birthday!

[dukesman]

02:44 PM on 06/25/2009

Bush eats Rice

[Huffyfan]

02:17 PM on 06/25/2009

what a silly Man , he is not all there ! something wrong with him . I cringe everytime I hear his speeches in Arabic . I wonder how the People are not staging a revolution Yet .

[medici]

03:44 PM on 06/25/2009

Are you talking about Bush are Gadafi?

[mapleaforever]

02:12 PM on 06/25/2009

Qaddafi and Condi sittin' in a tree . . . . . .

[HelloooCanada]

03:19 PM on 06/25/2009

K-I-L-L-I-N-G

[opticsopen]

02:04 PM on 06/25/2009

Is there anything about the Bush administration that was not corrupt? Why are these individuals not in jail? Such a country!

[Chubbster]

01:53 PM on 06/25/2009

This article is distortion designed to inflame the local pitchfork mob. It's a non-story packaged for knee-jerk haters.

[Z-Liberator]

01:32 PM on 06/25/2009

So this is what Condi was doing over sea's, huh International Relations? I am sure she had some domestic relations with Bush also, I know her type always after the dictators to give her a good dictation!

[Steamboater]

01:21 PM on 06/25/2009

So after Qaddafi's mass murder of those on that plane he blew up over Lockerbie a diamond saves the day and everyone's supposed to be greatful for his generosity. What a bunch of crap.

[Steamboater]

01:17 PM on 06/25/2009

Talk about a blood diamond! Embassement to donor. It's more of an embarrassment to the receiver who are the Amercian people as was Rice during her time defending their bloody war in Iraq.