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

[ColleenE]

For a complete listing of gifts received by administration and employees (reported annually), refer to the State Department's website:

http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/c29447.htm

[rollingdivision]

By law, officials are required to turn such gifts over to the U.S. government. None of these gifts are actually kept by the recipients.

[sonoffestus]

No matter how many diamonds Condi wears, she is still an advocate for torture and a war criminal.
For those who say prove it, I say let the trials begin.

[plages]

Oh how sweet this love affair!

[AuntiepoppyCock]

Condi should have used her powers for good. I don't care that she's a conservati­ve...I know she knew better!

[kgeier]

Condi DID know better. To reject aa gift given to the secretary of state WOULD be an embarassment to the US and the foreign governments. The gifts given to Condi are the property of the United States Government, and had you read further, you would have seen that all these gifts are being transfered to the GSA (they're probably sitting in some warehouse right now). Can you imagine the headlines, if while Hillary Clinton is on visits to foreign nations such as China, she refuses an official gift? While it might seem silly, gifts from foreign countries and foreign dignitaries are incredibly important symbolically. The gifting country is showing that it considers the US a friend, and the US, through acceptance, signifies the same. Our own country gives gifts in the same way.

Honestly, the republicans have done way more than their fair share to screw up the country and put us in the state we're in now, without us getting in a tizzy fit about comple non-stories such as these.

[hidenout]

Would love to see Bill and Hillary's gift list when they left office....

[NoWMDs]

Probably not nearly as much as Dick and George got.
Instead of gifts, they raped the middle class of their wealth by transferring it to their buddies and corporations.

[hidenout]

You may or may not be right. I found a link of the gifts given to them from US citizens, but nothing yet on foreign gifts.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=121893&page=1

Regardless, while I think public service officials should never receive gifts, it's been going on forever.

Wished they would stop.

[den1953]

Be careful Bude pipe is close to piper Sarah Palin needs to sue anyone that remotely mentions anything that sounds like her kid's name! She needs money to fight her ethics problems.

[den1953]

I wonder if he is smitten with Condi maybe there's marriage in the cards, she could be his press secretary after all the BS she spread about Iraq she would make him a fine wife! Has she claimed the gifts as tariff free? Hey IRS are you paying attention?

[VPN]

"Prime Minister schoolor Sundaravej, of Thailand gave the President a series of books", wonder why I find that hilarious, being that Boo$h is such a scholar that reads prolifically and all, LOL

[ramal]

I would guess that only a small fraction of the actual gifts given make their way on to this list.

[Beng]

Isn't he responsible for downing Pan Am flight over Scotland in 1988?

[mbondr1]

I think Condi is the only one of the cabal that is making any post-presidency money. She doesn't deserve it.

[Geneil]

WHAT??? I thought they could not except gifts.

[kgeier]

Had you read further, you would see that officials can accept gifts when it would cause embarassment to the gifting country and/or the US if they decline. While they can accept the gifts, the gifts do not belong to them, but rather belong to the United States government. Gifts given to POTUS, FLOTUS, or VPOTUS are usually kept in Archives (because they could be of interest for museum exhibits), while gifts given to lesser members of the administration are given over to the GSA.

This is a non-story. It would be a story, however, if it were discovered that members of the old administration were trying to keep for themselves.

[OttoMann]

The article states, "non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government­." But it doesn't attribute the quotation. Who said this nonsense? All one ever has to say is, thanks for the thought, but it's against US law, we can't accept it - end of story. What a total cop out to say that the other country would be offended!

Just the appearance of impropriety is enough to turn down gifts like these. And in this case, there's a whole lot appearance of a whole lot of impropriety.

[ThinkTavern]

Exactly. Reporters are not allowed to accept gifts - they must send them back, otherwise it's conflict of interest. It's basically being paid to write nice things about someone. This is no different. Accepting gifts, especially hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth, is unethical. Can you imagine taking all that stuff, then telling them to do as they're told?

[kgeier]

Alot of countries have those laws, but dignitaries are still allowed to accept official gifts. The reason for this is that gift giving is a symbolic way to show friendship. While many Western countries (such as Germany or the UK) would understand a statement like that, it might be considered seriously offensive for US diplomats to refuse gifts from Middle Eastern countries. For example, had we refused gifts from the Saudi King (the Saudies are probably the most liberal of all the Middle East countries, so our relationship with them is valuable), it could very well be seen as a slap in the face.

The gifts our diplomats receive from foreign countries do not belong to them. They belong to the US government. Every member of every adnimistration knows that from day one. Had they kept the gifts for themselves, THAT would be illegal.

[bronceye]

Whatever became of Hussein's pistol that was presented to bush??????