Gadhafi Regime Scores Hundreds of Olympic Tickets

Gadhafi crew welcome even as London tries to 'bomb them to oblivion'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 15, 2011 3:00 AM CDT
Updated Jun 15, 2011 3:11 AM CDT
Gadhafi Regime Scores Hundreds of Olympic Tickets
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi meets with visiting president of the World Chess Federation Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in Tripoli on the weekend.   (AP Photo/FIDE Press service)

If Moammar Gadhafi wants to win back the ministers fleeing his regime, he could try wooing them with tickets to the 2012 London Olympics. British officials have surprisingly confirmed that the Libyan Olympic Committee, headed by one of Gadhafi's sons, has been awarded some 1,000 tickets for next year's games. The regime was given the tickets because the International Olympic Committee failed to expel Libya, even while the UK is contributing to the bombing of the nation. British officials fear that if Gadhafi is still in power next year, he may attempt to disrupt the games.

"There is consternation about the fact that country teams are entitled to invite their heads of state, meaning that Gadhafi—who we are desperately trying to bomb into oblivion—could try to disrupt the Games," a British government source tells the Telegraph. "This is something that the government would make representations to the IOC about nearer the time." The dictator himself is expected to be a no-show, as he is subject to an international travel ban and an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. (More International Olympic Committee stories.)

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