To the shores of Tripoli...

Condi Rice arrived in Libya today to meet with the country's leader, Col. Muammar Qaddafi. Though he may not house pirates, and is no longer an official terrorist, Libya is still a country with a long way to run. Encouraging as it is that Rice is the first American official to visit since Nixon in '57, the meetings will not, and should not, be all hassa.

Don't get me wrong, Libya is one of the most successful revisions of the past twenty years. Transitioning from nuclear armament and state-sponsored bombings to an embrace of capitalism is a mighty task in any society. But like Cuba, Libya is another example of an authoritarian state embracing market reforms. Leezza, as Qaddafi apparently calls her, must keep in mind that despite their leader's recent change of heart, the Libyan people still face a startlingly high level of oppression.

While it is true that Italy's recent colonial apology "smacks of self interest", that does not mean it should be ignored. Strategically speaking, the US would be irresponsible to ignore Libya's tack to the center just because of Qaddafi's continuing rule. The country controls too much gas and oil that Continental Europe and China are actively pursuing. The US should take measured and sensible steps to engage in this process. Rice must normalize diplomatic relations so American firms can actively participate in the run for foreign investment but attach conditions (human rights, greater press freedom, etc) to any direct government aid. While it may be unsettling for an older generation that remembers Pan Am 103 or, like McCain, the Tripoli pirates (too harsh?), to get used to the idea of Libya as a trade partner, we must welcome Qaddafi into the fold of global capitalism and use the subtle sway of our dollars to encourage greater transparency and freedom.

I personally will follow this with cautious optimism and hope that this story serves as a model for today's failed states that look like Libya did 20 years ago. I'm talking to you North Korea.