US Apologizes to Gadhafi and Condemns Jewish Apartments

The rest of the world is laughing it's a** off at us right now. Tell me how this is improving our standing again?

P.J. Crowley, the State Department spokesman and earthy veteran of the Clinton White House, said this on Tuesday: "I understand my personal comments were perceived as a personal attack on the President [of Libya]. . . . These comments do not reflect U.S. policy and were not intended to offend. I apologize. . . . I regret that my comments have become an obstacle to further progress in our bilateral relations."

That's what they call the full kowtow in Beijing, so what terrible offense had Mr. Crowley given? Let's roll the transcript. Asked in late February about Colonel Gadhafi's declaration of "a jihad" against Switzerland, Mr. Crowley mused that the comment reminded him of the Libyan's infamously long speech to the U.N. General Assembly last year. "Lots of words and lots of paper flying all over the place and not necessarily a lot of sense," he said.

That sounds overgenerous. The colonel's fury at the Swiss dates to the 2008 arrest of his son Hannibal for abusing domestic employees. The charges were dropped, but Libya retaliated by arresting two Swiss citizens in Libya on visa charges. One remains in jail. The Swiss banned the country's leaders from travelling into Europe's Schengen zone of 25 countries, including Switzerland. Mr. Gadhafi then called for a "jihad" against the Swiss.

The Libyans were officially "indignant" by Mr. Crowley's supposed slight against their dear leader, and U.S. oil firms were told to forget about winning any business. The Libyans also "clarified" that by "jihad" Mr. Gadhafi meant economic sanctions against Switzerland, not terrorism. As if Mr. Crowley or anyone is supposed to know what's on this allegedly reformed terrorist's mind.

At first, State refused to back down and said that "the call for jihad against any country or person could cause damage and this is not something that the United States does not take lightly." The principled stand lasted less than two weeks, before Mr. Crowley ate his crow for speaking the truth about a silly if ruthless dictator in north Africa.

Libya's General People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation yesterday issued a statement that Libya "accepts the apology and strong regret." It's good to know that if the U.S. abases itself enough, Col. Gadhafi is willing to forgive.