[1]Had the U.S. agreed to meet the ambitious military 'wish list' of one of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s sons two years ago, it would have found it difficult to go along with its allies in establishing a no-fly zone over Libya.
According to an ABC News report, the request by Mutassim Gaddafi included American F-16 fighter jets.
Reference to the request appears in an April 2009 leaked State Department cable posted on the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks.
Libyan officials, the cable said, had 'been keen to purchase U.S. military equipment - both lethal and non-lethal - and to secure training for Libyan military personnel'.
The wish list, 'which included requests ranging from F-16 fighters to mobile field hospitals', was so wide-ranging that another Libyan official speaking on behalf of another Gadhafi son labeled Mutassim's request as 'strange'.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/wikileaks12jpgcropdisplayjpg-019