Saif Gaddafi and me

He is an interesting fellow, my colleague said, with a doctorate from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); I would enjoy talking to him, and I might be able to help his thinking on economic matters.

The meeting, as it turned out, was a letdown. I was first briefed by a former Monitor Company employee, who gently intimated that I should not expect too much. Saif himself held photocopies of pages from one of my books on which he had scribbled notes. He asked me several questions - about the role of international NGOs, as I recall - that seemed fairly distant from my areas of expertise. I don't imagine he was much impressed by me; nor was I much taken by him. As the meeting ended, Saif invited me to Libya and I said - more out of politeness than anything else - that I would be happy to come.