When he isn't trying to explain the importance of his father's little green book or wax poetic on how the international political system should democratize, Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi (in PBOM parlance GaddafiLite) likes to pull out the brushes and paint.

The results? Predictable but none the less hilarious. Portraits of his father (see above), obvious political pieces ("Intifada" and "The Dead" among others) and a magic horse. I think this review from Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones sums it all up pretty well:

Saif's vision extends far further than politics, encompassing love, what it is to be an artist, and every other imaginable cliche. His paintings are extensively, I would say exhaustively, represented in the exhibition and the achievement is, in its way, breathtaking. Look for a moment at his tribute to romanticism, Bella Rosa. A real rose, red and with a straight stem, is fixed to a canvas next to a painting of the same rose. Love, as the artist comments, "is a gift from God to all men," and this is a memento of a very special person in his life. There is an even greater triumph of banality in Arab Horse. A lovely horse, glowing white, gallops towards us over fuzzy green grass in front of a brown sky. The painting remarkably reproduces in oils the look, quality and sophistication of a picture done on a pavement in chalk.

You can see more of GaddafiLite's work and the work of other modern Libyan artists on his website: www.thedesertisnotsilent.com.

Hat tip to Gavin

PS: Why does GaddafiLite's website have Google Ads? Daddy must have cut his allowance.

The Colonel's love affair with Italy continues. It's a heartwarming story really. From the Telegraph:

Gaddafi has reportedly "adopted" the tiny town of Antrodoco after discovering it by chance last year when he travelled to Italy for the G8 summit in the earthquake-hit city of L'Aquila. Nervous of driving through tunnels possibly weakened by the powerful quake on the motorway which connects Rome with L'Aquila, he instead instructed his entourage to take a winding back route through the mountains.

He stopped for a break in Antrodoco and was reportedly bowled over by the locals' hospitality and warmth. After posing for group photographs and hugging villagers, he was quoted by La Repubblica as telling them: "You have entered my heart and I won't forget you." The Libyan leader subsequently sent several envoys to the village, including his ambassador to Rome, Hafed Gaddur. [...]

Col. Gaddafi has reportedly promised to help the village by converting a historic palazzo into a luxury hotel and setting up a business bottling mineral water from a mountain spring.

Who says all colonial relationships have to end badly?

PBOM is live at the London School of Economics for a speech by Saif al-Islam al-Ghaddafi (Gaddafi, Qaddafi, Khadafi...), the son of the Brother of the Revolution, Colonel Muammar al-Ghaddafi. Saif is Chairman of the Orwellian Ghaddafi International Foundation for Charity and Development. See our previous posts on Gaddafi here.

8:09 - Speech is done. When Saif stood up (to leave) the front two rows (of Arab men in suits) stood up immediately in unison. Kinda creepy.

8:06 - He answered the hardball question (see below) by saying that what I am saying about participatory democracy is not new, this is all in the green book, so there is no dispute on this between me and my father. He says the difference is that he wants to do it more efficiently. On a question about the relations between Libya and its neighbors-- one great line: We don't trust them. On women in Libya, he says they are already too powerful (jokingly).

7:59 - Great question from the crowd: ""Forget brain drain, no Libyan I know wants to go back. So called democracies can be easily manipulated by those in power. How can you explain that his won't happen in Libya?" Look like time will run out before he has to answer, he's been busy rambling about the other softballs about tourism.

7:48 - Says don't listen to rumors, all Libyans want to go forward, there is no "old guard", bureaucrats are all pro reform. It "is not like Iran." So then what are we waiting for? Now he's answering a question about why hasn't he mentioned his father in his speech, Colonel Ghadaffi. He says we have facts in Libya, we are Arabs, Muslims, and barbarians (apparently Saif made a bad translation in his head of "Berber"), and that Colonel Ghaddafi is not only his father, but also the Father of the Nation, and nothing can happen without him. Spontaneous applause in the theater. Supporters have been placed very cleverly, because this not the first time that this has happened. The applause isn't confined to the front row, and people who don't look Libyan at all are applauding.

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