After rebels ransacked the compound of Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli last week, they discovered an uncanny photo album filled with pictures of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The album was shown to Rice — who Gaddafi fondly referred to as his “darling black African woman” — during a 2008 diplomatic visit to Libya.
Former State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told The Daily Caller that the former Libyan dictator whipped out the album during a private meeting with Rice.
Rice didn’t talk about the episode to her staff until she had boarded her flight out of Libya.
“After we were on the plane leaving Libya and she was debriefing us on the visit where staff weren’t present [she said] that he had shown her this photo album,” McCormack said.
“And it was sort of not conventional, shall we say, and not standard diplomatic practice,” McCormack added. (RELATED: Top 10 funniest tweets about Gaddafi’s downfall)
During the trip, Rice was presented by Gaddafi with a diamond ring, a locket with his photograph and a lute. McCormack was given a watch. According to Israeli news site Ynet, the Swiss watch sported Gaddafi’s portrait.
When American diplomats are given gifts over $250, they become property of the federal government, unless purchased by the recipient for their appraised value.
The Gaddafi watch didn’t pique McCormack’s interest and he barely remembers the item. “You do have the option of purchasing it. I did not. It is sitting in some government warehouse somewhere,” he said.
Asked if he would purchase the item now, McCormack said that he wouldn’t be interested.
“It was enough to be able to travel around with the secretary to a number of very different and very interesting places, including Libya,” he said. “I’ll just keep the memories, I don’t need any mementos.”