Troubled Tripoli and a ticket out

A city in mourning
There's something about being where history takes place. Great blog...glad you are safe and could share it with us.

Russ, I admire your nerve in going to Tripoli in the first place, and you must have been one of very few Westerners other than CIA or British intelligence. I think I\\\'d mentioned to you that a couple of mates of mine worked in Tripoli in 1980 and regaled me with regime horror stories, such as being turfed out of their hotel in the middle of the night because \\\"The Colonel\\\" wanted to crash for the night. Every room in every hotel was required to have a large photo of Ghaddafi, together with a Green Book by the side of the bed. When my buds removed the book, they got grassed up, and the Security services called in. They thought that they were going to dragged off to jail, but somehow it didn\\\'t happen. They were working on a large refrigerated warehouse, installing the cooling system. The workforce were all Libyans, and totally useless. One day, the Security people showed up, dragged one them away, and he never came back. One day they decided to do some sight seeing, and found themselves in front of one of the Colonels many compounds, and the gates were open. One of my mates was an avid photographer, and trained his camera at the people within hoping to get a shot of the Colonel..instead he found himself looking at \\\"Carlos the Jackal\\\" who was holed up.....Security forces surrounded them, and smashed his very expensive camera, and started lashing out at them with canes. Fortunately they were able to drive away without further escalation. The other incident that I recall, was when one of the guys was invited to visit the Aramco base which was a huge presence, and officially US territory. Needless to say, there was booze on the premises, and he spent a few hours at the bar. On his way home in a cab, they were stopped by Security and he had to make a run for it, as if they\\\'d detected booze on his breath he would received 100 lashes or worse. So he ran for his life through the back streets of Tripoli, being chased by the Security boys. Being a Brighton lad, he was very resourceful, and ended up hiding in a dumpster of sorts, & covered himself with trash. He eventually found his way back to the hotel, and there were no repercussions. I had the opportunity to join them but in view of the stories, declined their offer, as I knew I\\\'d get myself in serious trouble....inevitable with me.... Makes going to a Palace away game a piece of cake!! Glad you made it out safe and sound. What a fucked up country it seems to be declining into.