Gaddafi turns tour guide for Italian models
The Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, has been inviting groups of Italian models to his country for bizarre ‘cultural visits’, The Observer reported yesterday.
The news came to light after a 28 year old Roman model, known only as Maria M, revealed diary entries describing one of the tours.
Maria writes that she was recruited by the website Hostessweb to take part in a week-long trip to Libya. 19 other young women took part in the visit, each of whom was allegedly paid 3000.
Gaddafi’s tour guide instinct appears to have been awakened by a visit to Rome in 2009, since which time he has organised six such trips (see WVoN story). The next is planned for December.
His motivation for putting on the tours appears to be partly religious. The tour culminated at Gaddafi’s desert camp, where he lectured on religion before converting two Italian women to Islam.
Maria and other women suspect that the conversion was not entirely the result of sudden spiritual revelation, saying: ‘There was talk of cash prizes, jobs, houses.’
Gaddafi’s company is reportedly in great demand, and a spokesman said that he hoped to welcome groups of women from other countries, including the UK.