Gadhafi had photos of Condoleezza Rice

TRIPOLI, Libya – Libyan rebels who took control of Moammar Gadhafi’s sprawling compound made a surprising discovery in one of the buildings: a photo album with pictures of Condoleezza Rice.

Though maybe the discovery isn’t that surprising. Over the years, the Libyan leader’s comments and actions related to the former secretary of state have raised a few eyebrows.

Consider how he talked about her in an interview with Al-Jazeera television in 2007, where he hinted that then-President George W. Bush’s top diplomat wielded considerable influence in the Arab world.

“I support my darling black African woman,” he said. “I admire and am very proud of the way she leans back and gives orders to the Arab leaders. … Leezza, Leezza, Leezza. … I love her very much. I admire her, and I’m proud of her, because she’s a black woman of African origin.”

The following year, Gadhafi and Rice had an opportunity to meet when the secretary of state paid a historic visit to Libya – one that made steps toward normalizing relations after the United States went decades without an ambassador in Tripoli. (The U.S. “doesn’t have any permanent enemies,” she said during the trip.)

Rice did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the discovery of the photos. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland was also asked about the album.

“I don’t need to see the photos,” she said. “But bizarre and creepy are good adjectives to describe much of Gadhafi’s behavior. So (it) doesn’t surprise me. It’s deeply bizarre and deeply creepy, though, if it is as you described.”