If the news headlines are true and Libyan strongman Muammar Qaddafi’s days—if not hours—are numbered, then let’s hope the Obama administration will lead from in front and take measures to help the transitional Libyan government protect, preserve, and hopefully publish documents from Qaddafi’s archives.

Saddam’s documents provided a treasure trove of information about academics, journalists, and international diplomats long on the take from Saddam’s regime but, alas, too few were published. What was exposed through the oil-for-food was a tantalizing window into international corruption.

Qaddafi’s archives should tell tales as important. What was Billy Carter really doing in Tripoli? What did Louis Farrakhan tell Qaddafi behind closed doors?  Did Qaddafi truly abandon terrorism after 2003? What was the real role of British diplomats in the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Mohmed Ali al-Megrahi? Let’s hope Obama’s promise of transparency trumps his desire to lead from behind.

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