What do you buy when you’re an incredibly rich, incredibly paranoid, oppressive dictator? No, not Scud missiles—you already have those! How about a luxury truck that can’t be tracked and scrambles everything around it? Bien sur!
https://gizmodo.com/libyan-rebels-hit-with-scud-missile-for-first-time-ever-5831124
AFP reports, by way of Mediapart.fr, the has-been tyrant bought the high tech luxury ride in 2008 for a cool $5.5 million. And where’d he buy it? Directly from French computer firm Bull-Amesys, and with the blessing of Nicolas Sarkozy—first as Interior Minister, then as President. Probably a transaction that France might be regretting right now—but Libya’s former regime sure as hell isn’t. If Qaddafi’s going to escape (or has already escaped) Libya, this ride might be his best shot.
The heavily-modified Mercedes ML has an onboard Faraday cage to block signal interception from the outside, as well as active electronics scrambling tech that knocks out all radio chatter within over 300 feet. So if you see the car speeding by, you won’t be able to listen in or beam out a report of its whereabouts. This very escape could be happening in Libya as we speak. The irony of the fact that French forces helped topple the government of a man who rode around in a secret French car should be lost on no one. [Mediapart via AFP, Thanks David!]
Photo: Epsilon/Getty
