Gadaffi given prestige post as head of African Union

Libya’s Colonel Gadaffi was elected leader of the African Union today, a position the eccentric dictator has yearned for as he pushed his oil-rich nation into the international mainstream after years of isolation.

Some African leaders offered lukewarm praise for the choice of Gadaffi, who grabbed power in a 1969 coup. Rights groups called him a poor model for Africa at a time when democratic gains are being reversed in countries such as Mauritania and Guinea.