Did Hide Sexuality of Gadhafi's Son?

Media outlets like Gawker are accusing The New York Times of unnecessarily redacting information from a leaked diplomatic cable that had said Libyan dictator Mu'ammar Gadhafi's son is bisexual.

The cables were obtained by Wikileaks and the Times is currently working with the U.S. government on releasing certain missives to the public that won't put national security, or individual diplomats, at risk. According to Gawker, information on Gadhafi's son, Saadi, was removed by The New York Times, and it's not clear why.

The original cable from a U.S. ambassador in Libya reads as following, according to Gawker: "Although the Zuwara Free Trade Zone is an ambitious and expensive project, [Mu'ammar Gadhafi] likely views it as a relatively small price to pay if it helps occupy the notoriously ill-behaved Saadi and lend a patina of useful engagement to his otherwise less than sterling reputation. Saadi has a troubled past, including scuffles with police in Europe (especially Italy), abuse of drugs and alcohol, excessive partying, travel abroad in contravention of his father's wishes and profligate affairs with men and women. His bisexuality is reportedly a point of extreme contention with his father and partly prompted the decision to arrange his marriage to al-Khweildi al-Hmeidi's daughter. Creating the appearance of useful employment for [Mu'ammar Gadhafi]'s offspring has been an important objective for the regime."

The Times removed the portion describing the younger Gadhafi's alleged bisexuality. While the decision by the Times may seem suspect, it is important to note that it's been an alleged habit of the U.S. intelligence community to spread rumors about individuals by insinuating they are gay because it might hurt with religious supporters. In 2003, for example, reports surfaced that the U.S. had plans to make videos that falsely showed Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden either having gay sex or discussing their experiences sleeping with men.