Can Gadhafi Be Persuaded to Leave Libya?
BLITZER: Our Nic Robertson is in Tripoli. He's getting some new information on these journalists that have gone missing. Nic, what are you learning about these foreign correspondents that were apparently picked up or taken by some of Gadhafi's supporters?</s>NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, there has been a lot of concern here among journalists that</s>BLITZER: That's good news for them. You will stay in touch with us on that. Thank you, Nic. Thanks very much for that information. Former Congressman Curt Weldon is also in Tripoli right now. He is hoping -- hoping -- to get a meeting with the Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi. Hasn't happened yet. Weldon, who first went to Libya with a congressional delegation back in 2004, says he will tell Gadhafi if in fact, he gets that meeting, that Gadhafi needs to step down. Weldon says Gadhafi's son, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, could play a role, though, in bringing about a new government in Libya. Last hour, part one of our interview. Right now, let's go to part two of the interview.</s>BLITZER: When was the last time you spoke with someone from the Obama administration about your mission?</s>CURT WELDON, FORMER CONGRESSMAN: Well, I don't want to get into the details of what I did before I came. But needless to say, as you've seen acknowledged in the press, I did reach out in an ongoing way with friends who have ties to both the State Department and the White House, and I did interact with friends in the Congress from both parties. I did not seek any endorsement for this trip. In fact the first letter I received to invite me here was from the deputy foreign minister, and I said, "No, I'm not going to accept that." I said, "If I get a letter inviting me as a private citizen, by someone like Bashar Salad (ph), then I would consider coming." I received that letter in both English and Arabic. In fact, I made it available to your network, and that's why I'm here. I plan to provide information when I get back, as they deem appropriate. If they don't want my information, fine. I'm not here to make policy. I'm not here to deviate from the president's agenda. I support President Obama in this effort. I support Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. I think they are taking the right course. Hillary's statements yesterday about what needs to be done here by the -- by Colonel Gadhafi I support 100 percent.</s>BLITZER: I just want to clarify your specific role, because some questions have come up about if you're involved in any business deals, have been involved in business deals with Libya over the years. You say you've had no financial relationship with Libya in any of your capacity since leaving the Congress. Is that right?</s>WELDON: Absolutely. I have not made one dime, or I should say one dinar, from Libya, anyone in this country, and that is in case -- that is, in fact, today coming over here. No one is paying me. I'm doing this because, as I did for 20 years as the vice chairman of the armed services committee.</s>BLITZER: "Wired" magazine is -- has reported that your company, Defense Solutions, a company you worked for, did at one point propose selling arms to Libya under Gadhafi. Is that right?</s>WELDON: No. That's -- first of all, I have no ties to Defense Solutions. I did some consulting work with that company, as did General Barry McCaffrey and a couple of retired investors. That company has not been existence for -- "Wired" magazine ought to be -- come up to date, because it's been basically nonexistent for, I think, three or four years. I did some brief consulting for them. Never did I ever offer to sell any weapons to Libya, because as you know, our State Department requirements have never allowed arms to be sold in this country. Unlike the Brits and perhaps some of the other European countries, we have a mandate that that's not been permitted.</s>BLITZER: And just to be precise, you never encouraged, you never worked to lift that embargo on selling arms to Libya?</s>WELDON: No. No. I -- I worked to try to normalize relations. I put together a comprehensive series of initiatives that could bring our people together in health care and education, in housing and environment and energy. I put together ideas to create a relationship between the Jamahiriya and the Congress, as I've done in nine other countries. So you know, I'm proud of what I've done, and I'm sad that our efforts haven't paid off, and now we're in the midst of another war that's cost the American taxpayers almost a billion dollars, money we don't have.</s>BLITZER: And who's paying for your current trip, together with your delegation to Libya now?</s>WELDON: The delegation is three people I brought over: an attorney friend of mine from Houston, because there are some things they're working on I will not discuss tonight but will tomorrow. You can talk to your -- your own people about that. Your station -- your network has been on the lead in that. The only thing that was covered was my airfare over here, and that's it. I'm not asking for any money. That's not why I'm here.</s>BLITZER: Who paid for the airfare?</s>WELDON: The airfare was paid for by the team of Steve Payne and Brian Enzer (ph) of Houston.</s>BLITZER: So it's not been -- nothing to do with the government of Libya? Are they -- are they lobbyists or do they have business dealings with Libya?</s>WELDON: No. No. I don't know. I don't believe they do. But you can talk -- I know one of them has had friendships, I believe, Steve, with -- with one of the sons. But as far as I know, no business dealings. I specifically said I would not go to Libya with any money tied into the Gadhafi family.</s>BLITZER: And one final question before I let you go. I know you've got to run. But when you met with the prime minister of Libya, what was his major point to you? What did he tell you?</s>WELDON: Well, he went through a litany of typical things that you've heard throughout all of the public relations efforts of Libya about how this is an anomaly and how that we've seen without Libya, unlike any other nation around the world. And we've been oppressive, and this is unfair. They had no advanced warning. And I did not get into that, because I'm not here to do that. I said, "Look, you are where you are. And all I want to do is see you have an opportunity to interact directly with an envoy from our secretary of state, and that's not going to happen unless you do certain things. And these are some ideas. These were not given to me by our government, but these are some ideas of what I think you should be doing." And basically, those ideas are what have been talked about in the open press.</s>BLITZER: Congressman, thanks very much for joining us. I'd love to continue this conversation after your meeting with Moammar Gadhafi, assuming it takes place. But good luck over there. Be careful.</s>WELDON: Thank you, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Former Congressman Weldon. He's in Tripoli. A government shutdown now less than a day and a half away. If lawmakers don't reach a deal, Americans from coast to coast will start feeling it very quickly. And Donald Trump says he's now investigating whether President Obama was actually born in Hawaii. Trump has his doubts. We have the facts.