By Scott Shane And Penn Bullock The New York Times

To a colourful group of Americans - the Washington terrorism expert, the veteran C.I.A. officer, the Republican operative, the Kansas City lawyer - the Libyan gambit last March looked like a rare business opportunity.

To a colourful group of Americans - the Washington terrorism expert, the veteran C.I.A. officer, the Republican operative, the Kansas City lawyer - the Libyan gambit last March looked like a rare business opportunity.