Officials in high places get pretty good salaries, but wait until you cast your eyes through just a small section of the list of gifts they also receive from foreign governments. Gifts that appear to spend their life hidden in 'Archives Foreign'. After glancing over just some of the 1998 list it reads as if the Archives Foreign are something like Harrods the day before Christmas.

Libya's Momar Qaddafi was one of the most generous gift-givers, who seemed particularly grateful for former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to Tripoli last year. He handed her gifts totaling $212,225, which included a diamond ring and a locket with his own picture inside, according to a newly-released State Department report.

Officials are required by law, to hand over such gifts to the U.S. government.

Here is just a tiny fraction of official gifts that were received as 'non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to both the donor and the U.S. Government' such as:

*Farwa overcoat
*Gold dagger
*Gold sabre with diamonds and rubies – foreign archives
*A navy suede robe with gold trim and mink lining
*Gold necklace
*Black Mercedes mountain bike
*24” gold Collar of State chain
*2 Tan leather saddles
*849 piece white china set
*3 wind chimes and candle holder
*Pair of leather boots
*Painted leather saddle
*Music system with speakers and remote control
*Waterford crystal footed bowl
*Pen and ink set
*Silk Afghani rug
*19 x 39 oval lapis tabletop
*MTB Hard tail special edition mountain bike
*uSqueeze Calf and foot massager
*Zen Mp3 player
*Taxidermied lion and leopard
*Silver tea pot and teaset
*Carved statues
*Bottle of Kutjevo wine (location – handled pursuant to Secret Service policy)
*Gold plated SMG PK Caliber 9mm gun
*Gold necklace with emeralds, diamonds and rubies

The list of gifts included numerous watches, diamond bracelets and earrings, paintings and items of clothing, cufflinks and rings, robes, vases, scarves, rugs, statues, pens, traditional dress, carved statues, books, handbags, teasets, vases, plates, photos.

Many items were moved to 'General Services Administration', showing they are being 'officially' used somewhere.

Several members of the White House staff also received similar gifts, which were transferred to 'General Services Administration'. These included items like swords, carpets, gold and silver tea cups. Children's books, stuffed toys and children's shirts. Caviar, cognac and pomegranates and 12 lb of Arabian dates were handled pursuant to US Secret Service policy.

These gifts do not include accommodation, round trip air tickets etc., provided by host countries.

The list rolls on and on into hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items. And this was only for the Bush administration in 2008!

What about all the other years and all the other presidents, besides all the other governments right around the globe? The question remains: How big are the official 'Archives Foreign' and are they constantly expanding?

Or do the officials hold an 'auction' from time to time? Are there buildings hidden away, full of treasure, that are larger than several football fields? Who has the control of this uncountable wealth, or do the 'Archives Foreign' have revolving doors?

Perhaps the gifts should be gone over and handed out again to other diplomats?

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