In an interview, Mr. Rothman said Colonel Qaddafi and his delegation had decided instead to stay in New York City. He said he spoke to a top lobbyist for the Libyan government on Friday afternoon “who informed me that a final decision had been made to the effect that Muammar el-Qaddafi would be confining his stay to Manhattan.”…

Many residents were bothered by the Libyan leader’s past sponsorship of terrorists, and were particularly angered by his warm reception of Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, convicted of the 1988 bombing of a jetliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, who was released from prison last week.

Working with the State Department and the White House, Mr. Rothman pushed for Colonel Qaddafi to be restricted to Manhattan.