THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: William Hague has hailed the defection of Col Gaddafi’s foreign minister as a major blow to the Libyan leader and claimed he could be the first of many to desert the regime.
The Foreign Secretary, giving the Government’s first official reaction to the arrival in London of Moussa Koussa, said his departure from Gaddafi’s side showed the regime was fragmenting and “crumbling from within.”
Mr Hague said that Koussa, who he described as “one of the most senior members of the Gaddafi regime", was not subject to any immunity, but confirmed that he was being debriefed by government officials.
At a press conference in the Foreign Office, Mr Hague said: “He travelled here under his own free will. He said he is resigning his post. We’re discussing this with him and we will release further details.
"We encourage those around Gaddafi to abandon him and embrace the better future for Libya that allows political transition and real reform that meets the aspirations of the Libyan people."
He added: "Moussa Koussa is one of the most senior members of the Gaddafi regime, he has been my channel of communication to the regime in recent weeks ... His resignation shows that Gaddafi’s regime – which has already seen significant defections to the opposition – it is fragmented, under pressure and crumbling from within." » | Andrew Porter, Thomas Harding and Robert Winnett | Thursday, March 31, 2011
