Libya: Tony Blair and Col Gaddafi's Secret Meetings

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New questions over Tony Blair's ties to Col Muammar Gaddafi and his role in the release of the Lockerbie bomber have emerged from documents discovered in Tripoli.

The letters and emails, found by The Sunday Telegraph, show Mr Blair held secret talks with Gaddafi in the months before Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was freed from a British jail.

He was flown to Libya twice at Gaddafi's expense on one of the former dictator's private jets - visiting the him in June 2008 and April 2009, when Libya was threatening to cut all business links if Megrahi stayed in a British jail.

The disclosure of the meetings – of which Mr Blair makes no mention on his various websites – prompted calls by relatives of Lockerbie victims for Mr Blair to make public all his dealings with Gaddafi and his regime. Mr Blair even brought an American billionaire to one of the meetings. Sources say the financier was asked by Gaddafi for help in building beach resorts on the Libyan coast.

In the correspondence, Mr Blair's private office refers to Gaddafi deferentially as "The Leader". Pam Dix, whose brother died in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie on Dec 21 1988, said yesterday: "The idea of Gaddafi paying for Mr Blair's visit is deeply offensive.

"These new meetings between Mr Blair and Gaddafi are disturbing, and details of what was discussed should now be made public. I am astonished Tony Blair continued to have meetings like this out of office." » | Colin Freeman, in Tripoli and Robert Mendick, Chief Reporter | Saturday, September 17, 2011

Col Gaddafi 'in Libya and Readying Forces'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Muammar Gaddafi is still in Libya and in good spirits, with a powerful army behind him, the ousted leader's spokesman has claimed.

"The leader is in good health, in high morale ... of course he is in Libya," Moussa Ibrahim told Reuters via a crackling satellite telephone line.

"The fight is as far away from the end as the world can imagine. We are still very powerful, our army is still powerful ... we have huge areas of Libya under our control," he said. "We are gathering our forces."

Ibrahim declined to say where he himself was. » | Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Gaddafi's Last Strongholds Stand Firm
September 12, 2011: Why are the rebel forces still facing such strong pro-Gaddafi resistance in the city of Bani Walid?
Watch Inside Story here

Libyen: Gaddafi-Sohn flüchtet nach Niger

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE (FAZ): Einer der Söhne des einstigen libyschen Machthabers Muammar al Gaddafi, Al Saadi, ist in den Niger geflohen. Immer mehr enge Vertraute und Familienmitglieder des gestürzten Diktators setzen sich ins Ausland ab.

Gaddafis Sohn Al Saadi habe am Sonntag die Grenze zum Nachbarland Niger überquert, sagte der nigrische Justizminister Marou Amadou in der Hauptstadt Niamey. Wie der arabische Nachrichtensender Al Dschazira weiter berichtete, wurde der 38 Jahre alte frühere Fußballprofi in einem Konvoi mit acht weiteren Personen aufgegriffen. Die Regierung von Niger sei nicht vorab informiert worden.

Immer mehr enge Familienmitglieder des gestürzten libyschen Diktators Muammar Gaddafi setzen sich ins Ausland ab. Al Saadi ist bereits das vierte von acht Kindern Gaddafis, das sich ins Ausland abgesetzt hat. Zuvor war Ende August die zweite Ehefrau des untergetauchten einstigen Machthabers, Safija al-Gaddafi, mit der Tochter Aischa und dem Sohn Hannibal nach Algerien geflüchtet. Mit dabei war auch Gaddafis ältester Sohn Mohammed, der aus erster Ehe stammt. Wo sich früherer Diktator Gaddafi aufhält, ist weiterhin unklar. » | FAZ.NET | Montag 12. September 2011

Schweiz – Tagesschau: Flüchtling Gaddafi
Die Gerüchteküche brodelt, ob der Spekulationen über den Aufenthaltsort des früheren libyschen Machthabers Muammar Al-Gaddafi. Angeblich soll er sich nach Burkina Faso abgesetzt haben. Genauso gut könnte er sich aber immer noch in Libyen aufhalten.

Col Muammar Gaddafi 'Sold 20 Per Cent of Libya's Gold' in Regime's Final Days
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Former Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi sold more than 20 per cent of Libya's gold reserves, worth more than $1 billion, in the final days of his regime, the country's central bank governor said on Thursday.

Qassem Azzoz said 1.7 billion dinars worth of gold, or around 29 tonnes, were sold to local merchants as the regime ran short of cash.

"The gold was liquidated in order to pay salaries and to have liquidity, in Tripoli in particular," Azzoz said.

According to central bank officials the gold likely made its way out of the country to neighbouring Tunisia and beyond.

Azzoz added that the bank's total assets now stand at around $115 billion, of which $90 billion is abroad.

Meanwhile, Gaddafi's loyalists fired at least 10 rockets from inside one of his last strongholds on Thursday, hours after a TV station aired an audio message believed to be from the ousted Libyan leader urging his fighters on. Read on and comment » | Thursday, September 08, 2011

Audiobotschaft: Gaddafi dementiert Gerüchte über Flucht nach Niger
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der gestürzte libysche Machthaber hat in einer weiteren Audiobotschaft Gerüchte dementiert, er sei nach Niger geflüchtet. Seinen Gegnern bleibe „nichts mehr als psychologischer Krieg und Lügen“, sagte Gaddafi.

Der langjährige libysche Machthaber Muammar el Gaddafi hat in einer neuen Audiobotschaft Gerüchte über seine Flucht nach Niger dementiert. Seinen Gegnern bleibe „nichts mehr als psychologischer Krieg und Lügen“, sagte Gaddafi am Donnerstag in der vom syrischen Fernsehsender Arrai übertragenen Botschaft.

Gaddafi sagte in der Audiobotschaft, die nach mehreren Tagen Schweigen kam, er sei überzeugt, dass die Nato besiegt werde. Er versicherte, dass die Angriffe gegen die „Ratten und Söldner“ verstärkt würden. Gerüchte über seine Flucht nach Niger dementierte er. Am Dienstag hatte der libysche Nationale Übergangsrat gemeldet, dass ein Konvoi die Grenze zum Niger überquert habe. Es habe sich um einen Konvoi gehandelt, wie ihn Gaddafi und seine Söhne benutzten, hieß es. Sowohl der Niger als auch die Vereinigten Staaten dementierten aber, dass sich Gaddafi oder einer seiner Söhne in dem Konvoi befunden habe. » | FAZ.NET mit AFP/dpa | Donnerstag 08. September 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Gaddafi issues defiant message from hiding: Deposed former Libyan leader vows never to leave the country and denies claims he is in neighbouring Niger » | Shiv Malik and Lizzy Davies | Thursday, September 08, 2011

Am I Not Sweet? Gaddafi's Home Videos Uncovered
Previously unseen personal video footage of Colonel Gaddafi has emerged which shows the former Libyan dictator playing with his grandchildren in his Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli in 2005.
Watch video and read article here

Inside Gaddafi’s Secret Underworld

Gaddafi Delivers Second Audio Address
In a second audio message broadcast on a Syrian TV channel, Muammar Gaddafi called on his supporters to prepare for a long battle against Libya's new leaders

Russia Was Never on Gaddafi's Side, Nor NATO's - FM Lavrov
Russia has never supported Muammar Gaddafi, that's the key message from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who also opposed NATO methods to remove the former Libyan leader. Egor Piskunov has more on Russia's answer on the Libyan conflict. Also, to talk more about the future of the Libyan state, RT's joined by Chris Nineham from the "Stop the War Coalition" based in London.

Colonel Gaddafi Issues Defiant Warning to Rebels that They Face a 'Long Battle' for Control of Libya
Libya's former leader Muammar Gaddafi calls on his supporters to set Libya alight as he vows to continue the fight against the rebel1

Gadhafi Vows No Surrender in Libya
THE GUARDIAN: TRIPOLI, Libya — Moammar Gadhafi warned from hiding Thursday that tribes loyal to him were well-armed and preparing for battle, hours after rebels hoping for a peaceful surrender extended the deadline for loyalist forces to give up in the longtime Libyan leader's hometown.

Gadhafi's audio statement, broadcast by Syrian-based Al-Rai TV, came as the rebels said they were closing in on the former dictator.

"We won't surrender again; we are not women [عربي], we will keep fighting," Gadhafi said. His voice was recognizable, and Al-Rai has previously broadcast several statements by Gadhafi and his sons.

Rebels have been hunting for the Libyan leader since he was forced into hiding after they swept into Tripoli on Aug. 20 and gained control of most of the capital after days of fierce fighting. » | Maggie Michael | Associated Press | Thursday, September 01, 2011

Muammar Gaddafi's Sons At Odds Over Surrender
Deposed Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son and heir apparent, Saif al-Islam, tells Syria's al-Rai TV loyalists would never surrender to the rebels - while his brother Saadi, a former footballer, tells al-Arabiya TV he is ready to negotiate with rebels

Gaddafi’s Daughter to Leave Hospital After Giving Birth
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER: ALGIERS — Aisha Gaddafi, who gave birth in Algeria this week after fleeing Libya as her father’s regime crumbled, was to leave hospital in the southern town of Djanet yesterday, a government source said.

The government said Tuesday that she had crossed into Algeria on Saturday with her brother Hannibal, their mother Safiya — Gaddafi’s second wife — and the fugitive leader’s eldest son Mohammed.

“Both (mother and daughter) are in very good health,” said the source who requested anonymity. The government said on Tuesday that Aisha Gaddafi gave birth to a baby girl in the small southern town of Djanet [français], 2,300 kilometres south of Algiers, early on Sunday.

The government official declined to comment on tensions between Algiers and Libya’s National Transitional Council, which has all but vanquished Gaddafi and has called for the handover of the Gaddafi family members.

Algeria’s foreign ministry on Tuesday said the Gaddafi family members were allowed in the country “for strictly humanitarian reasons”.

The daily Ennahar newspaper reported yesterday that up to 62 Gaddafi clan members had entered Tunisia. » | Agencies | Thursday, September 01, 2011

Libyan Rebels Demand Return of Gaddafi Family from Algeria
Libya's National Transitional Council says the dictator's wife Safiya, who crossed the border into Algeria with Gaddafi's daughter Aisha, sons Hannibal and Mohammed and their children on 29 August, should be extradited. The family crossed at the south-western Libyan town of Ghadamis into Algeria, according to witnesses

Gaddafis Familie auf der Flucht
Gaddafis Frau und drei seiner Kinder, darunter sein Sohn Hannibal, haben das Land Richtung Algerien verlassen. Vom Diktator fehlt weiterhin jede Spur. Nahostkorrespondent Pascal Weber schätzt für «10vor10» die neusten Entwicklungen ein.

Gaddafis Familie in Algerien
Laut Angaben des algerischen Aussenministeriums ist Gaddafis Ehefrau mit den Kindern Mohammed, Hannibal und Aischa nach Algerien ausgereist. Der libysche Despot Muammar al-Gaddafi ist noch immer auf der Flucht. Die NATO hat erneut Luftangriffe auf Gaddafis Heimatstadt Sirte geflogen.

Das geheime Leben der Hana Gaddafi
WELT ONLINE: Sie wurde vor 25 Jahren für tot erklärt – doch der Verdacht erhärtet sich, dass Gaddafi-Tochter Hana noch lebt. Offenbar arbeitet sie als Ärztin.

Ihr Leben war streng geheim, denn für die Öffentlichkeit durfte sie nicht existieren. Hana Gaddafi, die Tochter des Diktators, wurde im April 1986 nach dem US-Bombenangriff auf Tripolis vom Regime für tot erklärt – aus Propagandazwecken. In den letzten Tagen erhärtete sich der Verdacht: Hana Gaddafi ist am Leben.

Erste Hinweise hatte es gegeben, als die Schweizer Regierung Konten der Gaddafi-Familie einfrieren ließ, darunter auch das Vermögen einer Hana Gaddafi, geboren am 11. November 1985. Die junge Frau hatte in London gelebt, in Libyen Medizin studierte und anschließend als Ärztin gearbeitet.

Die Eroberung der Gaddafi-Residenz Bab al-Asisia förderte weitere Beweise zutage. Eine irische Reporterin stieß in Gaddafis Palast auf einen Raum, in dem ganz offenbar noch vor Kurzem eine junge Frau aus dem Diktatorenclan gelebt hatte. Im Regal standen DVDs der US-Serie „Sex and the City“ und CDs von den „Backstreet Boys“. Außerdem entdeckte die Journalistin Anti-Cellulite-Creme und Stofftiere. » | Florian Flade | Sonntag 28. August 2011

Gaddafi Extends Olive Branch?