Showing posts with label Muammar Gaddafi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muammar Gaddafi. Show all posts
Monday, June 26, 2017
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Oman, a British ally in the Gulf has offered refuge to close relatives of Muammar Gaddafi, including his wife and a hated playboy son, officials from Tripoli and Muscat revealed on Monday.
Safia Gaddafi, the dictator's widow and three of his children left a hideaway in Algeria last October, more than a year after they crossed the border from Libya.
Mohammad Abdulaziz, Libya's foreign minister, said that the group had accepted political asylum from Oman and conceded it was difficult to foresee their return to Libya, where several face criminal charges.
Sultan Qaboos, Oman's ruler, is a Sandhurst-educated Anglophile who last week hosted a three-day visit by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and he is close to several members of the Government.
The Gaddafi group includes the former leader's daughter Aisha, a lawyer who made headlines around the world with her campaigns on behalf of Saddam Hussein.
The most notorious member of the group is Gaddafi's son Hannibal. He is wanted for alleged human rights abuses by the new authorities in Tripoli.
Another son, Mohammad, is the son of the dictator's first wife, but despite being the head of the Libyan Olympic committee, he is not associated with the worst excesses of the regime. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Monday, March 25, 2013
Saturday, October 20, 2012
His capture came 12 months after Gaddafi was caught hiding in a storm drain and killed by rebel fighters. Many Libyans had assumed that Mr Ibrahim had also been killed in the chaos following Gaddafi's fall last year, or had escaped abroad to Egypt or another of the North African boltholes used by thousands of Gaddafi supporters.
Instead, the official who became Gaddafi's chief spokesman and the face of the regime appears to have been hiding near the capital.
"Moussa Ibrahim was arrested at a checkpoint in the town of Tarhouna," read a brief statement from the prime minister's office after rumours that he had been detained spread on social networking sites. "(He) is being taken to Tripoli where he will be handed over to the pertinent authorities to begin questioning."
Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abu Shagur confirmed the news on microblogging site Twitter with the following post: "Criminal Moussa Ibrahim was arrested and he is now on his way to Tripoli." » | Nick Meo | Saturday, October 20, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France's Nicolas Sarkozy has angrily denied claims he received money from deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to fund his first presidential run in 2007.
Website Mediapart said that the Libyan regime gave 50 million euros (£42 million) to Sarkozy's campaign, citing a document being used to investigate a 2002 bombing in the Pakistani city of Karachi, which killed 11 French citizens.
The report comes just six weeks before the first round of the presidential election on April 22.
"If he (Gaddafi) had financed it, then I haven't been very grateful," Sarkozy said when a journalist asked about the report on TF1 television.
In March 2011, as France and Britain spearheaded air strikes against Libya, Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam told Euronews TV that Libya had financed Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign, which the president's office also denied at the time.
Sarkozy lashed out at the journalist who asked him about the report and al-Islam's claim, accusing her of sympathising with the younger Gaddafi, who is being held by a Libyan militia.
"I am sorry for you that you are the spokeswoman for Gaddafi's son," Sarkozy said, visibly angered by the question. » | Reuters | Tuesday, March 13, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France election 2012: support for François Hollande will crumble, Nicolas Sarkozy's oracle predicts – Fascinating prediction of Francois Hollande's electoral demise today by Patrick Buisson, Nicolas Sarkzoy's public opinion eminence grise. » | Henry Samuel | Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Thursday, October 20, 2011
MAIL ONLINE: Gaddafi's last moments alive: Dictator begs for his life after being dragged from a drain. Seconds later he was summarily executed » | Daily Mail Reporter | Thursday, October 20, 2011
A senior National Transitional Council official has said that deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has died of his wounds after being captured near his hometown of Sirte. Muammar Gaddafi came to power in 1969 in a coup at the age of 27 and went on to rule Libya for 42 years with an iron fist. He has left Libya in tatters and despite the vast oil wealth, a vast majority of Libyans still live on about $2 a day and 40 per cent remain unemployed. Gaddafi wanted to be the leader of the Arab world and modeled himself on Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. He published the Green Book which established rule of the people but in reality he exercised absolute power. The former Libyan leader was accused of bombing Pan Am Flight 103 in Scotland, a charge he always denied. After this Libya remained under internatinal isolation for years. When the uprising gathered momentum earlier this year he blamed everyone, from US to al-Qaeda, and called the protesters rats and cats of Libya. Many will remember Gaddafi as the leader who set Libya back by many years.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: Tony Blair's handshake with Muammar Gaddafi in 2004 began an uneasy relationship that now presents difficult questionsOn 25 February 2004, Tony Blair stood up in the Libyan capital Tripoli and shook hands with an eccentric dictator who until then had been regarded as an international pariah for his involvement in sponsoring terrorism.
That man was Muammar Gaddafi, who, Blair announced, had joined Britain in the fight against terror.
Asked if he was queasy about meeting Libya's leader, Blair replied: "It was strange, given the history, to come here and do this and, of course, I am conscious of the pain that people have suffered as a result of terrorist actions in the past."
What Blair meant, to be explicit, was Libya's involvement in downing a US airliner over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, and the shooting of a British police constable, WPC Yvonne Fletcher, by a gunman who fired from inside the Libyan embassy in London.
Announcing a "new relationship", however, Blair said he had been struck by how the Libyan leader wished to join with Britain in "common cause with us against al-Qaida, extremists and terrorism".
That was then. In the last few days it has been Gaddafi who has looked liked the extremist, sending troops, and reportedly mercenaries, to crush demonstrations against his rule in the towns of Benghazi and Al Bayda. Human Rights Watch says this has led to the deaths of at least 85 of his people.
But it has not only been a dubious partnership against terror that has increasingly embroiled the United Kingdom in Libya's affairs. There has been a second "common cause" that has underpinned the relationship with Gaddafi's regime, underscored by the announcement on the same day in 2004 of a £550m deal with Shell for exploration rights.
Now Britain's risky and controversial relationship with Libya is beginning rapidly to unravel. >>> Peter Beaumont and Andrew Clark | Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: Libyan leader claims protesters led astray by WikiLeaks disclosures amid reports of unrest in Libya
The Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, has condemned the uprising in neighbouring Tunisia amid reports today of unrest on the streets of Libya.
In a speech last night Gaddafi, an ally of the ousted president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, said he was "pained" by the fall of the Tunisian government. He claimed protesters had been led astray by WikiLeaks disclosures detailing the corruption in Ben Ali's family and his repressive regime.
The leaked cables were written by "ambassadors in order to create chaos",, Deutsche Press-Agentur reported Gaddafi as saying.
His remarks came as Tunisian politicians hold talks to form a unity government to help maintain a fragile calm two days after violent protests forced Ben Ali from office.
Tanks were stationed around the capital, Tunis, and soldiers were guarding public buildings, but after a day of drive-by shootings and jailbreaks in which dozens of inmates were killed, residents said they were starting to feel more secure.
"Last night we surrounded our neighbourhood with roadblocks and had teams checking cars. Now we are in the process of lifting the roadblocks and getting life back to normal," said Imed, a resident of the city's Intilaka suburb.
Gaddafi's comments reflect a nervousness among other long-serving Arab leaders that the uprising in Tunisia will embolden anti-government protests elsewhere in the region. >>> Matthew Weaver and agencies | Sunday, January 16, 2011
BRIAN WHITAKER’S BLOG, AL-BAB: Trouble in Libya >>>
Saturday, July 17, 2010
MAIL ONLINE: Tony Blair was flown to Libya for secret talks with Colonel Gaddafi just days after denying he was an adviser to the dictator.
Mr Blair was 'entertained as a brother', a senior Libyan government source has revealed.
He told the Daily Mail that the former prime minister had offered Gaddafi, with whom he is on first-name terms, 'a great deal of invaluable advice'.
They discussed a wide range of international and domestic issues, including lucrative investment opportunities.
The meeting, in Tripoli last month, came shortly after Mr Blair's spokesman flatly denied that he had any 'formal or informal', 'paid or unpaid' advisory role to Gaddafi.
The revelation will heap pressure on Mr Blair - now a Middle East peace envoy - over his links to the Libyan regime and potential conflicts of interest between his public and private roles.
It will also anger those who lost family members in the Lockerbie bombing, for which Libya has admitted responsibility.
And the timing couldn't be worse for BP, which is being accused in the U.S. of helping to engineer the early release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi in exchange for oil concessions from the Libyan government. Blair in secret talks with Gaddafi: Lockerbie families' fury as ex-Premier is treated like a 'brother' by dictator just days after denying links with Libya >>> James Chapman and Nabila Ramdani | Friday, July 16, 2010
Additional reporting: Peter Allen and Christian Gysin
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
BBC: The US State Department has apologised for comments made about Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's call for jihad, or holy war, against Switzerland.
Department spokesman PJ Crowley*, who made the dismissive comments, said they did not reflect US policy and were not intended to offend.
Col Gaddafi had criticised a Swiss vote against the building of minarets and urged Muslims to boycott the country.
Mr Crowley described it as "lots of words, not necessarily a lot of sense."
Libya and Switzerland are embroiled in a long-running diplomatic row.
Clarification
"I regret that my comments have become an obstacle to further progress in our bilateral relationship," Mr Crowley said.
Last week, Libya's National Oil Corporation warned US oil firms of possible "repercussions" over Mr Crowley's reaction. >>> | Tuesday, March 09, 2010
*Who is this sniveler? America has lost ALL of its dignity!
20MINUTEN.ch: USA macht sich die Nase braun! Affäre Gaddafi : USA entschuldigen sich bei Libyen >>> sda/ddp | Mittwoch, 09. März 2010
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: The Libyan Government has pitched a tent in suburban New York that leader Muammar Gaddafi may use for entertaining, a US State Department official said.
And it appears the property was rented from Donald Trump.
The State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivity and protocol concerns, said the property was obtained for the duration of this weeks' United Nations General Assembly. The official said no one would be staying there overnight.
No-parking signs were going up near Trump's Seven Springs estate in Bedford, about 69 kilometres north of Manhattan, where residents include Martha Stewart and Ralph Lauren.
TV helicopters showed a tent on the Trump property. Police would not comment and Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan would say only that the agency did not discuss the schedules or logistics of people it was protecting.
As word got out, local officials quickly objected to Gaddafi's anticipated presence. Gaddafi, who arrived in New York on Tuesday, will most likely face protests over Scotland's recent release of Libyan Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which killed 270 people.
The Trump Organisation said Gaddafi would not be coming to Trump's estate and insisted that Trump has not rented property to the Libyan. But it said part of the estate "was leased on a short-term basis to Middle Eastern partners, who may or may not have a relationship to Mr Gaddafi. We are looking into the matter". >>> AP | Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
THE GUARDIAN: Prince Andrew is set to pull out of Libya visit for the anniversary of military coup, as claims grow louder that Westminster 'cut a business deal' with Tripoli over the release from a life prison sentence for the Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds
If Gordon Brown is hoping that the furore over Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's release will die down now that the only man convicted of bombing Pan Am Flight 103 is back in Libya, he will be disappointed.
According to reports in the Arabic press, Megrahi will be at the centre of next month's celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the military coup that swept Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to power.
The event, to be attended by politicians, leaders and royalty, will be held in the full glare of the world's media. And, unfortunately for Brown and the many people left incensed by the decision to release terminally ill Megrahi on compassionate grounds, the former Libyan intelligence officer will be prominent.
Indeed, one Libyan official, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Asharq Alawsat newspaper that Megrahi will be "the main guest". This may explain why Prince Andrew, a regular visitor in recent years, is now unlikely to attend.
Seasoned diplomats believe the timing of the event, in effect Gaddafi's chance to showcase himself to the world, and Megrahi's release, are more than coincidental. Despite Libya having shaken off its pariah status since it turned its back on terrorism and renounced weapons of mass destruction in 2003, Gaddafi has little to celebrate at the moment.
Libya's economy is dependent on oil, and its falling price has hit hard. And the country has only recently emerged from a period of double-digit inflation that saw large increases in housing costs and food prices. Megrahi is a good news story at a time when Gaddafi badly needs one.
It was always unlikely, then, that the Libyan leader would respect Brown's request, made in a letter, to handle Megrahi's return "with sensitivity". But questions are now being asked about what role, if any, Brown and his government played in co-ordinating the release. The official line from the Foreign Office is that it was a matter for the Scottish government and there were no backroom deals. >>> Jamie Doward, home affairs editor | Sunday, August 23, 2009
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Despite denials, talk persists of pressure and plots behind the freeing of the Lockerbie bomber
They are expecting a magnificent party in Tripoli a week on Tuesday when Libya marks the 40th year in power of Muammar Gadaffi and pays tribute to the deft diplomatic footwork of Saif al-Islam, his son.
The only man convicted for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988 is finally home; and the suave, shaven-headed Saif, whose name means “sword of Islam”, is credited with a key role in making it happen.
An agreement struck long ago between Tony Blair and Gadaffi had threatened to fall apart with potentially catastrophic consequences for Britain: it has emerged that Libya threatened to freeze diplomatic relations if Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, said to be suffering from cancer, was not released under a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya.
In the end, he was freed by Scotland on “compassionate” grounds and escorted home to Tripoli by Saif, who thrust Megrahi’s hand into the air as they came down the steps of Gadaffi’s airliner to a hero’s welcome that has outraged the families of Lockerbie’s victims.
Yesterday the protests were undimmed, but the official responses were evasive — unsurprisingly, because behind Megrahi’s release lie weeks of intrigue between Westminster, Tripoli, Edinburgh and Washington.
Apart from the unfortunate Lockerbie families, everyone seems to have got what they wanted. Gadaffi and his son have their man. Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice secretary, who signed the release order, has burnished his humanitarian credentials. Gordon Brown has preserved Britain’s politically and economically valuable new relationship with Libya while avoiding any blame for the release. And American politicians have been able to bluster in protest while exercising none of their considerable clout to stop it happening.
The whole exercise reeks of realpolitik and moral evasion.
The reality is that Megrahi’s freedom is a product of the effort to bring Libya out of dangerous isolation. This is as much to America’s advantage as Britain’s, but Washington has too much baggage to be openly involved; it bombed Libya in 1986 in punishment for supporting terrorism, and Gadaffi remains a bogeyman to many Americans. So Britain takes the lead — except when it can devolve the dirty work onto a Scottish politician. >>> Matthew Campbell | Sunday, August 23, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
BBC: Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi has stormed out of the Arab League summit in Qatar having denounced the Saudi king for his ties with the West.
He disrupted the opening session by criticising King Abdullah, calling him a British product and an American ally.
Col Gaddafi has angered Arab leaders in the past with sharp remarks at summits.
Meanwhile, leaders have been urged to reject an international arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur.
Arrest first "those who have committed massacres and atrocities in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon", Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said.
The summit is also expected to discuss Iran's influence in the Middle East.
A number of countries are particularly concerned about Iran's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. >>> | Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
WELT ONLINE: Er war mit der einzige, der den libyschen Revolutionsführer Muammar al-Gaddafi ungestraft kritisieren durfte: Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, Sohn des umstrittenen Potentaten. Der Westen hätte in ihm gerne Gaddafis Nachfolger gesehen. Doch Seif al-Islam gab seinen Rückzug aus der Politik bekannt – auf Druck seines Vaters.
Ob beim Friseur oder im Basar, in Damaskus, Beirut oder Rabat – wo immer man nach Muammar al-Gaddafi fragt, wird der Finger unter die Nase gehalten und das Schnupfen eines Kokainsüchtigen simuliert. Was der Mann von der Straße dem libyschen Revolutionsführer unterstellt, würde seinen unausgeschlafenen Eindruck sowie seine Unberechenbarkeit erklären.
Anfang August stoppte Gaddafi alle Öllieferungen an die Schweiz, nachdem dort einer seiner sechs Söhne wegen Misshandlung der eigenen Angestellten verhaftet worden war. Schweizer Firmen in Libyen, inklusive Nestlé, wurden geschlossen, zwei Schweizer Staatsbürger verhaftet.
Für Muammar Gaddafi ist das alles business as usual, schließlich diktiert er die Rechtsstaatlichkeit. Politisch Andersdenkende werden verfolgt, unliebsame Presseberichte bestraft und unabhängige Nichtregierungsorganisationen nicht zugelassen. Punkte, die Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, der zweitgeborene und politisch engagierte Sohn des Revolutionsführers – im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Libyern – ungestraft kritisierte.
Vergangene Woche hielt er in Sebah, einer Wüstensiedlung im Süden des Landes, eine seiner kritischen live im Fernsehen übertragenen Reden. Seif al-Islam forderte bessere Lebensbedingungen für die Bevölkerung, den Aufbau der nicht existenten Zivilgesellschaft, eine rechtschaffene Justiz und eine freie Presse. Obwohl es wie eine Wahlkampfrede klang, verkündete der 36-Jährige im Anschluss seinen Rückzug aus der Politik. Warum Gaddafis Sohn die Politik verlässt >>> Von Alfred Hackensberger | 26. August 2008
TIMESONLINE:
Gaddafi Son Says Lockerbie Families Were ‘Greedy’: Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son has accused relatives of the Lockerbie bombing victims of "trading with the blood of their sons and daughters” in their demands for compensation.
Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, who is seen as the leading candidate to succeed his father as Libyan leader, said that the Lockerbie families were "very greedy” during negotiations over payouts for the deaths of loved ones.
Mr Gaddafi also told BBC2’s The Conspiracy Files that the Libyan government had only taken responsibility for Britain’s worst terrorist attack in order to get international sanctions lifted. >>> | August 29, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>
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