Saif Gaddafi: 'My Father Will Not Leave Libya'
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libya leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, defiantly tells French television that Western powers are doomed to lose their military campaign to oust his father

Read short article here | Monday, July 04, 2011

Interview with ICC's Moreno-Ocampo on Arrest Warrant for Gaddafi
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, speaks to Al Jazeera about the court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader. Gaddafi is accused of crimes against humanity.

Libya: ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Colonel Gaddafi
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and the country's spy chief, Abdullah al-Senussi, on charges of crimes against humanity.


ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo had in May asked the court to issue arrest warrants for the "pre-determined" killing of protesters in Libya following after the UN Security Council referred the issue to the court.

Gaddafi has "absolute, ultimate and unquestioned control" over Libya's state apparatus and its security forces, presiding judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng said in reading out the ruling.

She added that both Gaddafi and Saif al-Islam "conceived and orchestrated a plan to deter and quell by all means the civilian demonstrations" against the regime and that al-Senussi used his position of command to have attacks carried out.

Gaddafi, who has run his oil-producing Arab North African country since a military coup in 1969, is under pressure to relinquish power from rebels who rose up against his rule and from a NATO bombing campaign.

But more than three months into the NATO campaign, fissures are showing within the Western alliance and it is feared that the ICC warrant could also trigger greater violence in Libya as Gaddafi tries to cling to power. » | Monday, June 27, 2011

Gaddafi Revives Offer of Vote to End Libya Conflict
REUTERS: The Libyan government on Sunday renewed its offer to hold a vote on whether Muammar Gaddafi should stay in power, a proposal unlikely to interest Gaddafi's opponents but which could widen differences inside NATO.

Pressure is growing from some quarters within the alliance to find a political solution, three months into a military campaign which is costing NATO members billions of dollars, has killed civilians, and has so far failed to topple Gaddafi.

Moussa Ibrahim, a spokesman for Gaddafi's administration, told reporters in Tripoli the government was proposing a period of national dialogue and an election overseen by the United Nations and the African Union.

"If the Libyan people decide Gaddafi should leave he will leave. If the people decide he should stay he will stay," Ibrahim said.

But he said Gaddafi -- who has run the oil-producing country since taking over in a military coup in 1969 -- would not go into exile whatever happened. "Gaddafi is not leaving anywhere, he is staying in this country," Ibrahim said.

The idea of holding an election was first raised earlier this month by one of Gaddafi's sons, Saif al-Islam. » | Nick Carey | TRIPOLI | Sunday, June 26, 2011

Inside Story: Time Ticking for NATO in Libya
After three months of conflict and popular protest in Libya, international pressure on Muammar Gaddafi is mounting, and with increased NATO airstrikes and ICC arrest warrants now in the frame.

But how long can NATO keep up the bombardment, with a limited mandate to operate in, and Gaddaffi showing no sign of stepping down?

Inside Story, with presenter Kamahl Santamaria, discusses with Tarik Youssef, senior research fellow at the Dubai School of Government; David Metham, UK director for Human Rights Watch and Saad Djebbar, international lawyer, and deputy director for the Centre of North African studies at Cambridge University.

This episode of Inside Story aired from [sic] Tuesday, May 17, 2011.

Gaddafis Named as International Criminal Court Suspects
THE GUARDIAN: Chief prosecutor requests crimes against humanity arrest warrants for Libyan leader, son Saif al-Islam and intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi

Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and his brother-in-law and intelligence chief, Abdullah Senussi, have been named as suspects for crimes against humanity by the chief prosecutor for the international criminal court in The Hague.

Presenting his request for arrest warrants to the ICC, the chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said the men formed an inner circle who carried out the Libyan leader's orders to crush peaceful protests by ordering attacks with live ammunition and heavy weapons.

"His second eldest son Saif al-Islam is a de facto prime minister and Abdullah Senussi is his right-hand man, the executioner. [My] office documented how the three held meetings to plan and direct the operations," Moreno-Ocampo said. The prosecutor said he had "direct evidence" of the three men committing the crimes.

A panel of three ICC judges will now decide whether to grant the arrest warrants, after which Moreno-Ocampo said it was primarily up to Libyans themselves to enforce them.

However, the naming of Saif al-Islam as a prime suspect in crimes against humanity will alone be enough to cause shock and embarrassment to his prominent and wealthy circle of friends in Europe and the US, and particularly in the UK, where he studied at the London School of Economics and lived in Hampstead Garden Suburb, an exclusive district of London.

"His address book is going to be bulging with significant contacts. The question is going to be how long those contacts stayed in touch and at what point they cut him off," a source familiar with the investigation said. Those questions may be answered in part by a study of Saif al-Islam's mobile telephone records and other communications by the ICC investigators. » | Julian Borger, diplomatic editor | Monday, May 16, 2011

ICC Prosecutor Seeks Arrest Warrant for Gaddafi
REUTERS: The International Criminal Court prosecutor said on Monday he had requested arrest warrants for Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and the country's spy chief on charges of crimes against humanity.

ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo had said earlier this month he would seek three arrest warrants for the "pre-determined" killing of protesters in Libya following U.N. Security Council referral of the violence to the Hague-based court in February.

It had been widely expected that Moreno-Ocampo would seek an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Gaddafi, but in addition to a warrant for his son Saif, the prosecutor said he would also seek the arrest of Libya's head of espionage, Abdullah al-Senussi.

"The office gathered direct evidence about orders issued by Muammar Gaddafi himself, direct evidence of Saif al-Islam organizing the recruitment of mercenaries and direct evidence of the participation of al-Senussi in the attacks against demonstrators," Moreno-Ocampo said at the ICC. » | Reporting by Aaron Gray-Block; Editing by Giles Elgood | THE HAGUE | Monday, May 16, 2011

Libyan Leaders Face Arrest On War Crimes Charges
THE GUARDIAN: Gaddafi regime systematically opened fire on peaceful protests, says International Criminal Court prosecutor

The Gaddafi regime committed war crimes against Libyan pro-democracy demonstrations, opening fire "systematically" on peaceful protesters, according to a report issued by the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC), who will seek arrest warrants against Muammar Gaddafi and two other senior members of his regime later this month.

Addressing the UN security council in New York, the prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said he will ask judges at the court in The Hague for three warrants. He has not named his suspects but in his report to the UN security council on Wednesdayhe said they were the people who gave the orders for the alleged atrocities. The Guardian has learned from well-informed sources that Gaddafi will top the list, and that his brother-in-law and intelligence chief, Abdullah Senussi, is also likely to be included.

Other names in the frame include the leader's second oldest son Saif al-Islam and Mahmoud Al-Baghdadi, in effect, the nation's prime minister.

"It is indeed a characteristic of the situation in Libya that massive crimes are reportedly committed upon instruction of a few persons who control the organisations that execute the orders," Moreno-Ocampo said. He added that the arrests were a manner of urgency. » | Julian Borger, diplomatic editor | Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Libya: 2,000 Gaddafi Supporters Attend Funeral of Son
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Some 2,000 of Col Muammar Gaddafi's supporters turned out for the funeral of the Libyan leader's youngest son, as the regime intensified its attack on the besieged city of Misurata.

In the capital, Tripoli, a crowd of more than 1,000 people attended the funeral of Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, the leader's second youngest son, who was killed in an allied air strike on Saturday night.

Col Gaddafi himself did not attend, but two of his other sons, Saif al-Islam, who has the highest profile and was seen as his father's intended successor, and Hannibal were both seen in the crowd.

Some mourners fired weapons into the air. Others chanted "revenge for the martyrs" and carried placards reading "We are all with Gaddafi's Libya", according to news organisations.

The body, covered in a green cloth and with a wreath was delivered to the Al-Hani Cemetery in a black ambulance.

Three of Saif al-Arab's children, identified by the authorities as being a child each of Hannibal, their oldest brother, Mohammed, and their sister Aisha, were also buried. » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Monday, May 02, 2011

Related »

Gaddafi’s Son: We Will Deal with Terrorists First and Then Talk Reform
THE WASHINGTON POST: TRIPOLI, Libya — Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the influential second son of Moammar Gaddafi who was once seen as the great hope for reform in Libya, is clear on two points: He and his government have done nothing wrong, and they are not going to back down.

In an interview that reflected the defiance of the Gaddafi family more than two months into its efforts to put down a rebellion supported by the United States and its allies, the 38-year-old said the world had gone to war with Libya based on nothing more than rumor and propaganda.

In Saif Gaddafi’s telling, he has been betrayed by his “best friend,” who defected to join the rebels. His father’s government is besieged by al-Qaeda. And President Obama has proved no different from his predecessor, George W. Bush.

The comments underscore the uncompromising stance of the Libyan government at a time when the fighting has stale­mated and NATO faces internal squabbling. Although there had been indications this month that Saif Gaddafi was interested in a diplomatic solution to the crisis that has divided his nation, his tone during an hour-long interview suggested that the core decision-makers in Tripoli are in no hurry to find a political way out.

As if to bolster that point, forces loyal to the Gaddafi regime on Sunday heavily shelled the besieged city of Misurata, the only rebel outpost in western Libya. A city council spokesman said 17 people were killed and more than 100 were injured. Government troops also attacked rebel positions in the strategically critical eastern city of Ajdabiya, sending some opposition fighters fleeing back to their de facto capital, Benghazi.

One month after the uprising, the United Nations authorized a no-fly zone over Libya in March to counter the government’s attacks on civilians. Obama has said that international military action saved countless Libyan lives, by preventing Moammar Gaddafi’s men from carrying out a massacre in Benghazi.
But in Saif Gaddafi’s view, Obama has it all wrong.

“We want the Americans tomorrow to send a fact-finding mission to find out what happened in Libya. We want Human Rights Watch to come here and to find out exactly what happened,” he said. “We are not afraid of the International Criminal Court. We are confident and sure that we didn’t commit any crime against our people.” » | Simon Denyer | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Transcript of interview »

LE POINT: Seif el-Islam : "Nous n'avons commis aucun crime" : Pour le fils du colonel Kadhafi, les tirs de l'armée contre des opposants au régime ne sont que des allégations. » | Source AFP | Lundi 18 Avril 2011

Inside Story: Libya's Peace Pleas Not Enough
After more than a month of fighting, Muammar Gaddafi the Libyan Leader has once again renewed diplomatic efforts seeking an end to the crisis. 
On Sunday, Abdel Ati Obeidi, Libya's deputy foreign minister landed in Athens, carrying a message to the Prime Minister from Gaddafi. Gaddafi's message: to seek an end to the fighting. 

This was followed by a trip to Turkey and then to Malta.
 The Greek foreign minister said his country wants to reinforce the demands of the UN resolution.
 Also Franco Frattini, Italy's Foreign Minister dismissed Al Obeidi's message from Gaddafi as "not credible", reiterating that Gaddafi had to leave power. At the same time, Italy recognised the Libyan Opposition National Council as the only legitimate authority in the country. But Libyan opposition are still refusing any kind of settlement saying they will accept a UN-demanded ceasefire only if Gaddafi pulls his forces from all Libyan cities. Inside Story, with presenter Dareen Abughaida, discusses with guests: Ashur Shamis, a Libyan journalist and writer; Dimitris Papadimitriou, a reader in European Politics at the University of Manchester and Claire Spencer, head of Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House.
 This episode of Inside Story aired on Monday, April 4, 2011

Libyan Rebels Scoff at Idea of Gadhafi's Son Taking Over
CNN: Tripoli, Libya -- With no end to Libya's bloody war in sight, a source close to the country's leadership said a Libyan envoy is floating the idea of ruler Moammar Gadhafi passing his power to a son -- a notion rebel leaders deem merely cosmetic.

Under the proposal, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, 38, would help to usher in swift reform, the source said. But Saif Gadhafi has become one of his father's most outspoken defenders since the start of the unrest, despite once being perceived as a leading reformer in the Libyan government.

But a proposal to shift power from Gadhafi to his second-oldest son is "a ridiculous offer," said Ali Aujali, a former Libyan ambassador to the United States who now represents the Libyan opposition in Washington.

"Libyan people, they decided, and they will not go back at all (to) Gadhafi or any member of his family," Aujali said. "His sons, they are killers -- they're just like their father."

Aujali said the rebels are willing to offer Moammar Gadhafi and his family safe passage out of Libya in an exchange for an end to the fighting -- but that's as far as their offer goes. » | CNN Wire Staff | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

FRANFURTER ALLGEMEINE – DER KOMMENTAR: Gaddafis Manöver: Gaddafis Versuch, über Verhandlungen sein Gesicht zu retten, ist zum Scheitern verurteilt. Schließlich ist die Gegenregierung im Aufwind: Ein französischer Diplomat wurde bereits in Benghasi akkreditiert, Qatar hat die Übergangsregierung anerkannt. » | Von Wolfgang Günter Lerch | Montag, 04. April 2011

Libya: Diplomatic Initiative Opens Up Rift between Gaddafi Sons
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A rift in the Gaddafi family has emerged as two hardline sons of the Libyan leader have dismissed efforts to implement a ceasefire as part of a diplomatic initiative to end the Nato bombing campaign.

Mutassim Gaddafi, the National Security Adviser and Khamis Gaddafi, the commander of elite forces, have confronted supporters of a peace plan that has circulated in diplomatic circles in Tripoli.

Diplomats have said that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, another son, had offered to act as interim president to oversee a transition to a democratic system. The offer would mean Col Muammar Gaddafi's withdrawal from power and the end of the family's tyrannical hold on power.

But one family aide said there had been arguments over Saif's initiative, which is supported by Saadi, another brother with power in the armed forces. He said: "It is not in the military interest of the government to have a ceasefire now. While we have the momentum, Mutassim wants to keep going." The official said that the brothers had argued over a ceasefire.

While Saif believes that talks would be impossible without a ceasefire, Mutassim wants to ensure the regime cannot be beaten. He is reported to have said: "People get sick of dying, we have to keep fighting until we've beaten the opposition."

Mutassim and Saif have been rivals for almost a decade. A US diplomatic cable said that Saif's overseas reputation – he cultivated British and US leaders while living in London as a PhD student – had made Mutassim jealous.

All four brothers are known to enjoy glamorous social events. The singer Beyoncé performed for Mutassim in the Caribbean at the New Year. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Monday, April 04, 2011

Ruler's Son Reportedly Floats Handover, Democracy Plan
THE AUSTRALIAN: A PEACE plan under which Muammar Gaddafi would hand over power and set Libya on course to become a constitutional democracy has been privately floated by his son, according to diplomatic sources.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the Colonel's British-educated son, would take control of the country in the interim under plans that he has proposed himself.

The sources said that the idea was being discussed by "eminent people" in Tripoli, although they cautioned that neither Colonel Gaddafi nor the rebel council in Benghazi appeared ready to accept such a move.

"This is the beginning position," they said, but added that there were currently no talks.

The plan, which follows a visit to London last week by Mohammed Ismail, one of Saif Gaddafi's aides, indicates that members of the dictator's inner circle are considering their options.

The revelations came as diplomatic efforts to find a way out of the seven-week conflict escalated. » | Deborah Haynes, Roland Watson, Martin Fletcher and Zahid Hussain | The Times | Monday, April 04, 2011

Saif Gaddafi: 'The West Is Supporting Terrorism'

Will Gaddafi's Son Betray Him? British Spies Claim Saif Has Approached Them for Talks
MAIL ONLINE: They sent a stark message Saif can play no role in Libya's future

Gaddafi's son Saif has made ‘repeated’ attempts to reach out to British and Italian intelligence officers, it was claimed yesterday.

The moves have raised hopes he is considering betraying his father.

British officials and MI6 officers say they have held ‘several’ conversations with close allies of Gaddafi’s heir over the past three weeks – and have indicated they are prepared to offer the family an exit route.

They sent the stark message that Saif can play no role in the future of Libya.

But they also indicated that Saif would be allowed to land in Britain if he were to repeat the defection of Libyan foreign minister Musa Kusa, who took a private plane from Tunisia to Farnborough airfield on Wednesday night.

That is likely to provoke widespread revulsion. But senior Libyans admit Saif’s alleged attempts to talk are part of a wider bid by those around Gaddafi to devise an exit strategy. Continue reading and comment » | Tim Shipman | Saturday, April 02, 2011

Related »

David Cameron Rules Out Deal for Saif Gaddafi
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has ruled out offering Saif Gaddafi, the dictator's son, any special deal or treatment if he wishes to leave Libya, Downing Street officials said yesterday.

Saif Gaddafi will now be treated in the same way as his father after making a series of inflammatory statements over the past few weeks. He was previously a regular visitor to Britain and was close to politicians and businessmen.

However, he is now likely to be arrested if he attempts to flee to this country or another European nation.

Downing Street has stated its position towards Saif Gaddafi after it emerged that one of his key aides had travelled to Britain earlier this week, during which he had talks with intelligence officials. This sparked speculation that the aide, Mohammed Ismail, was exploring a possible exit deal for Saif Gaddafi – although this has been played down by Whitehall sources.

Noman Benotman, a Libyan and senior analyst at Quilliam, a think tank, said that his contacts had told him Mr Ismail had proposed a scenario under which Gaddafi's sons would take over, or at least have a role in a new government, and their father would step aside with his honour intact.

The British Government is understood to have ruled out the "scenario" and Mr Ismail was told Gaddafi, and those around him, had to go.

A government source said Mr Ismail had been visiting family members, but that Britain had "taken the opportunity to send some very strong messages about the Gaddafi regime".

Yesterday, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "If people are in the UK they are subject to UK law."

He also made clear that Saif Gaddafi will be classed the same way as his father. "We have a very clear view about the present regime and those people involved in that regime," he said. » | Robert Winnett, Deputy Political Editor | Friday, April 01, 2011

Libyan Security Service Chiefs Key in Determining Fate of Gaddafi Regime
THE GUARDIAN: Heads of external security and military intelligence will play a significant role in shaping post-revolution Libya, experts say

In the Libyan capital, Tripoli, international journalists have taken to playing a kind of parlour game.

They try to calculate which officials and members of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's family are important in a regime that is so opaque at times as to be – in practical terms – impenetrable.

Of Gaddafi's sons, is it Saif al-Islam, the most visible and accessible to the world, who invited in the international media? Or Saadi, a businessman? Is it Khamis, the most active on the battlefield – and the most hardline?

It is speculation that has only increased with the defection to the UK of Moussa Koussa, Libya's foreign minister and former intelligence chief. Even before his flight to Britain questions were being asked. Had Koussa been sidelined in the last two years since taking over at the foreign ministry? And if he had been sidelined, by whom? And what does it mean?

What seems beyond doubt is that Koussa has long represented the old guard which for decades was close to Gaddafi, but which – if the Tripoli rumour mill is to be believed – has recently been pushed aside by Gaddafi's competing sons.

Others suggest that, ironically, Koussa may have become tainted in Gaddafi circles by virtue of his success in opening up contacts with western intelligence agencies, with whom he negotiated Libya's transformation from pariah status in the last decade. » | Peter Beaumont | Thursday, March 31, 2011

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Seeking Immunity
ASHARQ ALAWSAT: Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Independent Arab and Libyan sources have informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi is seeking to convince the coalition forces to accept a deal that is being secretly discussed between Gaddafi delegates and a number of Arab and American parties. This deal would see Gaddafi stepping down from power, only to be replaced by his son Saif al-Islam, with a deadline being put in place for a peaceful transition of power.

A well-informed Libyan source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has held a number of secret meetings with officials in the French and British governments, discussing the idea of his replacing his father for a transitional period of between 2 – 3 years, in return for a comprehensive ceasefire and negotiating with the anti-Gaddafi rebels.

The sources also revealed that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi is pushing for assurances that Colonel Gaddafi and his family will be granted immunity from prosecution, and will not be legally punished in any manner.

The sources revealed that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's plan would see him take over control of Libya from his father during a transitional period during which Libya would transform from a revolutionary state to a democratic state that enjoys public and economic freedoms.

The rebel forces are gaining strength and momentum, moving westwards towards the center of Gaddafi's support in Sirte, and the Libyan capital Tripoli. The rebels have recently captured the cities of Ajdabiyah, Brega, and Ras Lanuf, and Gaddafi's aides are racing against time to prevent the inevitable toppling of the regime in the face of the rebels' momentum. » | Khaled Mahmoud | Sunday, March 27, 2011

Saif Gaddafi on His Father