U.S. Soldier Who Entered North Korea Is Charged With Desertion

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Army is also accusing Pvt. Travis T. King of other crimes including assaulting other soldiers and child pornography, according to a charging document.

Pvt. Travis T. King left North Korea last month after officials there said they had found him guilty of “illegally intruding” into their territory. | Ahn Young-Joon/Associated Press
Pvt. Travis T. King, the American soldier who returned to the United States last month after crossing into North Korea in July, has been charged in military court with multiple offenses, including desertion, assaulting other soldiers and child pornography.

Private King, 23, is being held at a civilian jail just outside Fort Bliss, near El Paso, according to a family spokesman. He was moved there from Fort Sam Houston, near San Antonio, where he had been undergoing reintegration procedures.

The charges were filed on Sunday by officials at Fort Bliss. Private King was made aware of them on Wednesday, the family spokesman said.

Private King’s mother, Claudine Gates of Racine, Wis., said in a statement that her son should be presumed innocent and that she was “extremely concerned about his mental health.” » | Dan Simmons and John Ismay | Friday, October 20, 2023

The News Agents: US Soldier in North Korea: "They Won't Just Hand Him Back - They'll Exploit Him to the Maximum

Jul 26, 2023 | Military expert and former army officer Daniel L Davis explains what is likely to happen to the US soldier to crossed the North Korean border after abandoning a tourist trip.

Libya: Oil Minister Confirms Defection in Further Blow to Gaddafi
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Col Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan regime suffered another blow on Wednesday when Shokri Ghanem, its oil minister and former prime minister, ended weeks of speculation and announced he had turned on the dictator.

Mr Ghanem appeared alongside the Libyan ambassador to Rome, who has also defected, to condemn the "daily spilling of blood" and "unbearable" spiral of violence in the country.

However, he said it was too early to say whether he would work with the opposition National Transitional Council in Benghazi.

He also denied suggestions, repeated by Libyan government officials, that he had timed his move so that he could represent the opposition at a key summit of the international oil cartel, OPEC, in Vienna next week.

Mr Ghanem disappeared from public view after first leaving Libya two weeks ago.

A former prime minister who had overseen the reopening of relations with the West, he did not have the historic personal relationship with Col Muammar Gaddafi of Moussa Koussa, the foreign minister who defected in March.

But his knowledge of the workings of the regime and in particular the state oil company, which he ran, could provide important information.

At a news conference in Rome, he said oil production in Libya was coming to a halt because of the international embargo. "Very little is being produced, because of the UN embargo and the fact that foreigners have fled for reasons of security," he said. (+ video) » | Nick Squires, Rome and Richard Spencer in Tripoli | Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Libya: Senior Officers Defect from Gaddafi Army
BBC: Eight senior officers who defected from Col Muammar Gaddafi's army have appealed to fellow soldiers to join them in backing the rebels.

One of the eight accused pro-Gaddafi forces of "genocide".

The men - who are said to include five generals - appeared as a news conference in Rome. » | Monday, May 30, 2011

Libya's Oil Minister Abandons Colonel Gaddafi's Regime and Flees across Tunisian Border
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libya's oil minister has defected and fled to Tunisia, becoming one of the highest profile figures to abandon Muammar Gaddafi's government.

Shukri Ghanem, the head of Libya's National Oil Company, crossed into Tunisia by road on Monday and defected, a Tunisian official said.

Ghanem is one of the most prominent members of the government to leave amid fighting between the military and rebels seeking to end Gaddafi's more than 40-year rule.

Others who have defected include Moussa Koussa, the foreign minister, one of Gaddafi's earliest supporters; Abdel-Fatah Younes, the interior minister; Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, the justice minister, and Ali Abdessalam Treki, a former UN General Assembly president. A number of ambassadors and other diplomats also have resigned their posts. » | Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Sanctions Are Dropped Against Libyan Defector
THE NEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON — The Obama administration dropped financial sanctions on Monday against the top Libyan official who fled to Britain last week, saying it hoped the move would encourage other senior aides to abandon Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the country’s embattled leader.

But the decision to unfreeze bank accounts and permit business dealings with the official, Moussa Koussa, underscored the predicament his defection poses for American and British authorities, who said on Tuesday that Scottish police and prosecutors planned to interview Mr. Koussa about the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and other issues “in the next few days.”

Mr. Koussa’s close knowledge of the ruling circle, which he is believed to be sharing inside a British safe house, could be invaluable in trying to strip Colonel Qaddafi of support.

But as the longtime Libyan intelligence chief and foreign minister, Mr. Koussa is widely believed to be implicated in acts of terrorism and murder over the last three decades, including the assassination of dissidents, the training of international terrorists and the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

“He was both the left arm and the right arm of the regime, its bloodhound,” said Dirk Vandewalle, a Dartmouth professor who has studied Libya for many years.

Mr. Vandewalle recalled a dinner with friends in Libya a few years ago when one man mentioned Mr. Koussa’s name, a dangerous faux pas. “The conversation just stopped,” he said. “People switched to a different topic. Koussa was considered beyond the pale.” » | Scott Shane | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Libye : Moussa Koussa, la «boîte noire» du régime
LE FIGARO: Arrivé mercredi soir à Londres, le ministre des Affaires étrangères libyen est une prise de choix pour les alliés.

La défection du ministre des Affaires étrangères libyen, Moussa Koussa, paraît digne d'un roman de John Le Carré. Arrivé lundi en Tunisie par la frontière terrestre, il atterrit mercredi soir sur l'aéroport d'affaires de Farnborough, près de Londres, à bord d'un jet privé, ou, selon d'autres sources, d'un appareil militaire britannique. Coup de maître des services secrets occidentaux le lâchage de cet ancien chef des services de renseignements va faire mal à Kadhafi. Même s'il n'était plus au cœur du système politico-sécuritaire depuis un an environ, Moussa Koussa, 61 ans, est la boîte noire du régime. Comme les enregistreurs placés à bord des avions, il emporte avec lui l'historique d'un trajet sanglant, l'histoire des services secrets libyens depuis 1969. De l'époque du terrorisme à celle des négociations avec l'Occident.

Malgré la résonance comique de son patronyme («courgette» en arabe) Moussa Koussa n'a rien d'un amuseur, même s'il entame sa carrière par une gaffe monumentale. À peine nommé ambassadeur à Londres, il annonce en 1980 dans une interview au Times: «Les comités révolutionnaires ont décidé hier soir d'exécuter deux personnes de plus au Royaume-Uni, et je les approuve.» Le gouvernement britannique, qui le soupçonne déjà d'être chargé de superviser les assassinats d'opposants libyens en exil en Europe du Nord, lui donne 48 heures pour faire ses bagages. D'autant plus que, dans la même interview, l'éphémère ambassadeur chante les louanges de l'IRA, à laquelle Kadhafi envoie kalachnikovs, lance-missiles et explosifs militaires par bateaux entiers. Continuez à lire et écrire un commentaire » | Par Pierre Prier | Jeudi 31 Mars 2011

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 »

Inside Story - Libya: Defections in the Ranks
The battle for Libya took an unexpected turn with the news that foreign minister Moussa Koussa resigned and fled to Britain.

He's said to have left his post because of attacks on civilians by government forces.
Diplomats in the West say it's a sign that Muammar Gaddafi's regime is crumbling from within and are urging others to follow him out. But just how significant will this decision be in turning the tide against Gaddafi? Has Moussa Koussa's defection dealt a severe blow for Gaddafi? And what does it mean for the ongoing battle to topple the regime? Inside Story, with presenter Hazem Sika, discusses with: Henry Shuler, a former US diplomat who served in Benghazi in the 1960s; Mohammed Abdulmalek, chairman of Libya Watch, a human rights organisation monitoring abuses inside Libya; and Shashank Joshi, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and a doctoral student of international politics at Harvard University

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 Defections Continue
With Moussa Koussa, Libya's former foreign minister, now in London being questioned by UK authorities, questions have been raised regarding more possible defections from Muammar Gaddafi's inner circles. Many of Libya's ambassadors, and some members of Gaddafi's cabinet, defected in the early days of the revolution, and Koussa, a former Libyan intelligence chief, is the latest in a string of such officials.
Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports from London

Libya: Dilemma over Defector's 'Electrifying' Lockerbie Information
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron was under pressure last night to ensure that the Libyan defector who arrived in Britain earlier this week co-operates with authorities investigating the Lockerbie bombing, the murder of Pc Yvonne Fletcher and potential war crimes.

Moussa Koussa, the Libyan foreign minister, who fled to Britain on Wednesday, is described as having "electrifying" information on Col Muammar Gaddafi's role in terrorist atrocities across Europe.

Yesterday the Prime Minister said he would not block any attempts by the police to question Mr Koussa.

Mr Cameron stressed that Mr Koussa had not been offered a deal in return for fleeing to Britain and had not been granted immunity from prosecution. But if the defector is arrested and charged with crimes, it may undermine attempts by Western governments to encourage others in Col Gaddafi's inner circle to flee from Libya, a key aim of current diplomatic efforts.

Mr Koussa may also be reluctant to co-operate fully with British officials if he is not given guarantees about his future.

Last night, the Scottish prosecuting authorities investigating the Lockerbie bombing formally requested access to Mr Koussa, a right-hand man to Col Gaddafi for more than 30 years.

International prosecutors investigating war crimes in Libya are also expected to seek interviews with the defector. Yesterday, the Libyan rebel leadership demanded he be returned to the country to face war-crime charges.

Mr Koussa, who was likened yesterday to Rudolf Hess by a Conservative MP, is being interrogated by MI6 at an unknown location.

It is not clear whether information obtained by MI6 will be made public.

Senior Whitehall sources indicated that Scotland Yard was unlikely to get involved "at the moment". » | Robert Winnett, Andrew Porter and Damien McElroy in Tripoli | Thursday, March 31, 2011

Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa 'Could Be First of Many Defections'
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

Libya Govt. Thought Defected Mussa Kussa Went to Tunisia for Medical Treatment
THE TRIPOLI POST: Talking for the first time to the press about the defection of former Libyan Foreign Minister Mussa Kussa, to the UK, Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said he understood that Mr Kussa had resigned.

Initially, the Libyan government denied that Mr Kussa had defected, claiming he was merely on a "diplomatic mission", but now, after adnitting [sic] to Mr Kussa's resignation, the Libyan spokesman said the former FM had needed some medical treatment for a few days in Tunisia. He was given permission to do so, and he was expected back.

Moussa Ibrahim: "He (Mr Mussa) asked for sick leave because he had diabetes and high blood pressure. The government gave him permission to leave the country, because he needed to look after himself and he was in bad need of medical care. We understand now he has resigned from his position," he said.

Then he added: "He is an old man. He has serious health problems - his heart, his body, could not take the pressure and we hope that he will recover mentally, psychologically and physically and rest.

Ibrahim Moussa said: "We are expecting him to come back. This is his homeland. We are his family," adding that if Mr Kussa did decide to return to Libya, he would be welcomed with "open arms".

The Libyan leader Muammar Al Qathafi, meanwhile, has issued a warning to the West about their actions, reportedly telling the Libyan news agency, JANA: "They have started something dangerous, something they cannot control. It will be out of their control no matter what methods of destruction they have at their disposal. Continue reading and comment » | Thursday, March 31, 2011

Question Marks Over Reported Libyan Defections
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces may have put rebel fighters on a backfoot but cracks are widening inside his government. Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports from Tripoli on the Libyan government's response to the reported defection of several of its diplomats

Cameron Approved Decision to Allow Moussa Koussa to Defect to UK
THE GUARDIAN: Prime minister says Gaddafi's henchmen should 'come to their senses' and follow defecting foreign minister by abandoning Lybian regime

David Cameron approved the decision to allow the Libyan foreign minister, Moussa Koussa, to defect to Britain with at least one member of his family after consulting the US, Downing Street has said.

Cameron said Muammar Gaddafi's henchmen should "come to their senses" and follow Koussa by abandoning the "brutal regime".

And he reiterated that "no deal" had been made with the minister in exchange for his defection to Britain.

Koussa's defection has led to expectations that he will be questioned about his possible involvement in, or knowledge of, atrocities including the Lockerbie bombing and the murder of PC Yvonne Fletcher.

Scottish prosecutors have told the Foreign Office they want to interview him in connection with the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie.

His 15-year tenure as the head of Libyan foreign intelligence covered this period, but he has always denied that Libya was involved in the bombing. (+ video) » | Nicholas Watt and Hélène Mulholland | Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Defection of Moussa Koussa
Gaddafi's foreign minister has flown to Britain and is reportedly seeking refuge after abandoning the regime in Libya.
 A former spy chief, Koussa is not guaranteed a warm reception in the country, after he was expelled as Libyan ambassador to the UK, having said he would attempt to eliminate political opponents there.
 Al Jazeera's Tim Friend has more

Profile: Moussa Koussa
A look at Moussa Koussa, the Libyan foreign minister's career and the steps that led to his escape to the UK

Krieg in Libyen: „Wir bleiben hier bis zum Ende“
FRANFURTER ALLGEMEINE: „Dies ist unser Land. Wir sind stark an jeder Front“, sagt der Sprecher des Gaddafi-Regimes. Der libysche Machthaber und dessen Söhne seien entschlossen, „bis zum Ende“ zu bleiben. Zuvor hatte sich Außenminister Mussa Kussa nach London abgesetzt.

Der libysche Machthaber Muammar al Gaddafi und dessen Söhne halten sich nach Angaben der Regierung weiter im Lande auf. Sie seien entschlossen, „bis zum Ende“ zu bleiben, sagte Regierungssprecher Mussa Ibrahim am Donnerstag in Tripolis: „Gehen Sie davon aus, wir sind alle hier. Wir werden hierbleiben bis zum Ende. Dies ist unser Land. Wir sind stark an jeder Front.“

Libyens Außenminister Mussa Kussa hatte sich zuvor nach Großbritannien abgesetzt. Er gehörte zum inneren Kreis um Gaddafi, dessen Truppen seit Wochen gegen Rebellen kämpfen. Wie das britische Außenministerium mitteilte, informierte Kussa die Regierung in London über seinen Rücktritt. Er wolle nicht mehr länger die Regierung Gaddafis international repräsentieren. Die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters hatte zuvor bereits von einer dem Minister nahestehenden Person erfahren, Kussa wolle in Großbritannien um politisches Asyl bitten. Er sei geflohen, weil er gegen Angriffe auf die Zivilbevölkerung gewesen sei. » | FAZ.NET mit AP/AFP/dpa/Reuters | Donnerstag, 31. März 2011

Mussa Kussa setzt sich nach London ab