Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Sentenced to Death in Libya

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in a courtroom in Zintan, Libya

THE TELEGRAPH: Son of former dictator Col Gaddafi and security chief Abdullah Senussi found guilty of war crimes

The British-educated son of Col Muammar Gaddafi has been sentenced to death by firing squad by a court in war-torn Libya.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the debonair friend of Lord Mandelson and other European notables who returned to his father's side during the 2011 revolution, was found guilty of war crimes by a court in the capital Tripoli.

He had appeared at hearings by video-link, as he was captured - in late 2011 - by a militia from the town of Zintan, which is fighting Tripoli-based brigades in the country's civil war.

Also sentenced to death were Col Gaddafi's notorious security chief and brother-in-law, Abdullah Senussi, accused by some of masterminding the Lockerbie bombing, and his prime minister, Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi. They appeared in person, having been extradited before security collapsed in Libya from neighbouring countries. » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Editor | Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Lockerbie Bomber Megrahi Has Died in Libya: Brother
REUTERS.COM: The former Libyan intelligence officer convicted of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people has died, his brother said on Sunday. He was 59.

Abdel Basset al-Megrahi died at home after a long battle with cancer. His health had deteriorated quickly overnight, his brother Abdulhakim told Reuters.

"He was surrounded by his family and died in his house," Abdulhakim said on Sunday. » | Hadeel Al Shalchi | TRIPOLI | Reuters | Sunday, May 20, 2012

New Evidence Casts Doubt in Lockerbie Case
The conviction of a Libyan man for blowing up a passenger jet over Scotland in 1988 could be seriously undermined by new evidence.

Fjordman’s Latest Essay: What is Wrong With Western Elites?

GATES OF VIENNA: Libya’s autocratic ruler Muammar Qaddafi was brutally tortured and killed on 20 October 2011 after France, Britain, the USA and NATO had actively given military support to rebel troops that were known to include groups with ties to terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda.

As writer Diana West said, “Qaddafi was not killed in retaliation for his attacks on American servicemen in Berlin in 1986, or the downing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie in 1989. He was not killed for his central role in the USSR’s terror networks going back to the 1960s and 1970s. He was killed after coming over to our side of George Bush’s ‘war on terror’ in the final phase of a civil war in Libya in which his regime fought al Qaeda affiliates. Horrific as it sounds, Qaddafi was killed because we and our NATO allies joined the other side.”

In February 2011, a day before he quit as Egypt’s president after popular uprisings, Hosni Mubarak had harsh words for his former allies in the United States and their misguided quest for democracy in the Middle East. “They may be talking about democracy but they don’t know what they’re talking about and the result will be extremism and radical Islam.” » | Posted by Baron Bodissey | Monday, October 31, 2011

Gaddafi's Eldest Son Saif Captured 'Alive and Uninjured' Claim Libyan Officials
THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: Saif al-Islam caught in Nessma, near stronghold of Bani Walid / Loyal son tried to broker peace deal on behalf of his father 10 days ago / Moussa Ibrahim, Gaddafi's spokesman, also caught while fleeing to Misrata / Father and three of sons dead, three more and daughter still at large

Moammar Gaddafi's eldest son Saif al-Islam has been captured 'alive and uninjured' Libyan officials this morning claimed.

There had been various reports of Saif's condition following the death of his father, with some reports that he had been shot, and even some claims that he had lost both arms.

However, a National Transitional Council spokesman told NBC last night that Saif and Moussa Ibrahim, the former media frontman for the Gaddafi's regime, were captured in Nessma, near Bani Walid, while they were being moved to Misrata.

NTC spokesman said the Osoud el Wadi brigade, which translates as 'Lions of the Valley,' were responsible for the capture. The claims could not immediately be verified last night.

Conflicting reports emerged yesterday claiming that Saif he had already been captured in Zlitan, 99 miles from Tripoli, while receiving treatment for wounds.

No pictures have emerged of Saif since his father was captured and killed on Thursday.

Any escape will worry the British political elite who could face acute embarrassment if Saif was ultimately captured and ended up in court.

Saif became close to leading figures in the British government after Tony Blair signed the notorious ‘Deal in the Desert’ in March 2004.

Prince Andrew has also been linked to the bomber’s controversial release.

The Duke of York was accused of holding secret ‘detailed discussions’ over the release of the Lockerbie bomber with Saif in 2009, during an official Foreign Office-sponsored trip to Algeria. » | Daily Mail Reporter | Sunday, October 23, 2011

Tony Blair Facing Parliamentary Probe over Secret Meetings with Gaddafi
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair is facing a parliamentary investigation into his close relationship with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Senior MPs are demanding that Mr Blair reveal all details of his private meetings with the dictator since leaving Downing Street.

The move follows revelations in The Sunday Telegraph that Mr Blair had at least six meetings with Gaddafi since quitting as prime minister.

Five of those meetings took place in a 14 month period prior to the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber sent back to Tripoli to serve out the rest of his prison sentence in the comfort of his own home.

On at least two occasions Mr Blair and his sizeable entourage flew to Tripoli on a private jet paid for by the Gaddafi regime at a cost of about £150,000.

One meeting in January 2009 has been linked to a multi-billion dollar deal between the Libyans and a Russian company being put together by JP Morgan, the US bank which pays Mr Blair about £2 million a year as a senior adviser. » | Robert Mendick, Chief Reporter | Saturday, October 08, 2011

Tony Blair must be the most hated ex-prime minister ever! He screwed his own country, cheated, lied, and now profits – BIG TIME! In addition, he brought the world strife and wars. Yet he was made peace envoy for the Middle East! How are we to understand this absurd contradiction? The Palestinians have got it right about him. They find him despicable. As he is supposed to be trying to bring peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, it is surprising indeed that his position hasn't already become untenable. Were I to be he, I should hang my head in shame and go into hiding. – © Mark

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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

Tony Blair Issues Arab Spring Warning to West

THE GUARDIAN: Dictators must 'change or be changed' says ex-PM as western leaders urged to prepare wider plan for Middle East

Tony Blair warns the west today that it urgently needs a wider plan to respond to the Arab spring, including a warning to autocratic leaders across the Middle East "to change or be changed".

His call for a clearer strategic approach comes in a new foreword to the paperback edition of his bestselling autobiography, The Journey.

The former prime minister also praises Europe, and by implication David Cameron, for showing leadership in Libya, saying it would have been inconceivable to leave Muammar Gaddafi in power.

He said that if America and Europe had done nothing, "Gaddafi would have retaken the country and suppressed the revolt with extraordinary vehemence. Many would have died."

If he had been left in power while the west was willing to see President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt deposed, "the damage to the west's reputation, credibility and stature would have been not just massive but potentially irreparable. That's what I mean by saying inaction is also a decision."

Blair does not call for immediate military intervention across the region, saying instead that "where there is the possibility of evolutionary change, we should encourage and support it. This is the case in the Gulf states." » | Patrick Wintour | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Is this hypocrisy, or what? This is the man who courted Qadhafi not so long ago, and it was his party, NuLabour, that was complicit in releasing Megrahi – the man of Lockerbie infamy! Go back to sleep, Blair! Your ‘wisdom’ is not needed at this time. – © Mark

Moussa Koussa Leaving Britain for Doha
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Moussa Koussa, the former Libyan foreign minister and long-time top aide to Muammar Gaddafi, is going to Doha for meetings with the Qatari government and Libyan representatives, Britain has confirmed.

An international contact group is due to hold talks on Libya's future in the Qatari capital on Wednesday. Moussa will not participate in the meeting but is expected to hold talks on the sidelines, British sources said.

Mr Koussa, the most prominent Libyan defector, sought refuge in Britain on March 30. A friend said he quit in protest at attacks on civilians by Gaddafi's forces.

The former spy chief was later questioned by Scottish police over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, which killed 270 people, but the British government said he was now free to travel.

"We understand he is travelling today to Doha to meet with the Qatar government and a range of Libyan representatives to offer insight in advance of the contact group meeting," a Foreign Office spokesman said.

"Moussa Koussa is a free individual who can travel to and from the United Kingdom as he wishes," the spokesman said. » | Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Libya: Britain Told US Not to Intervene in Lockerbie Bomber Release
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The British ambassador to the US told America it should not intervene to stop the release of the Lockerbie bomber from a Scottish prison, according to leaked diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks and passed to the Daily Telegraph.

Nigel Sheinwald told James Steinberg, the US Deputy Secretary of State, that he was "concerned" that the demands of victims' families were unduly influencing US policy.

His comments came during critical negotiations over whether Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the murder of 270 passengers on Pan Am Flight 103, should be switched to a Libyan jail to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Sir Nigel was Tony Blair's foreign policy adviser between 2003 and 2007 and played a key role, alongside the Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, in bringing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi back into the international fold. He was at Mr Blair's side for the first meeting with Colonel Gaddafi in 2007 that resulted in a substantial BP oil contract.

The cable, obtained by WikiLeaks and passed to the Daily Telegraph, is dated February 2009. It states: "Sheinwald asked that the US continue to consult with the UK in the possible transfer of ailing Pan Am bomber Abdel-Basset al-Megrahi from the UK to Libya. Specifically, he said HMG supported the discussions this week between UK and US officials to define a common strategy.

"Sheinwald cited concern that the Pan Am victims' families were asking for direct US intervention to stop the transfer. He asked that the United States delay "for a few days" any intervention with the Scottish authorities, who will ultimately decide on the transfer." » | Steven Swinford | Sunday, April 10, 2011

Libya: Moussa Koussa 'Could Leave Britain'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Moussa Koussa, the Libyan defector, could be allowed to leave the country, William Hague has said.

The foreign secretary said Mr Koussa, who faces inquiries from the International Criminal Court and families of the victims of Libyan terrorists, would not be forced to return to Libya, adding: "There are quite a range of places that he could go to live."

Mr Hague's comments, in an interview with Sky News, came as relatives of the Lockerbie bombing victims accepted he may never face trial in Britain.

Susan Cohen, who lost her only daughter on Pan Am Flight 103 said the former intelligence chief "should probably be hanged for what he has done" but she had no expectation of him ending up in a Scottish court.

She added that American relatives were more interested in the British authorities using him to "get to" Col Muammar Gaddafi than in seeing Mr Koussa on trial. » | Auslan Cramb, James Kirkup and Duncan Gardham | Friday, April 08, 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

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

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

Libya Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa Must Face Atrocities Trial, Rebels Declare
THE GUARDIAN: Rebel leadership wants defector returned and tried for crimes against humanity once Gaddafi is toppled

Libya's rebel leadership has called for Moussa Koussa, the former Libyan foreign minister who has defected to the UK, to be returned for trial for murder and crimes against humanity after Muammar Gaddafi is toppled.

Mustafa Gheriani, a spokesman for the revolutionary council in its de facto capital, Benghazi, said that the rebels were not bent on revenge against the regime's officials but that some of Gaddafi's closest associates "have a lot of blood on their hands" and must stand trial.

The British foreign secretary, William Hague, has said that Britain is not offering Koussa immunity from prosecution, and called for other regime figures to abandon Gaddafi.

Gheriani alleged that Koussa had been partly responsible for assassinating opposition figures in exile, murderous internal repression and the Lockerbie plane bombing.

"We want to bring him to court," Gheriani said. "This guy has so much blood on his hands. There are documented killings, torturing. There's documentation of what Moussa Koussa has done. We want him tried by Libyan people. I believe once we have our government 100% in control in Libya, things are normalised, we want him tried here. I think international law gives us that right."

Gheriani said it was up to Britain to decide whether to arrest Koussa in the meantime. Koussa's arrival in London was evidence that Gaddafi's regime was "starting to crumble". He expected other senior officials to follow.

"He is a very, very major person to defect. Gaddafi trusted him more than some of his sons. Now Gaddafi doesn't even trust his own people any more," Gheriani said. » | Chris McGreal in Benghazi | Thursday, March 31, 2011

Moussa Koussa Profile: High-profile Lockerbie Spymaster
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Moussa Koussa, the Libyan foreign minister who defected from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime, was one of the architects of its rehabilitation in the international community but a deeply controversial figure who is likely to pose David Cameron a particularly thorny political problem.

As the highest-profile defection from the ranks of Col Gaddafi's loyalists, he is a plum prize who is likely to be of great value in helping to dismantle his dictatorship.

The former spy chief's resignation also comes at a critical time in the coalition's attempts to dislodge Col Gaddafi, as the rebels are retreating under fresh onslaughts and Whitehall sources suggested they were unlikely to win without arms or training from outside.

So his information and contacts among Col Gaddafi's generals will be all the more valuable.

However, the former head of Libya's external intelligence, was the mastermind accused of planning the Lockerbie bombing and any attempts to rehabilitate him are likely to be an exceedingly hot potato.

Mr Koussa has been a close confidant of Col Gaddafi's for 30 years and helped secure the release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi. Continue reading and comment » | Andy Bloxham, and Damien McElroy | Wednesday, March 30, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libya: Moussa Koussa resigns – factbox: Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa arrived in Britain on Wednesday and has quit Muammar Gaddafi's government, according to the Government » | Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Brilliance and Insight from Melanie Phillips: Humpty in Toytown and the Arab Boomerang
THE SPECTATOR: One can only gape in stunned amazement at the extent of the idiocy being displayed by the leaders of America, Britain and Europe over the ‘Arab Spring’ – which should surely be renamed ‘the Arab Boomerang’.

First of all, their declared policy is utterly incoherent. They claim that their aim in Libya is not regime change. Yet bombing Gaddafy’s compound hardly signals their desire that he should stay alive, let alone in power. Yesterday Obama said Gaddafy should leave power. Today he said overthrowing Gaddafy by force would be a mistake. In similar vein, Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague says the UK wants Gaddafy to leave power -- but that’s not regime change, because apparently it’s up to him to decide to do so. Presumably, for both Hague and Obama, if Gaddafy did decide to give up power this would have nothing whatever to do with the fact that they are bombing Libyan forces fighting for him to retain power. And they would also have us believe that the fact that the western air strikes are enabling the Libyan rebels to advance does not mean that the west intends its air strikes to enable the rebels to advance.

One is reminded of Humpty Dumpty, who told Alice in Through the Looking Glass: ‘When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less’. Especially where the restrictive wording of a UN resolution is involved.

And what might the results of this incoherent support for freedom against tyranny be? Well, in Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood appears to be in pole position to come to power in the elections planned for later this year. And in Libya, either Gaddafy will survive, in which case the begetter of the atrocity against the west over Lockerbie will doubtless be sufficiently enraged against the west to return to anti-western terror; or, should he fall, there seems to be a more than sporting chance that the Islamists he has until now fought off will eventually come out on top. Continue reading and comment » | Melanie Phillips | Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Lockerbie Bomber Evacuated from Tripoli
Mar 22, 2011 – Megrahi leaves Libya before air strikes

Gaddafi: I’ll Blow Up Holiday Jets
DAILY EXPRESS: COLONEL Gaddafi threatened to unleash a wave of terror against Britain yesterday and warned of revenge attacks on holiday jets in the Mediterranean.

The dictator raised the chilling spectre of a second Lockerbie outrage after Britain’s leading role in securing a United Nations-backed no-fly zone over Libya.

Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs that Britons could now face reprisals from the Libyan leader if the despot manages to maintain his grip on power.

With British fighter planes preparing to deploy over Libya as early as today, Gaddafi’s defence ministry warned of swift retaliation, even beyond its national frontiers, against any hostile action.

“Any foreign military act against Libya will expose all air and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean Sea to danger and civilian and military facilities will become targets of Libya’s counter-attack,” the ministry said in a statement yesterday. Significantly, it warned the danger to Western targets would arise “not just in the short term but also the long term”. » | Padraic Flanegan | Saturday, March 19, 2011

Libya: British Could Face Terrrorist Reprisals
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain could face terrorist attacks backed by Libya if Colonel Gaddafi clings to power, David Cameron has warned.


The Prime Minister told MPs that Britain’s own national security "interests" will be at risk if the Gaddafi regime survives in Tripoli.

British officials said that the Government’s leading role in international efforts to topple Gaddafi could increase the threat of reprisals from the Libyan leader and his followers.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Gaddafi regime was considered one of the most active state sponsors of terrorism in the world, supporting and funding groups including the IRA.

The Gaddafi regime also paid compensation to the families of the 270 people killed when a Pan-Am airliner was bombed over Lockerbie in 1988.

Following the September 11th attacks on the US in 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Gaddafi sought a rapprochement with the West and is largely believed to have ended his support for terrorist activities.

However, Western intelligence officials fear that the current Libyan crisis could potentially see him return to state sponsorship of terror, in reprisal for Western support for his opponents. » James Kirkup | Friday, March 18, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libya: Tripoli on edge as regime enters new phase in fight to survive – Silver knives glinted in the afternoon sunshine as a tribal nomad in a blue headdress swatted carelessly with a fly whisk but the Friday market at Tripoli's old city walls offered no respite from Libya's troubles. » | Damien McElroy, Tripoli | Friday, March 18, 2011