Libya's Foreign Minister Defects To UK
Options
a.mann
Members Posts: 19,746 ✭✭✭✭✭
Libya's foreign minister Musa Kusa has defected to the UK, saying he is "no longer willing" to represent Col Gaddafi's regime
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20110331/twl-libya-s-foreign-minister-defects-to-3fd0ae9.html
The Foreign Office confirmed Mr Kusa had travelled to Britain of his own free will and was resigning his post - a further blow to the dictator's grip on power.
It said he had arrived on a plane from Tunisia and was "no longer willing" to represent the dictator's regime.
"We can confirm that Musa Kusa arrived at Farnborough airport on March 30 from Tunisia," a spokesman said.
"He travelled here under his own free will. He has told us that he is resigning his post. We are discussing this with him and we will release further detail in due course.
"Musa Kusa is one of the most senior figures in Gaddafi's government and his role was to represent the regime internationally - something that he is no longer willing to do.
"We encourage those around Gaddafi to abandon him and embrace a better future for Libya that allows political transition and real reform that meets the aspirations of the Libyan people."
Questions were earlier raised about Mr Kusa's whereabouts after Tunisian news agency TAP reported he had entered that country, but gave no reasons for his move.
A Libyan government spokesman later claimed he had not defected and was merely on a "diplomatic mission", but declined to say where he was going. Libya's deputy foreign minister Khalid Kaim dismissed the reports as "nonsense".
But within hours the Foreign Office confirmed he was seeking refuge and encouraging further regime defections.
Noman Benotman, a Libyan-born friend of Mr Kusa and analyst at Britain's Quilliam think-tank, said: "He wasn't happy at all. He doesn't support the government attacks on civilians."
Azeldin El Sharif, president of the British Libyan Solidarity Campaign, told Sky News it was a "very significant" step forward for the opposition's cause.
He said: "This is an absolutely massive loss for Gaddafi."
Further diplomatic stress is now being put on the structures of state of the regime.
Middle East expert Shashank Joshi said: "The latest Arab state to increase the pressure on the Gadaffi regime is Tunisia, whose prime minister announced plans to freeze all assets belonging to the Libyan leader."
:: Libya: CIA 'already operating undercover'
:: Confusion over arming Libyan rebels
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20110331/twl-libya-s-foreign-minister-defects-to-3fd0ae9.html
The Foreign Office confirmed Mr Kusa had travelled to Britain of his own free will and was resigning his post - a further blow to the dictator's grip on power.
It said he had arrived on a plane from Tunisia and was "no longer willing" to represent the dictator's regime.
"We can confirm that Musa Kusa arrived at Farnborough airport on March 30 from Tunisia," a spokesman said.
"He travelled here under his own free will. He has told us that he is resigning his post. We are discussing this with him and we will release further detail in due course.
"Musa Kusa is one of the most senior figures in Gaddafi's government and his role was to represent the regime internationally - something that he is no longer willing to do.
"We encourage those around Gaddafi to abandon him and embrace a better future for Libya that allows political transition and real reform that meets the aspirations of the Libyan people."
Questions were earlier raised about Mr Kusa's whereabouts after Tunisian news agency TAP reported he had entered that country, but gave no reasons for his move.
A Libyan government spokesman later claimed he had not defected and was merely on a "diplomatic mission", but declined to say where he was going. Libya's deputy foreign minister Khalid Kaim dismissed the reports as "nonsense".
But within hours the Foreign Office confirmed he was seeking refuge and encouraging further regime defections.
Noman Benotman, a Libyan-born friend of Mr Kusa and analyst at Britain's Quilliam think-tank, said: "He wasn't happy at all. He doesn't support the government attacks on civilians."
Azeldin El Sharif, president of the British Libyan Solidarity Campaign, told Sky News it was a "very significant" step forward for the opposition's cause.
He said: "This is an absolutely massive loss for Gaddafi."
Further diplomatic stress is now being put on the structures of state of the regime.
Middle East expert Shashank Joshi said: "The latest Arab state to increase the pressure on the Gadaffi regime is Tunisia, whose prime minister announced plans to freeze all assets belonging to the Libyan leader."
:: Libya: CIA 'already operating undercover'
:: Confusion over arming Libyan rebels
Comments
-
Soooooooooooooo
Seems Gates and Clintons....."talk" to encourge Kadhafi's aide and supportors to "give it up" or face his doomed fate is paying off -
Put that ? in jail.
He is not only a coward but he seems to only give a damn about his own. If they pull out the red carpet for that ? instead of charging him than they are letting someone get away with crimes against humanity, he was part of the regime, now that he thinks/knows that the end is near for the qadhafi regime and he will face certain death he is fleeing to the UK. -
I am for the revolution dont get me wrong btw, but I dont know who the hell the rebels are and what they stand for and why the 'west' is supporting them when they might be extremist ? beyond ur imagination, people are forgetting about all the silent orders we know over there lol. The entire situation is extremely vague, this is bigger than Egypt, where we all knew who were the good guys(the people) and who the bad(army/mubarak)
Now hundreds of bombs are dropped, millions of bullets fired , thousands of man in battle left and right and I dont know ? about whats going on, except that there is a (armed) coupe/revolution going on.
When will we see the day that the UK/France will support the armed rebels in Palestine against Israel? cause there seem to be a lot of similarities not? -
Israel rules the Middle East with an iron fist, not literally, but power wise. They get away with pretty much anything, as long as Europeans and Americans see a bit of themselves in the White Jews who rule the leading political parties of Israel, Israel will get away with everything.
Maybe they are the Chosen People? They're outnumbered yet still have more power than any Middle Eastern nation out there....it's an amazing reality but Israel's gangsta only increases year by year. I don't see anyone of any real power arming Palestinians against Israel anytime soon. They're losing more and more land everyday, and the USA protects Israel. Good luck Palestinians, and as far as Libya is concerned, let the Arab League deal with Ghadafi. Can't they take care of themselves? -
Obama shouldnt have went in.. jus like France didnt support the US on their schemes for oil in Iraq, the US shouldnt support them in their schemes for oil
