Israel Matzav

Musa Kusa defects

Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa has defected to the United Kingdom.

The UK Foreign Office statement on Musa Kusa is as follows:

“We can confirm that Musa Kusa arrived at Farnborough Airport on 30 March from Tunisia. 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 Qadhafi’s government and his role was to represent the regime internationally – something that he is no longer willing to do.

“We encourage those around Qadhafi 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.”

Elliott Abrams adds:

I wonder how the British will now treat the man probably responsible for the Lockerbie bombing, the act of terrorism that brought down Pan Am 103 in 1988. Libya has long claimed that Iran was responsible for this act of terror, and if Kusa can prove that he’ll be worth listening to.

His defection is a serious blow to Gaddafi. This is the first loss of such a close comrade, and Kusa may well have a great deal of useful information about other potential defectors. In fact his ability to defect, to secure a plane and fly off to England under Gaddafi’s nose, suggests that the regime is falling apart despite its battlefield victories in the last two days.

For those who can, defecting from Libya is about the smartest thing that can be done today. Unfortunately, most cannot defect.

Labels: Libyan regime change, Muammar Gaddafi, Musa Kusa

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:37 AM