Lockerbie families urge police to quiz Gaddafi man as six more consider defecting

Defector: Moussa Koussa, Libya's foreign minister who has fled to Britain

Police were today urged to question former Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa over the Lockerbie bombing

Mr Koussa, who has defected to Britain, has been described as the mastermind behind the 1988 atrocity in which 270 people died.

Foreign Office chiefs were today debriefing Colonel Gaddafi's former right-hand man as David Cameron was warned not to strike a deal which allows him to escape justice.

"I think what has happened is comparable to Rudolf Hess coming here during the Second World War," said Tory backbench MP Robert Halfon.

"This man is most likely a war criminal, allegedly been responsible for the deaths of British citizens, allegedly the organiser of the Lockerbie bombing, and in my view and that of many others he needs to go to the international court to face trials."

The chief constable of Dumfries and Galloway Police, Patrick Shearer, said it would be unusual if they did not seek the opportunity to speak to a senior member of the government in Libya.

Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora was killed in the Lockerbie bombing, said he would be "appalled" if police do not swiftly interview him. "Koussa was at the centre of Gaddafi's inner circle. This is a guy who knows everything," he said. "This is a fantastic day for those who seek the truth about Lockerbie."

Foreign Secretary William Hague said that Mr Koussa was not being offered immunity from prosecution.

Britain is in secret talks with at least six more of Colonel Gaddafi's henchmen to desert him, the Standard revealed today.

A government source said: "We are talking about half a dozen people in key positions."

After the Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa fled to London, Foreign Secretary William Hague urged more senior officials in Gaddafi's regime to realise the game was up.

He said: "His resignation shows that Gaddafi's regime, which has already seen significant defections to the opposition, is fragmented, under pressure and crumbling from within. Gaddafi must be asking himself: 'Who will be the next to abandon him?'.

"We encourage all 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."

Washington sources today confirmed that small teams of CIA agents had been dropped into Libya.

President Obama was reported to have signed an order allowing them to launch covert operations to support the rebels. British SAS teams and MI6 agents are also in Libya.

The rebels today came under fresh bombardment and were forced back towards Ajdibaya as Gaddafi's forces continued their advances eastward, winning back much of the ground they had lost in earlier days.

British Tornado jets destroyed three tanks, armoured vehicles and surface-to-air missile sites in strikes yesterday.

Mr Hague stressed that Mr Koussa, who has been described as one of the masterminds behind the bombing, was not being offered any immunity from prosecution under British or international laws.

The former foreign minister is already being investigated by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. His decision to flee Tripoli and head for London via Tunisia is a major blow to Gaddafi.

Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir David Richards said Mr Koussa's arrival in Britain was "positive". Arriving at a National Security Council meeting on Thursday morning, he said: "It's all about psychology. It can't be helpful to Gaddafi."

Mr Koussa is understood to have made his own way to Tunisia and contact was then made with British officials including MI6 officers. He was being debriefed by Foreign Office officials today.

Former foreign secretary Jack Straw sparked speculation that Mr Koussa had been working for British intelligence but this suggestion was played down.

David Cameron was warned against striking a deal with Mr Koussa to allow him to escape justice and stay in Britain.

Richard Ottaway, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, said: "We offer aslyum to all sorts of people coming to this country. However, if he has committed crimes we should not grant him asylum."

Conservative MP Julian Lewis, who has spoken out previously over Lockerbie, said that any deal offered to Mr Koussa would take the authorities into "morally dubious" territory.

"Whatever outcome we get is bound to be extremely morally dubious because when you do a deal of any sort with a person with blood on their hands, rather than punishing them, it leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth and it is bound to outrage the relatives of their victims," he added.

Tory MP Patrick Mercer said: "The fact remains that if this man has carried out crimes or been involved in criminal activity, then he must be brought to justice."

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi remains the only man convicted of the Lockerbie atrocity.
The Boeing 747 was en route from London to New York when it was blown out of the sky over the Dumfriesshire town.

The blast killed 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 residents of the town, and debris from the aircraft was spread over 845 square miles between Lockerbie and the North Sea.

Who might defect next?

Colonel Gaddafi's security chief Ezzeddine al-Hinshiri might also move against the dictator, say defectors.

Al-Hinshiri is a senior official but not a member of the leader's family or tribe. Analysts say he would only defect if he can strike a deal for immunity from prosecution for suspected crimes.

Most of Gaddafi's close inner circle are linked to him by blood or tribe and are expected to remain loyal.

The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court has already launched an inquiry into Gaddafi, his son Khamis, 27, who commands the Libyan army's feared 32 battalion, the head of Gaddafi's personal security, the national security adviser, the director-general of the external security organisation, the spokesman of the regime, the head of the security forces and the minister of foreign affairs.

Given their involvement in the regime and the threat of being dragged before the court in The Hague to face justice, none was expected to flee.
But the decision by foreign minister Moussa Koussa to abandon the regime will increase the possibility of others following him.

Britain is now targeting those on the next rung down in the regime, including chiefs of revolutionary committees.

Former justice minister Mustafa Abdel Jalil and General Abdel-Fattah Younis, the interior minister, have already defected to the rebels.

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