Even as Moammar Gadhafi's army pushes back rebel advances, he suffered a defection Wednesday, when his Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa fled to Britain. Koussa is Gadhafi's former intelligence chief, sometimes called the "envoy of death," and Britain has reserved the right to prosecute him given his suspected terrorism ties. His defection, followed by that of another senior official, Ali Abdussalam el-Treki, reportedly sent shockwaves through Tripoli. Is this "devastating" for Gadhafi's regime, as Koussa friend Noman Benotman argues, or just a minor setback?
This is a "major coup" for Gadhafi foes: "By any test this is a massive setback for the Gadhafi clan," says Con Coughlin in The Telegraph, and "a major coup" for anyone "who wants to see Gadhafi's detestable regime overthrown." Koussa was a "dedicated Gadhafi loyalist" for decades, and "he knows — literally — where the bodies are buried." On top of his crumbling regime, Gadhafi now has to worry about his upcoming war crimes trial, too.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Do smartphone bans in schools work?The Explainer Trials in UK, New Zealand, France and the US found prohibition may be only part of the solution
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequelThe Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtripThe Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
