Moussa Koussa's defection: 'Devastating' for Gadhafi?

Libya's foreign minister ditches Moammar Gadhafi. Is this an isolated setback, or the beginning of regime change?

Libya's Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa fled to Britain on Wednesday, leaving political writers wondering if this is finally the beginning of the end for Moammar Gadhafi.
(Image credit: YouTube)

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.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us