Aljazeera English on the defection of Libya's foreign minister Moussa Koussa (Mar 30, 23:00 GMT)

Libya's foreign minister defects

Senior official arrives in the UK as Britain gives marching orders to five Libyan diplomats citing national security.

Moussa Koussa, the Libyan foreign minister, has defected to the United Kingdom, the British foreign ministry has confirmed.

The ministry said in a statement that Koussa had arrived at Farnborough Airport, in the south of England, on a flight from Tunisia on Wednesday.

"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 details in due course," the statement said.

"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."

It added that Koussa was one of the most senior officials in Gaddafi's government with a role to represent it internationally, which is "something that he is no longer willing to do".

Tunisia's TAP news agency said on Monday that Koussa had crossed over into Tunisia from Libya.

A government spokesman in the Libyan capital Tripoli had earlier denied speculation that he had defected.

"He is on a diplomatic mission," Mussa Ibrahim, the spokesman, said. He gave no further details.

Diplomats expelled

Earlier on Wednesday, the British government announced the expulsion of Libya's military attache and four other diplomats in protest and for intimidating opposition groups in London.

A government source quoted by Reuters said the diplomats, believed to be supporters of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, have been given seven days to leave.

[...]

Read on: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/2011330151017941970.html

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• musa
• kusa
• Außenminister
• Libyens
• Libyen
• Libya
• Moussa
• Koussa
• Gaddafi
• Tripoli
• revolution
• freedom
• democracy
• defections
• defects

[ericjarvies]

I hope Gaddafi is somehow able to survive this terrible international propaganda machine that is vilifying him and Libya in general. The US and UK governments are nothing but war mongrel liars, spreading lie after lie, and bending reality and fact to suit their purpose; OIL! It's all about oil... they do not give a damn about the people, and under the guise of humanitarian relief, the US & UK are like wolves in sheeps clothing. US & UK citizens need to wake up and refuse to be manipulated.

[lolobuify]

VICTORY IS FOR GADDAFI.. I AM VERY SUREEEE!!!!! WE LOVE YOU OUR LEADEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE­R!!!!

[EthanHaloBlitz5]

@lolobuify NO YOU CRAPHEAD! why would you liek him!!! BTW TODAY WE JUST KILLED HIM! HAHA

[princessperfectfirst]

@obaidCarkey LOL we hate our killer but their r some mentally ill people that surprisingly like him what can we do they r SICK

[tomaluta]

moussa koussa was kidnapt by secret service,... why aljazzera propaganda is not working, did people become wise?? or aljeezara propaganda is enfantine.. we support kaddafy

[guerakkaa]

I also wanna say that this claim by me is NOT a way for me to show that im god and know everything but there is a saying: history repeats itself and this time its by the same ones that havent even left the last places theyve been bombing for decades

[guerakkaa]

PEOPLE NEED TO STOP WATCHIN ALJAZEERA and all other western media channels, the only one that gives u FACTS is RT- russia today, now i know that they too have mixed and trixed with the full picture but its still SOME truth to its reports...

[obaidCarkey]

@ChicaWolverina

oh no, not the rolex!

please, anything but don't take away the rolex's!

[obaidCarkey]

@m1trekker

musa kusa knows london better than boris does!

[obaidCarkey]

@lolobuify

you love your killer and your murderer?

[winglibato]

HEY--AMERICA,,,PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO DIE FROM YOUR MISSILES AND BOMBERS......THATS WHY THEY WILL RUN AWAY FROM LIBYA...