Muammar Gaddafi could stay in Libya, William Hague concedes

Foreign secretary opens path for political peace as British planes step up bombing before Ramadan Britain is prepared to agree to a political settlement in Libya that would see Muammar Gaddafi remain in the country after relinquishing his hold on power, the foreign secretary, William Hague, said yesterday. As British aircraft step up the bombing against Gaddafi’s security and intelligence apparatus before the onset of Ramadan on 1 August, Hague said the focus should be on ensuring that the Libyan leader leaves power. Speaking at a press conference in London Monday with his French counterpart Alain Juppé, who has been more relaxed about Gaddafi’s personal future, Hague said that it was up to the Libyan people to decide his future. “What happens to Gaddafi is ultimately a question for the Libyans,” the foreign secretary said. “It is for the Libyan people to determine their own future. Whatever happens Gaddafi must leave power. He must never again be able to threaten the lives of Libyan civilians nor to destabilise Libya once he has left power. “Obviously leaving Libya itself would the best way of showing the Libyan people they no longer have to live in fear of Gaddafi. But as I have said all along this is ultimately a question for Libyans to determine.” British sources said that Hague was not denoting a shift in British thinking because ministers have maintained from the start of the military action in March that the future of Libya will be decided by its own people. But on 28 February, a few weeks before the launch of the air campaign, David Cameron told MPs that Gaddafi must leave. “We should be clear that for the future of Libya and its people, Colonel Gaddafi’s regime must end and he must leave,” he said at the time. Libyan rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil has said Gaddafi and his family could stay in the country if they gave up power. His concession, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal , reflects those by Nato governments, including Britain and France, which are now suggesting Gaddafi might not be arraigned before the international criminal court (ICC) in The Hague for war crimes. Juppé said Britain and France were in agreement in demanding that Gaddafi relinquish power. But the French foreign minister was more relaxed about Gaddafi’s personal future. “On Libya, since the beginning, we have been engaged in the same operation with the same goal which is to allow the Libyan people to achieve liberty and democracy. We are clear that the goal must be that Gaddafi must give up power and all his military and civil responsibilities and then it is for the Libyan people to decide what their fate is: will it be within or outside Libya? We are continuing to work on this. We are keeping up the military pressure and co-operating with the Libyan transitional council,” he said. Hague and Juppé also appeared to differ on whether Gaddafi should face the ICC. Juppé said it was important to uphold the principle that nobody is immune from prosecution. The transitional council in Libya has indicated that it would send Gaddafi for trial at the ICC. But Hague indicated that Britain may be prepared to see Gaddafi escape justice. Asked whether Gaddafi could secure immunity from prosecution, the foreign secretary said: “The British government is very in favour of the powers of the ICC and the requirements of the ICC being complied with. So I think you are trying to take us down a hypothetical route.” Muammar Gaddafi Libya Middle East Africa Arab and Middle East unrest Nato Foreign policy Richard Norton-Taylor Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk

Posted by on July 25, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.