Libya former energy minister Shatwan flees to Europe

[maddezmom]

Source: BBC

A former top minister in the Libyan government, Omar Fathi Bin Shatwan, has fled to Europe.

Mr Shatwan, who had been energy minister till 2006, says several members of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's inner circle want to defect, but many are too scared to do so.

¬snip¬

On his visit to Libya, former US congressman Curt Weldon says he will urge Mr Gaddafi to "step aside", and is suggesting that his forces pull back from western cities under siege while rebel fighters do not try to advance any further from the east.

The White House was informed about the visit in advance, but a spokesman stressed Mr Weldon was not an official envoy.



Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12997178

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Curt Weldon in Libya on his own mission - accompanied by ex-anchor Larry Mendte
By John P. Martin

Inquirer Staff Writer

Curt Weldon, the once-powerful U.S. representative from Delaware County who lost his seat after an FBI corruption probe, splashed back into the international spotlight Wednesday with a visit to Libya and a plea for Moammar Gadhafi to step aside.

In an op-ed piece published by the New York Times, Weldon said he had traveled to Libya at the invitation of Gadhafi's chief of staff.

"Our purpose," he wrote, "is to meet with Col. Gadhafi today and persuade him to step aside."

Weldon said he had undertaken the trip with the knowledge of the Obama administration and members of Congress from both parties. But he cautioned that he had acted on his own

more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/119383654.html

[Turborama]

1. Former Libyan Energy Minister, Fathi Shatwan Defects to Malta

=snip=

Meanwhile, Mr Shatwan reportedly told Associated Press in a telephone interview, that several members of Muammar Al Qathafi's inner circle want to defect, but are too scared to do so, in some cases, because their families are under siege.

"Those whose families are outside Libya will flee if they get a chance," Shatwan said "But many can't leave, and all the families of ministers are under siege.”

Shatwan said the last time he had any contact with Al Qathafi ws way back in 2006. He said he has not spoken to him or his sons since.

Before deciding to flee to Malta, where he has made many friends over the years and is very well respected, Mr Shatwan said that before he escaped to Malta he spent 40 days bunkered down at his home in the central port of Misurata witnessing Al Qathafi's forces pounding the city with heavy artillery and relentlessly shooting civilians.

Full article: http://tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=5788

[Uncle Joe]

2. Personally I don't trust Weldon anymore than I would've trusted the Republicans

to have honestly brokered for the hostages to be released in Iran before the 1980 election and Reagan coming to power.

Weldon; has been tight with dictator Gaddafi for years and I can't imagine he's truly advising him to step down unless there is some major, self-serving, adverse hook.

Thanks for the thread, maddezmom.

[xchrom]

3. Recommend

[daleo]

4. So Gaddaffi's evil?

But his cabinet and close associates are ok if they defect? (i.e. they get amnesty or some equivalent).

Seems inconsistent to me, but I am sure lots of enthusiastic posters out there will be able to square this circle, quite comfortably.

[joshcryer]

5. Nope, they should all be investigated.

They have the money to avoid such things, unfortunately.