Libya contact group meets in Qatar

Rebels tell world leaders that Gaddafi's exit is the only way out of crisis as arming them becomes a contentious point. Last Modified: 13 Apr 2011 10:04 Video

Libyan rebels seeking international recognition told world powers at a meeting in the Qatari capital Doha that Muammar Gaddafi's removal from power is the only way out of their country's deepening crisis as allies disagreed on whether to arm the rebels. Wednesday's conference of the "International Contact Group on Libya" is expected to focus on the future of Libya after an African Union attempt to broker a peace deal between rebel groups and Gaddafi collapsed. On the eve of the meeting, a spokesman for the rebel Transitional National Council (TNC) said it will accept nothing short of the removal of Gaddafi and his sons from the country. Mahmud Shammam, whose group seeks international recognition as the legitimate government of Libya, also stressed: "We want to move from the de facto recognition of the council to an internationally-recognised legitimacy." Opposition officials also hope to convince the international community to lift sanctions on eastern Libya. This would free up money in Libyan bank accounts abroad and allow banks in eastern Libya to obtain foreign currency and transfer payments to banks overseas, in order to import basic commodities and other goods. Shammam said the contact group is comprised of high-level international diplomats, and was set up at a conference in London last month. Arming the rebels As allies scramble to finalise a strategy to deal with the crisis, arming the rebels became a flashpoint. Italy wants the international community to consider arming Libyan rebels under the UN resolution authorising the use of all means to defend civilians, the Italian foreign ministry spokesman said. "The discussion about arming the rebels is definitely on the table ... to defend themselves," Italy's Maurizio Massari said on the sidelines of the meeting in Doha. Click here to follow our Libya live blog "The UN resolution ... does not forbid arming" the rebels fighting Gaddafi's forces, he told reporters, while adding that a decision was unlikely to be taken at the meeting in the Qatari capital. "We need to provide the rebels all possible defensive means," he said, singling out communication and intelligence equipment. However, in an apparent rift between EU partners on Libya, Steven Vanackere, the Belgian Foreign Minister said his country was opposed to the idea. "The UN resolution speaks about protecting civilians, not arming them," he said. The Libyan government has dismissed the talks and Qatar's role in the ongoing conflict. "We are very hopeful that the American people and the American government will not buy into the Qatari lies and Qatari schemes," a spokesman of the Libyan regime told reporters in Tripoli on Tuesday. "Qatar is hardly a partner of any kind. It's more of an oil corporation than a true nation," the spokesman said. Among those expected to come to the Doha talks is Moussa Koussa, Libya's former foreign minister, who fled to Britain last month after he defected. He has reportedly arrived in Qatar to meet Libyan rebels. Koussa, a long-time top aide to Gaddafi, will not formally participate in the meeting but is expected to hold talks on the sidelines, British sources said. "He's not connected to (the rebel) Transitional National Council in any way or shape," Mustafa Gheriani, a media liaison official of the rebels, said. Gheriani added that he was personally surprised to learn that Koussa was leaving Britain to attend the Qatar talks, and suggested that British officials should explain why he was going and in what capacity. 'Free individual' Koussa, the most prominent Libyan government defector, sought refuge in Britain on March 30. A friend said he quit in protest at attacks on civilians by Gaddafi''s forces. The former spy chief was questioned by Scottish police over the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing, which killed 270 people, but the British government said he was now free to travel. Click here for more on our special coverage "We understand he is travelling today to Doha to meet with the Qatar government and a range of Libyan representatives to offer insight in advance of the contact group meeting," a Foreign Office spokesman said. No Gaddafi representatives are expected to attend. "Moussa Koussa is a free individual who can travel to and from the United Kingdom as he wishes," the spokesman said. British government sources said they expected Koussa to return to Britain after his talks, although others questioned the wisdom of letting him leave. "It is very important that our country doesn't become a transit lounge for alleged war criminals," Robert Halfon, a Conservative member of parliament, told BBC radio. "We have to give a signal to the rest of the world that we cannot tolerate this." Koussa may be looking to see if he can play a role in the rebel movement fighting Gaddafi, according to some reports. Koussa is believed to be no longer under the supervision of British security agencies who had questioned him at a secret location after his defection to Britain. In his first public statement since arriving in Britain, Koussa told the BBC on Monday his country could become "a new Somalia" unless all sides involved in the conflict stopped it from descending into civil war.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies