Thomas sidlik

Gaddafi spy chief held in Mauritania
Libya’s former head of intelligence Abdullah al-Senussi has been arrested in Mauritania. Al-Senussi, one of the most prominent figures in the country under ex-leader Muammar Gaddafi, played a major role in trying to crush last year’s rebellion. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, along with Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam. Officials in Mauritania say al-Senussi entered the West African country on a flight from Casablanca in Morocco, using a false passport portraying him as being from Mali. “This is the happiest moment for Libyans, I wish we had arrested him here. No matter how much we subject him to, it won’t be sufficient revenge for what Senussi did,” said Al-Amory Abdulah from Tripoli. In Benghazi, people like Mustafa Jhyma were also happy with the arrest: “Senussi is Gaddafi’s black box, he has a lot of information and he is the one who killed 1200 prisoners. He has blood on his hands and he should be brought here and tried in Libya.” Authorities in Paris do not need a black box flight recorder to hold al-Senussi responsible for the 1989 bombing of a French plane. The aircraft exploded over Niger killing all 170 passengers. Al-Senussi was convicted in absentia in 1999, and last year, the French government asked that he be handed over. More about: Crime against humanity, International Criminal Court, Libyan army, Libyan war, Muammar Gaddafi