Tony Blair has spoken to Gaddafi, Mandelson confirms
Tony Blair has spoken to Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi in the last two days, Lord Mandelson has confirmed. The friendly relations date back to the “deal” struck over the Lockerbie bomber in 2007.
Lord Mandelson confirmed that Tony Blair had spoken to Libya‘s leader in the last 48 hours and revealed there are figures close to Colonel Gaddafi, including his son Saif Gaddafi, who concede there is a need for a transition of power.
Defending the previous Labour government, Lord Mandelson told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that he could see “nothing wrong” with helping British companies access autocratic regimes.
He explained: “If there was any evidence or suggestion at all that he had weapons of mass destruction, for those to be in the hands of a man like Gaddafi, I tell you, Tony Blair was absolutely right with others to do everything he could to bring Gaddafi in from the cold.
“Tony Blair has been in touch with Gaddafi over the last two days and I strongly support him in doing so. What he will have been saying is very clear. ‘You have an option now. You can follow one course or the other.
“What I want you to do, or what everyone wants you to do, what your people want you to do, is to step back, stop this constant boxing in of yourself, this sort of last stand mentality and allow a proper, internationally-supervised transition to take place towards democracy, to create the space for new political leaders and an alternative government in Libya to emerge’.”
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Recalling his meetings with Saif Gaddafi, Lord Mandelson said: “There are many people, not only members of Gaddafi’s own family but people in the ruling elite around him, who have cross cutting motives and interests. They also have divided loyalties.
“But I also drew the conclusion, not only talking to Gaddafi’s son but one or two others in the elite around Gaddafi, that there is a great deal of discontent about Gaddafi.
“There is a recognition that Libya has to go on to a different course, a transition towards political pluralism, the emergence of new leaders and parties and a transition to democracy.”
Lockerbie: the 'deal in the desert'
Shortly after the convicted Lockerbie bomber was released from a Scottish prison in 2009, Britain's former "man in Tripoli" Sir Oliver Miles told Channel 4 News he believed a deal had been done between the UK and Libya, to get Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi to drop an appeal.
The former UK ambassador to Libya said: "I think Tony Blair originally thought that he could deal with it quite simply by [sending] al-Megrahi back to Libya under the prisoner transfer agreement. It turned out it wasn't as simple as that."
One man with a close-up view of what took place was Sir Nigel Sheinwald - Britain's ambassador to the US since 2007. Sir Nigel previously served as an adviser on foreign policy to Blair. Libyan ministers and diplomats are said have referred to the "Nigel and Tony" double act.
Read more: Lockerbie, BP and desert deals