Report: Gaddafi assassination attempt was known by London before implementation
Libya-UK, Politics, 2/14/2000

The British daily Sunday Times reported on Sunday that the British intelligence had known at the beginning of 1996 in that there was a conspiracy targeting Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi at least two weeks before its implementation, according to a secret document published through the Internet.

The paper added that the British foreign intelligence department MI6 was briefed on the details by a member of the group which was trying to assassinate the Libyan leader.

The department prepared a detailed report on when and where the assassination of Gaddafi will be made. The report which was handed over to the Foreign Office said that some 250 British arms were distributed to the plotters.

The British daily did not specify the address of the site where the report was published, saying that the British authorities asked it not to publish it. In the case that it is proved, this information will cause great embarrassment to British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook who denied openly in August 1998 the involvement of agents for the British intelligence in an assassination attempt against Gaddafi.

Gaddafi survived the bomb-attack against him, during which great number of his body guards and the attackers were killed.

Replying to a question asked by the Sunday Times, Cook described this information as "imagined," repeating his statement that the British intelligence had never had interest in such a conspiracy or had involvement in the assassination attempt against the Libyan leader. But the Sunday Times said that other British officials stressed that this information is true.

A Foreign Office statement stressed that there is nothing in the presumed report published on the Internet that refutes statements made by the foreign secretary, besides, "We have not denied our knowledge that there are conspiracies against Gaddafi."

News connecting Britain's involvement in a conspiracy against Gaddafi appeared for the first time when the former secret agent David Shayler announced that the British foreign intelligence tried to buy military vehicles and weapons that were to be used for this purpose.

The paper added that the report published on the Internet stresses that the assassination attempt was to be made during the convening of the general people's conference (Parliament) on February 14, 1996 and that this attempt was to be preceded by uprisings in Benghazi, Tripoli and Mesrata.

Meantime, Cook today said in a BBC report that "What I said two years ago was that I was absolutely satisfied that the previous foreign secretary did not authorise an assassination attempt, that the SIS (secret intelligence services) never put forward such a proposal and in my time in office I have never seen any evidence that the SIS had any interest in such escapades, adding "Indeed this document ends with the contact telling the SIS that the other plotters are unhappy about him even telling SIS, which rather proves that SIS were not manipulating this coup attempt." Mr Cook refused to confirm whether the document was genuine or a forgery.

Previous Stories:
  British ambassador hails resumption of air trips between Tripoli and London   (1/27/2000)
  France will not extradite Shayler to Libya   (9/17/1998)
  Libya shows film of 1996 Gaddafi assassination attempt   (9/12/1998)
  Libya questions Britain about Gaddafi assassination attempt   (8/17/1998)

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