adminCourt, one of his henchmen said of the Libyan leader’s last days.
In June, ICC judges issued arrest warrants against Gaddafi, who was killed on October 20, his son Seif al-Islam and former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, for “crimes against humanity.”
For Mansur Daou, former head of internal security services, currently in a Misrata prison, the ICC measure strengthened Gaddafi’s resolve to avoid at any cost facing an international tribunal.
“Gaddafi and his son decided to stay in Libya after the arrest warrants. Gaddafi said ‘I would rather die in Libya than face trial and be judged by (ICC prosecutor Luis) Moreno-Ocampo,” Daou told AFP in an interview.
“Seif al-Islam and his brother Mutassim wanted Gaddafi to stay in Libya, particularly Seif,” who was considered as heir apparent, said Daou.
“But Senussi was pressing Gaddafi to leave the country,” he added.
On August 19, NTC fighters reached Tripoli, forcing Gaddafi to flee to his hometown Sirte.
Tripoli fell two days later.
“Gaddafi knew it was over after his troops were pushed out of Misrata. He became more and more nervous,” said Daou.
Gaddafi “was also under pressure because his friends abandoned him,” he said naming French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the prime ministers of Italy and Turkey Silvio Berlusconi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and former British premier Tony Blair.
“He considered them close friends and this got to him,” said Daou.
In the Mediterranean city of Sirte, Gaddafi lived at first in a hotel, but he moved out in mid-September when NTC forces closed in on the suburbs and almost every night he changed his location for safety reasons. But his food supplies began to dwindle as bombs rained in on the city, fighting intensified while electricity and water were cut.
“Gaddafi was depressed and very worried. It was unusual to see him like that,” said Daou, who was in charge of the deposed leader’s security.
Mutassim, who was also killed, was leading the battles in Sirte, while Seif, who is currently on the run, never set foot there. “I have never saw him (Seif) after that,” said Daou.
During his last days in hiding Gaddafi read a lot, but did not fight, Daou recalls.
“Gaddafi read books, took notes and slept, while Mutassim was commanding his fighters. Gaddafi did not fight. He was too old,” said Daou of the man who was 69 when he was killed. It was a huge mistake. It was Mutassim’s idea. There were about 45 vehicles, 160-180 men, some of them were wounded,” said Daou.
“Instead of leaving as planned around three in the morning that day, they left three or four hours later because Mutassim’s volunteers were poorly organised.” – AFP.
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