Gaddafi planned Saudi assassination, claims report

Libya’s return to the international fold was under threat today amid claims that leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi approved plans to assassinate the ruler of Saudi Arabia.

The plot was allegedly hatched last year as Col Gaddafi was pledging to destroy his weapons of mass destruction, renounce terrorism and co-operate with the international community.

According to the New York Times, while Col Gaddafi was promising to end his ties to terrorism he was plotting the killing of Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

The newspaper said two participants in the conspiracy, Abdurahman Alamoudi, an American Muslim leader now in jail in the US, and Col Mohamed Ismael, a Libyan intelligence officer in Saudi custody, have given statements about the plot to investigators.

Alamoudi reportedly told FBI officials and federal prosecutors that Col Gaddafi approved the assassination plan.

US officials told the newspaper that both men offered detailed accounts of the assassination plot, which has been known to senior officials in the US, British and Saudi governments for several months.

The men’s accounts were deemed credible enough for the US to launch an investigation.

However, it is still unclear how well developed the plan was and what Col Gaddafi’s involvement was, if any.

Mr Gaddafi’s son said the accusation was “nonsense”.

The officials said the alleged assassination plot was the reason why Libya had still not been removed from the US State Department’s list of countries that support terrorism.

Col Gaddafi has had a stormy relationship with the Saudi Royal Family.

At an Arab summit before the war in Iraq he clashed with Prince Abdullah who told him: “Your lies precede you and your grave is in front of you.”

If the claims about the assassination plot are found to be true it could lead to the re-instatement of international sanctions and political isolation for Libya.

Alamoudi was indicted in the US last October and is in custody in Virginia accused of travelling to Libya and receiving money from Libyan officials.

His sentence could be reduced in return for his evidence about the assassination plot.

He reportedly told prosecutors that he met with Col Gaddafi twice in the summer of 2003, to discuss the assassination plan.

He claimed Col Gaddafi said at a June meeting: “I want the Crown Prince killed either through assassination or through a coup.” Two months later Col Gaddafi allegedly asked Alamoudi why he had not yet seen “heads flying” in the Saudi Royal Family.

Meanwhile, Col Ismael, aged 36, told investigators that he planned to deliver one million dollars last November to a team of Saudi militants who were prepared to attack the Crown Prince’s motorcade with grenades or shoulder-held missiles.

He said his mission to pay the men was aborted and he was captured by Egyptian police after he fled Saudi Arabia.

He said he received his orders from Libyan intelligence officials who report directly to Col Gaddafi.

The four Saudi militants were arrested on November 27 but are yet to be interviewed by US investigators.