Libya’s permanent ambassador to the UN has accused the British intelligence services of leaking a lengthy email to the Guardian newspaper which was sent by former UN envoy Bernardino León to UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayid, Erem News reported.
“The Guardian leak is a León scandal or a British and American scandal,” claimed Ibrahim Al-Dabbashi. “The fact is that the email as a whole proves that León was very well aware of the complexities of the Libyan situation and that he was committed to the UN rules and able to resist pressures from the super-powers.”
However, added Al-Dabbashi, this confirmed suspicions in the minds of Libyans about the intentions of both Britain and America, especially with regard to their lack of seriousness about fighting terrorism. “The leak also reveals their desire for the chaos to continue until their own citizens who are of Libyan origin seize the opportunity to rule Libya or the mini states that will be created once Libya is divided.”
It is already clear, the official said, that the current onslaught on León is prompted by the fact that the strategy of the United States and Britain, and beyond them the European Union, contradicts the three goals that the UN envoy was seeking to achieve, as mentioned in his correspondence. According to Al-Dabbashi, the three goals are: to fragment Libya’s Dawn by means of breaking the “rather dangerous” alliance among the Islamists (the Muslim Brotherhood and the Misratis); removing the militias from the cities; and setting up a national unity government composed of moderates on both sides.
“The Guardian newspaper is very close to British intelligence,” explained Al-Dabbashi. “Leon’s email could only have been leaked by MI6 [Britain’s external security agency]. The objective is not to undermine León but to send a message to his successor, Martin Kobler, and take the dialogue back to square one.” León was committed to the position of the Security Council and the UN vis-a-vis the parliament as the sole legitimate authority in Libya, he insisted.
Last week, the UN Secretary General appointed German diplomat Martin Kobler as his new envoy to Libya to replace Bernardino León. The 62-year-old is expected to assume his responsibilities this week.