U.S., allies secretly seeking refuge for Gaddafi

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Washington, Apr 17 ): The United States and its allies have reportedly secretly begun seeking a country, most likely in Africa, that would be willing to give refuge to Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in case he is forced out of the oil rich country by rebel forces.
Intelligence reports, however, have indicated that no rebel leader has emerged as a credible successor to the Libyan dictator as of now.
The New York Times reports that the search is continuing despite Gaddafi's unwillingness to give up to the demands of rebels in his country, and the Western powers.
The effort is complicated by the likelihood that he would be indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland in 1988, and atrocities inside Libya, the paper said.
According to three Obama administration officials, one possibility is to find a country that is not a signatory to the treaty that requires countries to turn over anyone under indictment for trial by the court.
"We learned some lessons from Iraq, and one of the biggest is that Libyans have to be responsible for regime change, not us. What we're simply trying to do is find some peaceful way to organize an exit, if the opportunity arises," one of the officials said.
Earlier, Gaddafi had written a three-page letter to Obama, referring him as his 'son', urging him to intervene and stop the Western air campaign against his forces.
"You are in a position to keep NATO off the Libyan affair for good. Our dear son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu oumama, your intervention is the name of the USA is a must, so that NATO would withdraw finally from the Libyan affair," he wrote in the letter.
"You will always remain our son whatever happened. We endeavour and hope that you will gain victory in the new election campaign. You are a man who has enough courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action," the Libyan dictator added.
Gaddafi's appeal to Obama came as Libyan rebels regained ground in a new advance on an oil port.