International court prosecutor wants to question defected Libyan foreign minister Koussa

By Mike Corder, The Associated Press – 43 minutes ago

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Tuesday he wants to interview Libya's former foreign minister who quit the embattled regime and fled to Britain last week.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Moussa Koussa could have crucial information about the inner workings of Moammar Gadhafi's government.
"Presumably Mr. Koussa knows a lot (about) how the regime works," he said.
Moreno-Ocampo said his investigators already have gathered evidence that Gadhafi "planned to attack civilians to retain power" and avoid a successful people-power rebellion like the ones that forced the longtime leaders of Tunisia and Egypt from power.
"You cannot commit atrocities to retain power," he said.
The prosecutor announced last month he was opening an investigation into atrocities in Libya and named Gadhafi and Koussa among possible suspects responsible for crimes against humanity.
The United Nations Security Council called on the court to open an investigation after reports of atrocities by pro-Gadhafi forces in the early days of the rebel uprising.
However, Moreno-Ocampo offered an olive branch to Koussa, hinting he may not be prosecuted.
"If you cannot stop the crimes, defecting is a way to avoid criminal responsibility," Moreno-Ocampo said. "So we would like to understand why he defected, what happened and we're trying to interview him."
Moreno-Ocampo said the security situation in Libya, where rebels and pro-Gadhafi forces continue to fight fierce battles, is still making his investigations difficult.
"We have security concerns because we have information showing that the situation in Tripoli and cities under the regime is really dangerous," he said. "Whoever is suspected not to be loyal to the regime could be abducted or tortured or killed."
The prosecutor is due to report progress in his Libya investigation to the Security Council on May 4 and hopes to indict suspects around that time.

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