Libyan rebels refused to meet defector Musa Kusa yesterday, accusing Colonel Gaddafi’s former foreign minister of having blood on his hands.

In a rebuke for Britain’s policy of cosseting the former intelligence chief, they said he had no role to play in the movement to replace Gaddafi.

Musa Kusa, who is accused of being involved in the Lockerbie bombing and the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher, was allowed by ministers to fly to Qatar yesterday for an international summit on Libya.


Rebuffed: Spokesmen for Libyan rebels refused to meet with former foreign minister Musa Kusa at a summit in Qatar, saying he has blood on his hands having been part of Gaddafi's inner circle

Diplomatic officials let him go because they wanted him to talk to Arab leaders about how to oust Gaddafi – even though victims of Lockerbie want to see him put on trial.

But Kusa was snubbed by the Libyan Interim National Council which has emerged as the government in waiting.

Spokesmen for rebels attending the Qatar meeting and those back in Libya made clear they want nothing to do with the former intelligence chief, who was an integral part of Gaddafi’s inner circle until he fled to Britain earlier this month.

Rebel spokesman Mahmoud Shamman said: ‘We did not invite him here. He is not part of our delegation.’

In Benghazi, opposition spokesman Abdel-Hafidh Ghoga said talks with Kusa were ‘not on the agenda’.