The rush of military advances claimed by the Libyan rebels and the rumors of the near collapse of Muammar Qaddafi’s army and his imminent flight are designed, DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources report, as a smokescreen for three current occurrences:
1. Libyan Government ministers and Benghazi-based Transitional National Council, TNC, representatives, have been meeting in semi-secrecy on the Tunisian island of Djerba from Saturday, Aug. 15 – although both sides swore never to sit down and talk.
Significant progress brought the dialogue’s sponsor, the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon’s Special Envoy, Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdul Ila al-Khatib, to the island on Monday, Aug. 15.
For three weeks, DEBKAfile has been alone in reporting the Libyan war was tailing off and morphing into direct talks between the two foes. Saturday, the UN Secretary finally confirmed that, “A ceasefire that is linked to a political process which would meet the aspirations of the Libyan people is the only viable means to achieve peace and security in Libya.”
On the table, according to our sources, is a step-by-step process (first revealed on this site), whereby Muammar Qaddafi will relinquish power in stages synchronized with the steps for the transfer of power to a new Libyan government, which must have room at the top for his sons. They would share power with his close loyalists, the tribes supporting his regime and rebel groups.
Under the deal, Qaddafi would not have to leave Libya and would receive guarantees for his personal safety.
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