FORMER GADHAFI ALLY PLOTS OVERTHROW WASHINGTON POST - 24 SEPTEMBER 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100160025-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: September 25, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160025-7
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160025-7
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160025-7
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1986 E23
JACK ANDERSON and DALE VAN ATTA
Former Gadhafi Ally Plots Overthrow
L ibyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, already on
the ropes from a shattered economy and the
fear of future American bombing raids, now
has a potential knockout punch to worry about:
open opposition by the man he most feared would
challenge him.
Abdel Moneim Huni, one of the dozen military
officers who helped Gadhafi seize power in 1969,
recently issued a call to his former army colleagues
and others to overthrow the dictator. Huni made
his declaration from exile in Cairo, announcing at
the same time the formation of a "Libyan
Committee for National Salvation." Thousands of
leaflets bearing his call to arms were distributed
throughout Libya.
Why is Huni's action significant? Because the
army's support is crucial to any attempted ouster of
Gadhafi, and Huni, unlike exiles leading earlier
anti-Gadhafi groups, has strong ties of friendship
among army officers in Tripoli.
Once vice president, interior minister and
intelligence chief, Huni was Gadhafi's No. 3 man
when he split in 1975 in disgust over the regime's
corruption and Gadhafi's persecution of dissidents
and minorities. Gadhafi was so furious that he tried
to have Huni assassinated in Cairo in 1976.
Since then Huni has laid low, resisting all
suggestions that he lead the opposition to Gadhafi.
But last January he made a secret trip to
Washington and conferred with Reagan
administration officials.
Insiders described the talks as "inconclusive."
But they did establish two important policies: The
United States would not oppose any attempt by
Huni to unseat Gadhafi, and there would be no CIA
funds for him (which would have wrecked his
chances for popular support in Libya).
Following the U.S. air raid on Libya in April,
intelligence sources tell us, Gadhafi sent an urgent
message to Huni in Cairo. He begged him to let
bygones be bygones and to rejoin the ruling
military council in Tripoli. It was an offer Huni
could and did refuse, though he condemned the
U.S. raid on his country.
Having observed Gadhafi's erratic behavior since
the bombing, Huni obviously felt the time was ripe
to announce his opposition. He timed the
proclamation for Aug. 30, just before the 17th
anniversary of the Sept. 1 revolution.
"The majority of our citizens know that on the
dawn of that day, we did not represent anything but
the will of the people," Huni declared. "The
successive events and the activities of our
'comrade-in-arms,' Col. Moammar al-Gadhafi, soon
made clear to us the 'deviation' that he has
followed due to his egotism, lust for power,
weakness in the face of personal greed and personal
hatred ....
"The freedom which was the first objective of our
military uprising has changed to slavery, bondage,
persecution [and] despotic dominion over every
citizen who is honorable, honest and moral ....
"I send this message to my Free Officers ... all
noncommissioned officers and soldiers. I ask then
to ... move immediately to force Col. Gadhafi to
relinquish power and surrender authority."
Huni's open opposition could seal Gadhafi's
doom.
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160025-7
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160025-7
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160025-7