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Interpol Issues Arrest Warrants For Gadhafi And His Son

The international police agency Interpol today issued "red notices" — arrest warrants, in effect — for ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, his son Saf Al-Islam Gadhafi, and Libya's former director of military intelligence, Abdullah Al-Senussi.

Interpol's online "wanted" poster for ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
/ Interpol
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Interpol
Interpol's online "wanted" poster for ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

According to Interpol, it is acting at the request of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who asked the agency "to issue internationally wanted persons notices against the Libyan nationals for alleged crimes against humanity, including murder and persecution."

The move puts Interpol's 188 member nations (which include all of Libya's neighbors) on notice that Gadhafi is a wanted international fugitive.

Interpol adds that the red notices mean its "specialized Fugitive Investigation Support unit" will now coordinate with the agency's bureaus around the world "to pool and update all relevant intelligence to ensure that [Gadhafi and the others] are located, arrested and surrendered to the ICC."

Other news this morning concerning events in Libya:

-- "A U.S. government arms expert and several private American weapons disposal contractors are aiding Libyan officials in the hunt for dangerous mobile anti-aircraft systems amid news reports that massive arms caches in Tripoli were looted after the ouster of the Moammar Gadhafi regime, the State Department confirmed Thursday." (The Associated Press)

-- "The head of Libya's provisional government says the battle for liberation is not yet finished, and that the country must be unified in order to rebuild after six months of civil war. Speaking in his first major address from the capital Tripoli on Thursday, National Transitional Council leader Mahmoud Jibril said there are still some cities in Libya's south in the hands of forces loyal to ousted leader Moammar Gadhafi. He says a new government can only be formed once fighting ends and the entire country is 'liberated.' " (Voice of America)

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Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.