Senussi I return to Libya? ABOUT THE PRINCE IDRIS Senussi, nephew of the king overthrown in 1969, and his cousin Muhammad
Today, March 16, 2011
Mauro Suttora
Port of Trieste, night of March 21, 1971. A commando of armed men in secret is embarking on the boat Conquistator XIII. Destination: Libya. Where two years before the 27 year-old Muammar Qaddafi ousted King Idris Senussi 79enne, who ruled peacefully since 1951. Codenamed Operation: Hilton Assignment. The expedition is funded by Abdallah Senussi, the 'Black Prince' right arm and nephew of King Idris. Who, being childless, he referred to as the heir to the throne.
Both of them were abroad at the time of the coup: King Idris in Turkey, in Italy 50 years old Prince Abdullah, in Montecatini. In Tripoli had stayed another nephew Idris, Hassan ended up on the throne for a day, then the military coup proclaimed the republic. Just as it did their hero, Gamal Nasser in Egypt in '52. King Farouk had fixed in Italy. The Libyan Hassan renounced the throne and ended up under house arrest.
Italy blocking the blitz
now departed from Trieste Senussi the liberation of the monarchy, which had guaranteed freedom, prosperity and moderation to Libya for decades. With great tolerance: former Italian settlers lived quietly, Christians, Muslims and Jews are respected even after the third Arab-Israeli war of '67, but that in other Arab countries had led to Israel's exodus.
On the other hand, the Senussia is still one of the major trends Islam. Operates the second largest mosque in Mecca, is open to modernity. The traditional rivalry between Egypt and Cyrenaica, Tripolitania linked more Maghreb was resolved by giving Senussi also in Benghazi, Libya's capital status. So, today, after 42 years of delirium Gaddafi, the Libyan recall with nostalgia the time. And in fact, have immediately adopted the old monarchist flag for their new Libya freed.
The story would have been different that night in early spring in Trieste, the Italian secret services had not suddenly blocked shipment of Prince Abdallah. No landing in Libya, no release of partisans Senussi incarcerati da Gheddafi. L’Italia non voleva una restaurazione della monarchia, nonostante i 30 mila connazionali cacciati da Gheddafi l’anno prima. E l’allora ministro degli Esteri italiano Aldo Moro pochi mesi dopo poté vantare quello «stop» direttamente con il dittatore libico, inaugurando una politica quarantennale di «appeasement» e amicizia. Che, prima del recente «bacio dell’anello» da parte di Berlusconi, ebbe un altro picco: l’avviso, da parte del premier Bettino Craxi nell’86, che gli Stati Uniti stavano per bombardare la caserma di Gheddafi (uccidendone la figlia adottiva).
Il blitz «Hilton Assignment» fatto abortire dagli 007 italiani è stato confermato by Arturo Varvelli researcher ISPI (Institute for International Policy Studies), in his book
Italy and the rise of Qaddafi (ed. Baldini Castoldi Dalai, 2009).
Senussi I have never abandoned the dream of returning to Libya. King Idris died in exile in Cairo in '83, five years after his nephew Abdullah. The torch was passed to Prince Idris, the son of Abdallah and namesake of his grandfather at the time of the coup of '69 was twelve years old in college in London.
Today Idris Senussi lives between Rome and Washington, is the broker business. He knows all the monarchs of the Middle East, some of it is relative (cousin of the king of Morocco and Jordan). From the first nozze con un’americana ha avuto la figlia Alia. Poi si è rispostao con la nobildonna spagnola Ana Maria Quinones. Ha messo a frutto i suoi contatti per far ottenere grosse commesse a Eni, Snam, Condotte, Ansaldo.
Ha preparato la rivolta del 17 febbraio in stretto contatto con i parenti rimasti in Libia. Il 4 febbraio aveva lanciato un appello pubblico a Gheddafi, invitandolo ad aperture e riforme dopo le liberazioni di Tunisia ed Egitto. Nessuno, un mese fa, immaginava che la rivoluzione si sarebbe estesa subito anche alla Libia. Lo avevamo intervistato (Oggi n.7), Senussi sperava ancora in una mossa intelligente (o almeno furba) da parte del dittatore: «Gheddafi nell’ultimo anno ha effettuato alcune liberalizzazioni nel campo Trade, returned some private property confiscated. " But he warned that even young Libyans, as the Tunisians and Egyptians, had reached the limit of endurance.
After the unexpected release of Benghazi Prince Idris is happy: "They attacked and liberated the building where I was born, that Gaddafi had turned into barracks." Well introduced to the U.S. State Department, flew to Washington where he provided valuable information to executives of American foreign policy. Interviewed by CNN, warned that Gaddafi is now finished, "After the murders he committed there is no possibility of negotiation." His daughter, Princess Alia, 26, collects fondi per la Croce/Mezzaluna Rossa.
Nel frattempo, a Londra compare un altro pretendente al trono libico: Muhammed Senussi, 48 anni, figlio di Hassan. Gheddafi permise a suo padre di espatriare soltanto nell’88.
Muhammed ingaggia una costosa agenzia di relazioni pubbliche, si fa intervistare da Al Jazeera. E i suoi sostenitori scatenano una battaglia via internet contro Idris: cambiano il suo ritratto su Wikipedia, l’enciclopedia online. Un conflitto fra cugini che ricorda quello fra i nostri Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia e Amedeo d’Aosta.
Il ramo dinastico di Muhammed si fa forte di quel 30 settembre ‘69, unico giorno sul trono di suo padre Hassan. Il ramo di Idris risponde che proprio l’immediata abdication remove all rights. To complicate matters, finally, here Senussi Hashem, 60, elder brother of Prince Idris: he, too, who lives in Rome and was proclaimed heir to the throne in two interviews at the time
and Corriere della Sera . This proliferation of pretenders
means that there will be a really Libyan throne to sit on? More days pass, the more you realize how big the gap that has resulted in forty years of Gaddafi in Libya. The new interim government in Benghazi is composed of respectable people, sometimes heroic. But the very fact that the leaders of Libya should free recycle former ministers and generals of the dictator has shown the lack of leadership. And the void at those latitudes is dangerous because it can be filled by religious fanatics, or Al Qaeda. The example of Afghanistan
Sooner or later a new leadership emerge in Tripoli. But for now, the structure appears similar to that of Libya, Afghanistan, split between dozens of tribes. In Kabul today, many regret not having put in place the old King Zahir (who reigned from 1933 to '73, before his exile in Rome) after liberation from the Taliban in 2001. Could guarantee the unity of a nation fractured best of President Karzai, the Afghanistan and perhaps now no longer at war.
Senussi I will return to reign in Libya, of course in regime democratico costituzionale? «Se il popolo lo vorrà, siamo disponibili», è la risposta. Il plurale è maiestatis, ma almeno su questo l’accordo fra i tre prìncipi è unanime.
Mauro Suttora
