Gadhafi's son finds refuge in luxury villa

NIAMEY, Niger?? His father's whereabouts remain unknown, but the third son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has found refuge fitting his playboy image ? a luxurious guesthouse next to the presidential palace in Niger's capital.

Britain's Daily Telegraph found al-Saadi Gadhafi, 38, ensconced in a posh, state-owned complex called Villa Verde, which the newspaper described as a "well guarded refuge of calm from the war still waging in his homeland." The villa sits on the outskirts of "the plushest and most affluent" areas of the impoverished capital, the paper reported.

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Al-Saadi was flown to Niger's capital on a military Hercules C-130 late on Monday. There he joined a group of generals from his father's regime in negotiations to receive political asylum.

An official involved in the talks indicated that Niger was caught between the Tuaregs, who are politically powerful in the country, and Libya's new leaders, who want all regime members handed over. That is especially true for al-Saadi Gadhafi, who is the subject of a United Nations sanction for commanding military units involved in repression of demonstrations.

"These people have been received on humanitarian grounds. We didn't ask them to come here, and if they are here it's for humanitarian reasons. ... It's my opinion that you can't chase away someone that is fleeing a war," the official said.

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Niger has so far agreed to hand over only the three regime members wanted by the International Criminal Court: Gadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam and his intelligence chief. None are known to be in Niger.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday that Nigerien authorities were working with Libya's Transitional National Council, led by the former rebels, on the issue of al-Saadi Gadhafi.

"Our understanding is, like the others, he's being detained in a state guesthouse," Nuland said, describing the detention as essentially house arrest in a government facility.

"Our primary focus on the ground in Niger is to facilitate discussion between the Nigeriens and the TNC," she said. "We have been doing that and trying to make it absolutely clear that it's up to Libyans what needs to happen here."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44526600/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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