MURDER OF QADHAFI OPPONENT IN LONDON

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 015945

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ENA AND S/CT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/05
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV KISL LY UK
SUBJECT: MURDER OF QADHAFI OPPONENT IN LONDON


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY: MICHAEL J. HABIB,
MINISTER-COUNSELOR FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS. REASON: 1.5(D).


2. (U) ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, AN EXILED OPPONENT
OF QADHAFI'S REGIME WAS FOUND STABBED TO DEATH IN HIS
WEST LONDON GROCER'S SHOP ON SUNDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER

26. FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS OF ALI MEHMED ABU ZEID HAVE
BEEN QUICK TO SUGGEST THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN ASSASSINATED
BY LIBYAN SECURITY AGENTS.


3. (U) ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, ABU ZEID WAS FORCED
TO LEAVE LIBYA ABOUT TWENTY YEARS AGO AFTER SERVING
EIGHT MONTHS IN PRISON FOR ACTIVITIES HOSTILE TO THE
LIBYAN GOVERNMENT. A SPOKESMAN FOR SCOTLAND YARD SAID
INVESTIGATORS WERE "KEEPING AN OPEN MIND" ABOUT THE
OTIVE WHILE NOTING THAT THE CRIME DID NOT APPEAR TO
INVOLVE BURGLARY. HOWEVER, A POLICE SOURCE TOLD THE
PRESS THAT A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED KILLING WOULD MORE
LIKELY HAVE INVOLVED A SHOOTING OR BOMBING, AND NOT, AS
IN THIS CASE, A GRUESOME MULTIPLE STABBING. (ACCORDING
TO TABLOID ACCOUNTS, ABU ZEID WAS STABBED IN THE BACK AT
HIS STORE'S ENTRANCE AND THEN DISEMBOWELED OVER THE
HALAL MEAT COUNTER AT THE REAR OF THE SHOP.)


4. (C) A CONTACT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LIBYAN OPPOSITION
TOLD POLOFF ON NOVEMBER 28 THAT ABU ZEID WAS AN
EXTREMELY WELL-LIKED FIGURE IN THE LOCAL LIBYAN
COMMUNITY. HE CLAIMED THAT ABU ZEID WAS NOT INVOLVED IN
THE EMOTIONAL INTERNECINE DISPUTES THAT CHARACTERIZE THE
LIBYAN OPPOSITION MOVEMENT AND THAT HE MAINTAINED GOOD
RELATIONS WITH EVERYONE. ABU ZEID HAD NOT BEEN
POLITICALLY ACTIVE SINCE THE LATE EIGHTIES AND HE HAD
"NO ENEMIES EXCEPT THE QADHAFI REGIME".


5. (C) OUR SOURCE CLAIMED THAT ABU ZEID HAD RECENTLY
RECEIVED THREATENING PHONE CALLS AND HAD MOVED HIS
FAMILY WITHIN THE LAST TEN DAYS. HE HAD TOLD FRIENDS
THAT IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO HIM, LIBYAN SECURITY
OFFICIALS WERE TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. LIBYAN
OPPOSITIONISTS WERE CONVINCED ABU ZEID HAD BEEN TARGETED
PRECISELY BECAUSE HE WAS WELL-KNOWN AND WIDELY LIKED AND
THUS HIS MURDER, PARTICULARLY WHEN CARRIED OUT IN SUCH A
BRUTAL FASHION, WOULD HAVE A DEEPLY CHILLING EFFECT ON
LIBYAN EXPATRIATES EVERYWHERE.


6. (C) SCOTLAND YARD WILL UNDOUBTEDLY FOLLOW ANY LEAD
SUGGESTING A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED CRIME. POST WILL
REPORT ANY INDICATION OF OFFICIAL LIBYAN INVOLVEMENT IN
THE MURDER OF ABU ZEID.


CROWE