LONDON -- ItÂ’s an offer that diplomats hope Muammar GaddafiÂ’s family and top aides canÂ’t refuse: If they publicly withdraw support for the Libyan dictatorÂ’s regime, the restrictions on their assets and travel plans could be made to vanish.The US Treasury and BritainÂ’s Foreign Office have spelled out the details of the proposal, and discussions are now under way at the European Union ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers next week. Talks on the proposed deal will also take place among UN Security Council members if any of those named under U.N. sanctions flee from Libya and renounce Gaddafi.
GaddafiÂ’s seven sons, a wife, his daughter, two cousins and other allies who have served him for much of his rule are all being given a chance to escape international blacklists and reclaim billions of dollars of seized funds.
But some critics recoil at the thought, wondering whether the incentives will set a bad precedent for giving billions back to possible plunderers or even if the measures will work to oust Gaddafi.
The EU will decide next week whether to lift a travel ban and asset freeze imposed on Moussa Koussa, the former Libyan foreign minister who escaped from Tripoli last week, flew into Britain and is now providing information to intelligence officers and government officials in the U.K.
“There are talks going on this week ahead of meetings in Europe next week,” a Foreign Office spokeswoman said. It’s likely that EU diplomats will also discuss how to handle other potential defectors attracted by the terms of the international community’s deal.
The U.S. Treasury on Monday removed sanctions it had imposed against Koussa, saying lifting the measures “should encourage others within the Libyan government to make similar decisions to abandon the Gaddafi regime.”
British Foreign Secretary William Hague told lawmakers that anyone among the 25 people listed on an EU sanctions list and the 16 named in measures approved by the U.N. could escape the restrictions if they recant their backing for Gaddafi, and if allies agree their actions should be rewarded.
“In the case of anyone currently sanctioned by the EU and U.N. who breaks definitively with the regime, we will discuss with our partners the merits of removing the restrictions that apply to them,” Hague said.
The U.S. Treasury has 13 senior Libyan officials on a blacklist, including Gaddafi, his wife and sons, and plans to announce sanctions against other Libyan officials in the coming days.
Oliver Miles, a former British ambassador to Libya, said the offer to lift sanctions could help pile pressure on Gaddafi.
“It will encourage people to defect and therefore reduce the political support which Gaddafi enjoys,” Miles said. “That’s the only way in which a solution is going to be reached.”
Others arenÂ’t convinced.
“It’s a carrot-and-stick tactic that frankly hasn’t worked very well in the past, but we’re reaching a critical point that we have to try various approaches,” said a European intelligence official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
Miles said the most damaging move would be if any Gaddafi relatives took up the deal. “If a close family member were to come out openly and defect, that would also be valuable,” he added.