US seeks haven for Gaddafi

The intense search for a country to accept Gaddafi has been conducted quietly by the US and its allies,even though the Libyan leader has shown defiance in recent days,declaring that he has no intention of yielding to demands that he leave his country.

The effort is complicated by the likelihood that he would be indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland in 1988,and atrocities inside Libya.

One possibility,according to three administration officials,is to find a country that is not a signatory to the treaty that requires countries to turn over anyone under indictment for trial by the court,perhaps giving Gaddafi an incentive to abandon his stronghold in Tripoli. The move by the US to find a haven for Gaddafi may help explain how the White House is trying to enforce President Obamas declaration that the Libyan leader must leave the country but without violating Obamas refusal to put troops on the ground.

The United Nations Security Council has authorised military strikes to protect the Libyan population,but not to oust the leadership. But Obama and the leaders of Britain and France,among others,have declared that to be their goal as well.

About half of the countries in Africa have not signed or ratified the Rome Statute,which requires nations to abide by commands from the international court. The US has also not ratified the statute,because of concerns about indictments of soldiers or intelligence agents.

Even though Gaddafi has had close business dealings with leaders of countries like Chad,Mali and Zimbabwe,and there have been pro-Gaddafi rallies elsewhere recently,it was unclear which nations were emerging as candidates to take Gaddafi. The African Union has been quietly assessing hosts,but those negotiations have been closely guarded.