TAOISEACH CHARLES HAUGHEY told British Prime Minister John Major that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi “was mad”, as newly released documents reveal details of arms provided by Libya to the Provisional IRA. Libya was ruled by Gaddafi from 1969 until he was overthrown and killed during the Arab Spring in 2011. Libya provided UK officials with details of its support for the IRA after the country sought to repair relations with the west following the Lockerbie bombing. The meeting between Haughey and Major took place two months before Haughey was replaced as taoiseach by Albert Reynolds. “The trouble is that Gaddafi is mad,” Haughey warned, with UK officials saying Egypt had tried to “bring him around” but didn’t get anywhere.

Source: Libya Today December 28, 2021 09:00 UTC