Libya: The role of Omar al-Meheshi in Colonel Qaddafi's revolution; his activities in the 1975 coup attempt and in developing opposition movements in Morocco and Egypt (1969 - present)

David Blundy and Andrew Llycett's 1987 book, Qaddafi and the Libyan Revolution, describes Omar Meheshi's activities on the eve of the 1 September 1969 coup that brought Colonel Qaddafi to power:

He [Qaddafi] ordered one of his key men, Omar Meheishi, to take an early-evening flight to Tripoli to organize the takeover of the army barracks in the capital. When Meheishi got to Benghazi airport he found the plane was overbooked. Luckily an airport official turned out to be an army friend and managed to squeeze him on to the flight. At Tripoli airport he grabbed a taxi to the Tarhuna barracks where other plotters were waiting for him. The unfortunate Meheishi rushed into the barracks, only to realize that he had left his gun and ammunition in the taxi, which had already sped off. (He got them back after the revolution) (58).

John Cooley's 1987 book, Libyan Sandstorm, states:

Omar al-Meheishi was one of the most important members of the original twelve-man RCC [Revolutionary Command Council]. An early and constant companion of Qaddafi from their school days on, he formed the revolution's "first cell" in Misurata. Meheishi, as minister of planning and assistant to Bashir Hawadi...wanted Libya to invest all its earnings in agriculture and industry. He was especially interested in heavy industry; Misurata's iron and steel complex, which many foreign firms in 1981 were competing to complete, was Meheishi's favorite project (166).

An intense, nervous man, Meheishi was at first fiercely loyal to Qaddafi. During the first trials of the anicen régime's senior members in late 1969 and early 1970, Hawadi served as president of the court and Meheishi as public prosecutor. But after the revolution, there was friction inside the RCC, and in May 1975 it emerged openly. The government was discussing possible austerity measures. Meheishi demanded that Qaddafi reduce the arms budget and the large sums being spent on supporting foreign terrorism and other ventures that did the Libyan people no good. Such spending represented the "dissipation of public funds in order to foment unrest" in other Arab countries, as Meheishi put it...(166).

In the summer of 1975, Meheishi, together with Hawadi and another RCC  member, Awad Hamza, plotted a coup against Qaddafi. With them were about twenty other officers, many of whom, like Meheishi, came from Misurata. Whether or not the CIA or other foreign intelligence agencies helped Qaddafi once again, the conspiracy was discovered and Hawadi and Hamza were arrested. Meheishi escaped to Tunisia. Qaddafi exerted enormous pressure on President Bourguiba, who nevertheless refused to return Meheishi to a country that had sent saboteurs into Tunisia and would-be assassins after Bourguiba. Meheishi went on to Cairo, where he apparently felt President Sadat could offer him a safer haven (167).

On March 12 [1976], Meheishi, interviewed by Al-Ahram, denied having tried to instigate a coup against Qaddafi. He and other officers had been merely seeking a way of "correcting Qaddafi's errors," he said. Meheishi added that he had personally asked Qaddafi to resign, and described him as a "dangerous psychopath" - one of the earliest public references to Qaddafi's supposed insanity - and a "despot" (168).

Lillian Harris's 1986 book, Libya: Qadhafi's Revolution and the Modern State, states:

Omar al-Meheishi was forcibly turned over to the Libyan authorities by the Moroccan security service in 1984 after almost ten years of largely ineffective efforts to rally opposition against Qadhafi. He is alleged to have been kicked to death by Qadhafi's lieutenants as Qadhafi waited in an adjoining room (20).

A 13 November 1985 New York Times article corroborates the last sentence in the above citation:

Arab diplomats here said that even before the accord [between Libya and Morocco] was signed, King Hassan signalled his good will toward Libya by handing Omar Meheshi over to Colonel Qaddafi. Mr. Meheshi was one of the most respected of the colonel's opponents and had been given asylum in Morocco. According to a highly placed Arab official, Mr. Mehehsi was flown to Libya in the king's plane and was kicked to death by the colonel's aides in a waiting room.

No additional information on Umar al-Meheshi's activities in the 1975 coup attempt, and in developing opposition movements in Morocco and Egypt, could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Blundy, D. and A. Lycett. 1987. Qaddafi and the Libyan Revolution.

 Boston: Little, Brown and Company.

Cooley, J. K. 1982. Libyan Sandstorm: The Complete Account of Qaddafi's Revolution.

New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Harris, L. C. 1986. Libya: Qadhafi's Revolution and the Modern State.

 Boulder: Westview Press.

The New York Times. 13 November 1985. Late City Final Edition. Judith Miller.

 "Challenges to Qaddafi Discounted." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Arabies [Paris]. January 1995 - November 1998.

Arab Studies Quarterly [Lake Forest, Ill.]. Winter 1993 - Winter 1998.

Dialogue [London]. October 1993 - November 1998.

Electronic sources: IRB databases, Internet, NEXIS/LEXIS, REFWORLD, WNC.

The Jerusalem Report [Jerusalem]. October 1992 - October 1998.

The Middle East [London]. November 1989 - November 1998.

Middle East International [London]. May 1995 - October 1998.

Middle East Report [Washington]. November 1991 - Summer 1998.

Resource Centre country file on Libya. May 1994 - September 1998.