Dubai: Moussa Koussa, Libya's foreign minister and former longtime intelligence chief, had long served as a top member of the Gaddafi family's inner circle.
Koussa, who was Libya's intelligence chief for 15 years before becoming foreign minister in 2009, is the most senior regime figure to abandon Gadhafi. Ironically, Koussa was once considered one of the regime's most strident defenders.
The Michigan State University graduate in 1980, Koussa served as ambassador to Britain, but was expelled after saying he wanted to eliminate the "enemies" of the Libyan regime in Britain.
And Koussa and Gaddafi had a disagreement over Libya's decision to pay a $2.7 billion settlement to victims of Pan Am Flight 103, which Libya admitted to downing in 1988.
White said Koussa considered the settlement a humiliation for Libya.
"He was even more radical than Gaddafi," White said. Gaddafi, who apparently holds Koussa in fond regard, never punished him for disagreeing. Koussa is credited as having been a key figure in Libya's efforts to improve its international reputation before to the current crisis.
The 59-year-old was installed as Gaddafi’s foreign minister in March 2009 after having served as the head of Libya's intelligence agency from 1994.
One of Gaddafi’s trusted advisers, Koussa is believed to have convinced the leader to dismantle his nuclear weapons programme, opening the way for the lifting of US trade sanctions.
