What to do with Moussa Koussa.

Both Scotland and the United States want to question Moussa Koussa and today the Foreign Secretary confirmed that the Lockerbie investigation is still on going – looking at it from the outside, it might seem as if Mr Koussa has walked into the lion’s den not knowing what to expect. But let’s not forget he’s a security and intelligence man who I don’t think for one minute has blindly jumped ship and claimed asylum without careful planning and calculating his next move.

Cynicism aside, we too need to be clever and make the most of his defection!

First and this is the harder of the two points want to address. Fighting old battles never solves or resolve anything but it keeps old wounds open, feelings unsettled and stops us from getting on and moving forward. As much as it pains me to say this, now and at this instant we need to – if only temporarily – forget about the past and focus on the present and the future. If Moussa Koussa can give us, the West, everything we need to stop this impending conflict then his defection is worth it and Lockerbie, the Libyan Embassy shooting and anything else can take a back seat for now.

Secondly, we need to remember, Mr Koussa came to us, and we didn’t invite him. However he is a big fish and we hope more will follow him – but for that to happen the climate needs to be right. Also, we need to remember that although our side has not suffered any fatalities, Libyans on both sides are dying daily. For that killing to stop Gaddafi’s army needs to put down their arms. Here is where Mr Koussa and those who follow him have a big role to play in putting an end to this conflict and stopping it form escalating further.