SHADOWY FIGURES IN LIBYA

British spy boss John Buchan wrote the spy novel Greenmantle in 1916.

In Greenmantle a shadowy Moslem figure threatens to spark an Islamic jihad against Britain.

"The Germans and their Turkish allies are plotting to cause a great uprising throughout the Muslim world, that will throw the whole of the Middle East, India and North Africa into turmoil..." (Greenmantle - Wikipedia)

In real life, it is Britain's MI6 and the CIA who reportedly control the shadowy Moslem figures.

King Idris, leader of the Sanusi, and his British handlers

The Sanusi is a Moslem group in the Benghazi area of Libya.

It has at times worked with the British.

It is said to be the inspiration for Greenmantle

The Sanusi was founded in Mecca in 1837 by someone called the Grand Sanusi.

The Sanusi fought the Italian colonisation of Libya, beginning in 1911.

(The Grand Sanusi's grandson became King Idris of Libya in 1951.)

The Italians bombed Libyan civilians and set up concentration camps. A large part of the population died.

During World War I, Britain was on the side of Italy, the country that ruled Libya, with excessive cruelty.

During World War I, the Sanusi fought against Italy and Britain, and were easily defeated.

Making Modern Libya: The King and Anderson

After World War I, Britain and its allies ensured that Libya remained under the control of the hated Italians.

In 1922, Mussolini came to power in Italy.

Idris, the leader of the Sanusi moved to Egypt, ruled by the British.

Within the Benghazi area of Libya, the Sanusi's Omar al-Mukhtar led the resistance to Italy (See 1981 film, Lion of the Desert, starring Anthony Quinn.)

During World War II, Italy was Britain's enemy and Idris and the Sanusi became tools of the British.

Spooky evangelical Anderson

A spooky British evangelical Christian called J N D Anderson got Idris, and other Libyan tribal chiefs, to organise a secret guerrilla unit known as the Libyan Arab Force (LAF).

Making Modern Libya: The King and Anderson

The idea was for Anderson to use Idris to ensure British control of Libya, just as Lawrence of Arabia had used Faisal to ensure British control of parts of the Middle East.

The Libyans in the area around Tripoli were not keen on Idris.

However, in 1951, the British ensured that Idris, the British puppet, became King of Libya.

Under Idris, Libya was the poorest country in the world.

In 1969, Gaddafi came to power, allegedly backed by the CIA.

GADDAFI'S CIA CONNECTIONS



(The CIA reportedly supplied weapons to the IRA which reportedly was run partly by MI6)