Muammar Gaddafi's authority inside Libya suffered a significant blow when his foreign minister quit and fled to the UK in a specially arranged flight organised by the British intelligence services.
Moussa Koussa, who was one of the Libyan leader's closest allies, arrived on a chartered plane from Tunisia and said he was "no longer willing" to represent the dictator's regime. "We can confirm that Moussa Koussa arrived at Farnborough airport on 30 March from Tunisia," a Foreign Office spokesman said.
Koussa's defection provides Britain with a figure of unparalleled intelligence value in terms of understanding the situation within Gaddafi's inner circle. The move also provides a morale boost to the disorganised rebel forces who have again suffered major reverses at the hands of pro-Gaddafi forces in the past 48 hours.
CIA operating in Libya, in consultation with opposition - CNN