CIA once handed key Libya rebel figure to Kadafi, documents show

A few years ago, documents show, Abdel-Hakim Belhadj was a wanted Islamic militant whom the CIA handed over for 'debriefing' to the government of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi, a 'war on terror' ally.

By Patrick J. McDonnell and Ken Dilanian, Los Angeles Times
5:51 PM PDT, September 4, 2011

Reporting from Tripoli, Libya, and Washington

The sometimes odd contortions of U.S. policy in the Islamic world have seen a new twist in the strange case of Abdel-Hakim Belhadj.

A few years ago, documents show, Belhadj was a wanted Islamic militant whom the CIA handed over for "debriefing" to the government of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi, then an ally in the fight against terrorism.

Today, Belhadj is a top military commander in the provisional Libyan government and Kadafi is on the run, his government toppled, in part, by U.S. and allied airstrikes.

(More here.)