Interpol issues "red notices" for Qaddafis

PARIS - Interpol has issued red notices for the arrest of the former Libyan strongman Muammar Qaddafi, his son Seif al-Islam and the country's ex-head of military intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi.

The move comes in response to a request by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, which is seeking the men for alleged crimes against humanity.

Qaddafi hasn't been seen in public for months and went underground after anti-regime fighters swept into Tripoli on Aug. 21. Interpol said in a statement Friday it had transmitted the red notices to its 188 member countries.

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The head of the Lyon, France-based organization, Ronald Nobel, called the notices "a powerful tool" in helping lead to the capture of the Qaddafis and al-Senussi.

All three men are accused of crimes against humanity over a campaign of murder and torture since February in an attempt to crush dissent. The court issued arrest warrants for them in June, but it has no police force of its own. It relies on national law enforcement agencies to execute arrests.

Interpol says that red notices allow warrants to be circulated worldwide with a request that the wanted suspect be arrested.

However, issuing red notices for the three Libyans is largely symbolic because the U.N. Security Council already urged U.N. member states to cooperate with the international court when the council called on chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo to investigate atrocities in Libya.

It also remains to be seen if Libyan fighters hunting Qaddafi and the new National Transitional Council leadership will hand over the suspects if they are captured.

The former rebels have said they want to put Qaddafi on trial for abuses throughout his nearly 42-year rule.

And nations that are members of the Security Council that originally ordered the international investigation have backed the former rebels.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron said last week that it is up to the Libyans to decide how to judge Qaddafi.