A senior member of Mauritania’s government denied the country had agreed to hand over Moammar Gadhafi’s ex-spy chief for trial in Libya, directly contradicting the claim hours earlier by Libya which said Mauritania had assured them they will hand over Abdullah al-Senoussi.

• The official who is close to the negotiations and who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussion told reporters that “Mauritania has given no assurances whatsoever to Libya regarding handing over al-Senoussi.”

• He said Libya went ahead with the declaration earlier Wednesday in order to “force Mauritania’s hand” and pressure them to hand over al-Senoussi, even though its unclear if he would receive a fair trial in his home country where Gadhafi was killed by the mob that arrested him.

• Gadhafi’s former intelligence chief is accused of attacking civilians during the uprising in Libya last year, as well as of the 1989 deadly bombing of a French airliner.

• Earlier Wednesday, Libyan spokesperson Nasser al-Manei told reporters: “The Mauritanian government has given their agreement for the extradition of Abdullah al-Senoussi to Libya so he can be judged by a fair judicial process.”

• Al-Senoussi showed up at Mauritania’s international airport on Saturday, traveling on a fake Malian passport. He was dressed in the garb of a Tuareg chieftain, the nomadic group that inhabits the Sahara desert which cuts across northern Mali as well as southern Libya.
• ·          
• ·