By James Chapman and Nabila Ramdani
Last updated at 10:25 PM on 16th July 2010 Comments (203)
DAILY MAIL FRONT PAGE LEAD STORY SATURDAY 17 JULY 2010
EXTRACT: 2004: Prime Minister Tony Blair makes the first government visit to Libya since 1943. He offers the Colonel the ‘hand of friendship’. Big trade deals followed involving BP, Shell and BG Group.
Tony Blair was flown to Libya for secret talks with Colonel Gaddafi just days after denying he was an adviser to the dictator.
Mr Blair was ‘entertained as a brother’, a senior Libyan government source has revealed.
He told the Daily Mail that the former prime minister had offered Gaddafi, with whom he is on first-name terms, ‘a great deal of invaluable advice’.
Secret talks: Tony Blair was flown to Libya to discuss international and domestic issues with Colonel Gaddafi – days after denying he was an adviser to the dictator