Younis was early defector to rebels

Abdel-Fattah Younis was Moammar Gadhafi’s interior minister before defecting to the rebels early in the uprising, which began in February. Younis took part in the 1969 coup that brought Gadhafi to power. His abandoning of the Libyan leader in February raised Western hopes that the growing opposition could succeed in forcing out the country’s ruler of more than four decades. Rebel forces, however, held mixed views of the man, with some praising him for defecting and others criticizing his long association with Gadhafi.

Associated Press