Mahdi al-Harati, who played a leading role in the toppling of former Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, has strongly refuted accusations by the governments of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE that he has ever aided or abetted any form of terrorism in any way, shape or form.

Speaking to this newsroom yesterday, Mr al-Harati, who had played roles in a number of national uprisings during the Arab Spring, including those in Libya and Syria, insists that the four countries, which this week issued a list of 59 people they accuse of having financed terrorist groups and taking funds from Qatar, are merely trying to discredit a voice of reason that is highly respected across the Arab world. 
The Saudis, he insists, are particularly intent on damaging his reputation, which he says was the motive behind his inclusion on the list, because he is a strong voice against the country's iron-fisted dictatorship.

Speaking with this newspaper yesterday, al-Harati, an Irish citizen, said that he is rightfully in Malta like any other EU citizen, and that he is conducting peace-broking talks in Malta, which he considers a neutral hub for multinational peace talks being held behind the scenes aimed at finally bringing peace and unity to war-ravaged Libya.

He says he has been offered positions in today's Libya but that he is intent on remaining behind the scenes. He will return when the country is unified, feeling that he would be of better service to his country of origin as a behind the scenes peace broker, than as a target for those who would seek to remove him from the equation altogether.

Al-Harati says that he has already survived two assassination attempts and after those failed, he has now been the victim of a character assassination attempt.

Al-Harati, a post-revolution former mayor of Tripoli who still enjoys immense support in Libya, also says that the media should be careful when reporting statements such as those made by the four Arab states this week, as the motives behind them may not always be clear-cut. Al-Harati's inclusion on the list had also been reported in a section of the Maltese media.

He also accuses the four states of meddling in Libyan affairs by including his name along with those of a handful of other influential Libyans on their list in a bid to damage their reputations, and insists that the Libya question should be handled by Libyans without outside influence.

The United Nations, in fact, has disassociated itself from the statement and the so-called 'terror list'.

Stephane Dujarric, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman, said on Friday he had seen media reports that the four Arab countries accused three Qatar-based charities of being involved in "terrorism".

"The UN is bound only by the sanctions lists put together by UN organs such as the Security Council. We're not bound by any other lists," Dujarric said.

The Qatari government also rejected allegations of supporting individuals and groups blacklisted as "terrorists" after the four countries cut ties with Doha amid a major diplomatic crisis.

"The recent joint statement issued by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE regarding a 'terror finance watch list' once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact," the Qatari government said.

"Our position on countering terrorism is stronger than many of the signatories of the joint statement - a fact that has been conveniently ignored by the authors."

Malta, apart from the peace and neutrality it offers, also holds a special place in Al-Harati's heart. Malta was, in fact, his first port of call after he had been imprisoned and tortured in Libya by the Gaddafi regime at the tender age of 14. After managing to escape the clutches of the Gaddafi regime and one of its prisons, where many members of his family had languished, he had first sought refuge in Malta and later moved to Ireland, where he settled for some 20 years.

Malta was also the first place he came to after resigning his military position in Libya in the wake of the anti-Gaddafi revolution. Today, he feels that the peace and neutrality the country offers is facilitating his tireless efforts to return peace to Libya.