[citation needed] With the experience gained from fighting in Afghanistan, Benotman came to believe that Libya was similarly oppressed and sought to establish a network to combat Gaddafi's regime.
[citation needed] In early 2007, facing pressure from Gaddafi for the British government to extradite individuals like Benotman, he sought asylum in the UK, obtaining citizenship that protected him from deportation.
During this time, he became involved in politics and was selected to mediate the release of his former comrades from prison, receiving backing from the British government in his efforts to promote the deradicalization of radical Islamists.
[citation needed] Benotman is the president of the Quilliam Foundation in London and has appeared on various television networks as an expert on terrorism and Middle Eastern affairs, particularly regarding the Arab Spring.
Despite his past connections with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who he met during the Libyan crisis in 2011 while under British government supervision, he has openly discussed the infiltration of Islamist militants into Libya.