Extraordinary details of Tony Blair’s involvement with Colonel Gaddafi’s tottering Libyan regime are revealed in the latest of Hillary Clinton’s emails released by the US State Department.

Mr Blair repeatedly spoke to the dictator on the phone in an attempt to broker peace after civil war erupted in 2011.

Mr Blair, then Middle East peace envoy, said he found the despot’s right hand man ‘sensible’ and urged Mrs Clinton, at that time the US Secretary of State not to ‘humiliate’ Gaddafi.

Seeking a way out: Tony Blair (left), then Middle East peace envoy, repeatedly spoke to Colonel Gaddafi (right) on the phone in an attempt to broker peace after civil war erupted in 2011, newly-released emails reveal

The ‘right hand guy’ may be Moussa Koussa, the spy master suspected of masterminding two of the world’s deadliest terror attacks.

Another possibility is Abdullah Senussi, Gaddafi’s brother-in-law and intelligence chief, suspected of a role in the Lockerbie bombing.

The emails may refuel criticism of Mr Blair over links to Gaddafi. The pair made the infamous ‘Deal in the desert’ in 2004, securing lucrative oil deals for BP and bringing Libya in from the cold.

Writing on August 9, 2011, Mr Blair said: ‘I had a call from Gaddafi’s right hand guy. He asked for a way forward. Said he was asking on behalf of G [Gaddafi]. I said G had to appoint someone to do negotiation and if he did I would convey this to our side and see if a negotiation were possible...

Mr Blair said he found the despot’s right hand man ‘sensible’ and urged Mrs Clinton, at that time the US Secretary of State not to ‘humiliate’ Gaddafi. Above, Blair meets with Colonel Gaddafi in Tripoli in 2004

'I think you guys should designate someone on your side and get this moving. G’s person is sensible and really does have his ear. I’m sure this is G who is authorising this.’

An earlier email from Mr Blair dated March 3, 2011, reads: ‘Spoke again to the key guy of G. G won’t speak at present since he thinks I’ve “betrayed” him by calling for him to go.

‘I feel that’s a tactic. Truth is I fear they’re dug in. The one thing they would accept is what they call a fact finding mission by whoever. Everything would halt for that. I said but G would have to stand aside. He balked at that...

Mrs Clinton (above, on Friday) said in a 2011 email: ‘You are truly doing “the Lord’s work”,’ echoing Mr Blair’s relationship with George Bush in the run up to the Iraq war, when the two were said to have prayed together

‘...I think G would speak if there was a way of doing this without his humiliation.’

Mrs Clinton said in an August 7, 2011 email: ‘You are truly doing “the Lord’s work”,’ echoing Mr Blair’s relationship with George Bush in the run up to the Iraq war, when the two were said to have prayed together.