A new report from Sky News is claiming that the Gadhafi government planned to launch a campaign of suicide car bomb attacks against British officials inside Libya in retaliation for Britain’s backing of the National Transitional Council (NTC) rebels in Benghazi.

The report further says that attacks were foiled by British military intelligence MI6, with the claims being backed up by a speech by Foreign Secretary William Hague praising the intelligence service for its work in Libya.

The claims, as well as Hague’s claims that MI6 had warned the NTC of several potential attacks against them appear aimed at countering the criticism of MI5 and MI6 for its close ties to the Gadhafi regime, including their role in renditioning Gadhafi foes, including top NTC officials, into Gadhafi torture centers.

Hague addressed this as well, saying the claims of torture had “undermined Britain’s standing in the world” and that he takes full responsibility for the behavior of the military intelligence services.