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Africa North

Mufti call for violence angers Libyans

2014-06-14

[MAGHAREBIA] Libya's grand mufti is facing calls to resign after he appeared on Wataniya TV Monday (June 9th) and issued a fatwa to fight the army and police. Grand Mufti Sadik Ghariani made the statements on the "Islam and Life" programme with host Dr Osama Sallabi. Libyans were angered by Sadik Ghariani's claim that "There is no terror in Libya and we should not use the word terrorism when referring to Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Libya, Tunisia and Yemen, with the Libyan and Tunisian versions currently most active... . They kill and have their reasons. Those among them who have died are deaders." That prompted former National Transitional Council chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil to call for the mufti's ouster, according to Libya Herald. "The mufti has lost the confidence of Libyans and according to the law that brought him into office, he is no longer eligible for service," the paper quoted Abdel Jalil as saying. The mufti's fatwa also sparked outrage on the Libyan street, where people called for the trial and dismissal of Ghariani. "Sometimes we wait for the mufti to condemn bombings, murders and liquidations but he doesn't do it," noted Bahija Hijazi, a 23-year-old economics student. "Yet when there is a political issue he comes up with strange fatwas that have nothing to do with religion." Political activist and writer Salim al-Riqii from Ajdabiya, said, "He is by God an bully boy cheikh with a political orientation. God is exposing him by the day. Once Libya is liberated from the grip of bully boy militias and the Moslem Brüderbund, he must be tried. This tape is enough proof that he is a party to the political game and not just a mufti." "The mufti has exaggerated in his fatwas and should be tried by an Islamic court along with al-Qaradawi ...crackpot Egyptian Islamist theologian. He is best known for his program Shariah and Life on Al Jazeera, with an estimated audience of 60 million kindred souls worldwide. He is also well-known for IslamOnline, which occasionally advocates things like slavery and thumping the old lady with a rod no thicker than an inch, and has published more than 120 books, including Islam: The Future Civilization. Joe has long had a prominent role within the intellectual leadership of the Moslem Brüderbund. Some of his views have been controversial in the West, though less so among the rubes of the Mysterious East, and he was refused entry to the United Kingdom in 2008. In 2004, 2,500 Muslim academics from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and from the Palestinian territories condemned Qaradawi, and accused him of giving Islam a bad name.... by judges in Islamic jurisprudence because of the crimes they committed on behalf of Islam and their misrepresentation of the noble Islam and their exploitation of positions in the killing of innocent people and the dismantling of the Arab-Islamic nation," commented Amira Tariq Suleiman, a 28-year-old teacher. For his part, 17-year-old Mumen Mohammed said, "We did not deny what he did at the beginning of the revolution, but at this stage the mufti must be removed. He lost unanimity, intervened in ethical matters, and has incited citizens against each other." "Sadik Al-Ghariani practices the role of a guide as if he were the Sistani of Libya," lawyer Omar Hassi said. "I demand seizing him and having him examined by a psychiatrist in a psychiatric hospital."

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Africa North

Abdel Jalil case sparks controversy in Libya

2012-12-21

[Magharebia] A Benghazi military court on Wednesday (December 19th) withdrew its jurisdiction over the Abdel Fattah Younes case. Younes, who served as Moamer Qadaffy's interior minister before switching sides and joining the rebels, was rubbed out on July 28th, 2011, while returning to Benghazi from Brega. The armed forces commander had been summoned from the front lines by former National Transitional Council (TNC) chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil. He was killed while on his way to the meeting. The military court was taken off the case "because of the turn taken by the investigation into Mustafa Abdel Jalil", presiding judge Colonel Abdullah al-Saiti told AFP. Al-Saiti said that the file was sent to the High Authority of Military Justice to appoint a new tribunal. He did not give details on the reasons that led the court to make such a decision. Speaking to the press on Thursday, Justice Minister Salah al-Mirghani discussed pending legislation to try civilians in regular courts. He was asked whether the measure was related to the charges against Abdel Jalil. "We do not comment on cases before the court. But Mr. Abdel Jalil is a civilian and if this bill is passed, his judgment will be transferred to the civilian courts," the minister said. Abdel Jalil was charged in December with "abuse of power" and undermining national unity. He was allowed to go free on bail and a travel ban was issued until his February 20th military court appearance. General Younes was the highest-ranking military officer to have joined the rebellion against the Qadaffy regime. The charge against Abdel Jalil generated considerable controversy. People erupted into the streets after accusing the court of "bias", particularly after the release on social networks of a video showing Colonel al-Saiti making a victory sign after calling Abdel Jalil for questioning. Ali al-Tajouri, an employee, said that the main road at Tajoura was closed off in protest. "They have to start with the other terrorist criminals," he noted.

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Africa North

Former Libya NTC leader accused of power abuse

2012-12-13

[Magharebia] Libyan military prosecutors on Tuesday (December 11th) accused former Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil of abuse of power, AFP reported. "Mustafa Abdel Jalil was accused of abuse of power and undermining national unity" by military prosecutors who questioned him over the 2011 liquidation of Abdel Fatah Younes, prosecution official Majdi al-Baraasi told AFP. Prosecutors allowed Abdel Jalil to "go free on bail but a travel ban was issued against him until he appears before a military court in Benghazi on February 20th", added Baraasi, who took part in the interrogation. General Younes, the highest-ranking military figure to join the uprising last year, was killed in July 2011 in murky circumstances after being recalled from the front line for questioning.

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Africa North

Military Court Refers Abdel Jalil to Investigation over General Murder

2012-11-08

[An Nahar] A Libyan military court on Wednesday ordered prosecutors to interrogate former transitional leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil over the murder of a general who had commanded rebel forces last year. The court in the eastern city of Benghazi ordered that the ex-chairman of the National Transitional Council, a political body representing rebels in the 2011 conflict, be questioned over the killing of General Abdel Fatah Younes. Younes, the highest-ranking military personality to join the 2011 uprising against Muammar Qadaffy ...whose instability was an inspiration to dictators everywhere, but whose end couldn't possibly happen to them... 's regime, was killed in July 2011 in murky circumstances after being recalled from the front line for questioning. Wednesday's hearing was adjourned until February 20, 2013 because the prosecutor general has yet to question some of those suspected of involvement in his death, the court noted. After the hearing, members of the Al-Obeidi tribe to which the general belonged warned they would take justice into their own hands if Libya's new authorities continue to "neglect" the case. The rustics believe the NTC played a role in the general's liquidation. Abdel Jalil announced Younes' death on July 29, 2011, saying that he had been shot and killed by an gang as he was brought in to be questioned by a panel of judges over the military situation. His burned and bullet-ridden body was found on the outskirts of Benghazi. The liquidation fueled widespread rumors and unconfirmed reports on the identities and motives of the perpetrators. Another council member, Ali Tarhuni, blamed members of a shadowy Islamist brigade for the killing. Thirteen people have been formally accused of involvement in the affair, including Judge Jumaa al-Jazwi who signed the order to arrest Younes. Jazwi was himself assassinated in June this year. Also among the accused is Ahmed Bukatala, leader of the rebel brigade which was sent to bring Younes back from the front. Younes played an instrumental role in the February 18-20 liberation of Benghazi, cradle of the revolution, where he brokered a ceasefire at a besieged military base in the center of city, permitting loyalists to flee. But despite his early defection, many rebels put little faith in the general, who was part of the circle of officers that helped bring Qadaffy to power in a 1969 bloodless coup. Some blamed him directly for lack of progress in the NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... -backed rebel offensive against Qadaffy's regime. It took eight months of pitched battles across the country before the veteran strongman was finally toppled. The NTC at the time set up a committee to investigate Younes' death. The case was later referred to a civil court which then passed it on to the military court. Abdel Jalil, 60, was justice minister until his defection in February 2011. He led the opposition during the war and guided Libya through a turbulent transition that culminated in July with democratic elections.

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Africa North

Tunisian President Will Pardon More than 1,000 Prisoners

2012-01-14

[An Nahar] Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki will pardon more than 1,000 prisoners on Saturday's anniversary of the fall of the regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the justice ministry said. Priority will be given to aged people and adolescents, it said Friday, adding that some other detainees will benefit from conditional release and reduced sentences. On Saturday, Tunisians mark the culmination of their revolution, which began in December 2010 and led to the flight of Ben Ali to Soddy Arabia after 23 years of hardline rule. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika ... 10th president of Algeria. He was elected in 1999 and is currently on his third term, which is probably why Algerians are ready to dump him... , the emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and the head of Libya's National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, will take part in the events marking the revolution that began the "Arab Spring", leading to the end of dictatorial regimes in Egypt and Libya.

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Africa North

Bashir arrives in Libya and slams Gaddafi

2012-01-08

[Daily Nation (Kenya)] Muammar Qadaffy ...who single-handedly turned a moderately prosperous kingdom into a dictator's fantasyland and was then murdered by his indignant subjects 42 years later... caused great suffering among the Sudanese people, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to Arabize Darfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it. said on Saturday during his first visit to Libya since Qadaffy was tossed and killed. Wanted by the International Criminal Court ... where Milosevich died of old age before being convicted ... (ICC) on charges of genocide and war crimes in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region, Bashir said that after Libya, Qadaffy inflicted the most damage in Sudan, the official WAL news agency reported. "We all suffered from the old regime... We (the Sudanese) were the second to have suffered the most, after the Libyan people," Bashir told the news agency. Upon arrival in Tripoli, the Sudanese leader was met by Libya's Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the National Transitional Council (NTC), and members of the interim government, an AFP photographer reported. Bashir, who claims that Sudan provided weapons to help oust Qadaffy, said the visit felt "like it was the first time," adding that he came to underline Sudan's support for the Libyan people and the country's new government that took charge after Qadaffy's four-decade dictatorship fell. Khartoum's relationship with Qadaffy's Libya was uneasy. The former Libyan leader poured arms across the border into Darfur and long sought greater influence in Sudan's ravaged western region.

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Africa North

Militias may drag Libya into civil war

2012-01-08

Bet you never saw that one coming... TRIPOLI, Libya -- Libya risks sliding into civil war unless it cracks down on the rival militias that filled the vacuum left by Moammar Gaddafi's downfall, the head of the interim administration said after an outbreak of violence in the capital. Mustafa Abdel Jalil, chairman of the Transitional National Council, issued the stark warning in response to a gun battle between militias in one of Tripoli's busiest streets Tuesday that killed four fighters. More than two months after anti-Gaddafi forces captured and killed the former leader, Libya's new rulers are still struggling to exert their authority as rival militia leaders refuse to cede control of their fighters and hand in their arms. Since they live in a part of the world in which trusting a national government to protect their interests doesn't especially work well, unless you're the head cheese of the national government. "We are now between two bitter options," Abdel Jalil told a gathering in the eastern city of Benghazi late Tuesday. Either "we deal with these violations strictly and put the Libyans in a military confrontation that we don't accept," he said, "or we split, and there will be a civil war." A split into Triplitania and Cyrenaica might not be such a bad idea, except each of those then would split into about 29 different unstable mini-states... The militias, drawn from dozens of towns and ideological camps, led the nine-month uprising, backed by NATO airstrikes, to end Gaddafi's 42-year rule. Now, though, they appear to believe they must keep an armed presence in the capital to ensure they receive their share of political power. For good reason, apparently. The transitional council has begun to form a fully functioning army and police force to take over the task of providing security, although Abdel Jalil has acknowledged that progress has been too slow. Tripoli is now an unruly patchwork of fiefdoms, each controlled by a different militia. Police are rarely seen, except when directing traffic, and there is no sign of the newly created national army. That's what Jalil means by 'too slow'... The city has two main homegrown militias. One is led by Abdel Hakim Belhadj, an Islamist who spent time in Taliban camps in Afghanistan and now runs his militia from a luxury Tripoli hotel. The other is headed by Abdullah Naker, a former electronics engineer who is openly disdainful of Belhadj. Much mustache cursing ensues, apparently... There are also the militias from outside town. Fighters from Zintan, an anti-Gaddafi bastion southwest of the capital, control the international airport. Militias from the city of Misurata, east of Tripoli, have mostly withdrawn from central Tripoli but keep a presence in the eastern outskirts. Fighters from the Berber, or Amazigh, ethnic minority mark out their territory with their blue, green and yellow flags. Another set of fighters from the east of Libya, the original heartland of the anti-Gaddafi revolt, add to the mix.

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Africa North

NTC Chief: Gadhafi Children Aim to Destabilize Libya

2011-12-25

[An Nahar] The surviving children of Libya's dead dictator Muammar Qadaffy ...whose instability was an inspiration to dictators everywhere, but whose end couldn't possibly happen to them... are determined to destabilize the country, National Transitional Council chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Saturday. This illustrates why, in the old days, when you deposed the king you also rounded up all his family out to the fifth cousins thrice removed and killed them as well, just to keep such things from happening... "It is true that Muammar Qadaffy and his children will no longer have a place in the future Libya, but they are still determined to destabilize it and cause many concerns," he said without elaborating. He was speaking to members of the government and Libyan personalities on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the country's independence, which Libya is celebrating for the first time in 40 years. Three of the sons of Qadaffy, who was killed on October 20, are also dead. Only one is in the country -- Seif al-Islam, the despot's long-assumed successor, who was captured last month and is being held in Zintan. Qadaffy's second wife Safiya, daughter Aisha and her brothers Mohammed and Hannibal have been in Algeria since the end of August along with several other family members, while another son, Saadi, has found refuge in Niger. At the end of November, Aisha Qadaffy called for the new Libyan government to be tossed, in an audio message broadcast by the Syria-based television channel Arrai. In September she had called the new Libyan authorities traitors, prompting a rebuke from Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci who called her comment "unacceptable." After Qadaffy's downfall, Libya's new rulers organized ceremonies to commemorate December 24, 1951, when the country gained independence under former king Idris from the French and British, who had administered the territory following Italia's defeat in the Second World War.

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Africa North

Libya ready to forgive Qadhafi fighters: NTC chief

2011-12-11

[Dawn] Libya's new rulers are ready to forgive the forces of slain leader Muammar Qadaffy ... who is now napping peacefully in the dirt... who battled rebels trying to topple his autocratic regime, National Transition Council chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Saturday. "In Libya we are able to absorb all. Libya is for all," Abdel Jalil said in Tripoli as he launched a national reconciliation conference organised by the NTC. "Despite what the army of the oppressor did to our cities and our villages, our brothers who fought against the rebels as the army of Qadaffy and we are ready to forgive them," he said. "We are able to forgive and tolerate," he added. The conference, the first of its kind since the NTC on October 23 declared the total liberation of Libya, was attended by delegates from the major Libyan tribes and ethnic groups, as well as from Qatar and Tunisia. Libya's new interim Prime Minister Abdel Rahim al-Kib echoed Abdel Jalil. "National reconciliation is an essential condition to build the constitutional institutions of a state," he told the conference. "The future cannot be built with Dire Revenge™ as a base." A statement issued last month said the new government will help efforts by the NTC "to achieve national reconciliation" in Libya. It will also strive to rebuild the army and the security forces and promote "the integration of interested citizens into these institutions," said the statement.

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Africa North

Libyan ex-PM Mahmudi will get fair trial. Honest.

2011-11-11

[Daily Nation (Kenya)] Libya's former prime minister Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... i al-Mahmudi will get a "fair trial" when he is extradited from Tunisia to face Libyan justice, interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil told AFP on Thursday. "First of all we will ensure a secure place for him, then we will guarantee a fair trial, despite the acts he has perpetrated against the Libyan people," said Abdel Jalil, chairman of Libya's National Transitional Council. Similar assurances were offered in Tripoli by interim oil minister Ali Tarhuni, who told AFP that Mahmudi would be given a public trial. "Everything will be done to guarantee a fair trial," Tarhuni said, adding that no date had yet been set for the former premier's extradition. Human rights groups have expressed fears for Mahmudi's safety if he is sent back to Libya from Tunisian captivity after ousted Libyan tyrant Moamer Qadaffy ...Custodian of Wheelus AFB for 42 long years... was felled by a bullet to the head when captured by NTC fighters last month. Mahmudi, 70, was prime minister until the final days of the Qadaffy regime. He was placed in long-term storage on September 21 on Tunisia's southwestern border with Algeria and set to sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, in a pestilential prison with a life-long lock for illegal entry. A Tunisian appeals court this week gave the nod for his extradition to Libya.

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Africa North

Ban says UN stands by new Libya on Tripoli visit

2011-11-03

[Dawn] UN chief the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon ... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan... said on Wednesday the United Nations ...an international organization whose stated aims of facilitating interational security involves making sure that nobody with live ammo is offended unless it's a civilized country... would stand by Libya's side on its path to democracy, on his first visit to Tripoli since the conflict which ousted Moamer Qadaffy ... who is now napping peacefully in the dirt... "The new Libya aspires to be a nation free from fear, free from injustice and free from the oppression of the past," he said after meeting National Transitional Council chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil and other new regime members. "The United Nations will be your partner in turning those hopes to reality," Ban said during a previously unannounced visit. He said his talks with Libyan officials covered "public security and the need to secure the arsenals of the previous regime, particularly stocks of shoulder-fired missiles and chemical and biological weapons.""And we recognised the centrality of human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. and the rule of law," the secretary general said. "The United Nations stands ready to support the Libyan people in all the areas we discussed -- elections, a new constitution, human rights, public security and the control of weapons," he said. At a news conference, Ban demanded an immediate end to the Syrian government's crackdown on civilian protesters that has killed more than 3,000 people since mid-March, according to UN figures. "Killing civilians must stop immediately in Syria," Ban said, calling on Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... to implement an Arab peace plan "as soon as possible as agreed.""People have suffered to much for too long and it's an unacceptable situation," he said. Ban during his visit went to a mass grave and met the families of people killed by Qadaffy's forces, UN deputy front man Eduardo del Buey said. "Libyans have paid a heavy price for freedom" and had "inspired the world by throwing off tyranny," he said, while calling for Libya's disparate groups to compromise and stand united. "As Libya moves forward it will be critical that the people find consensus on major issues and remain united. That in turn will require a great deal of pragmatism, compromise, especially during this very important phase," he said. The visit had not been previously announced for security reasons. Ban was on his way to the Group of 20 economic powers summit in Cannes, La Belle France, where Libya was on the agenda. He was expected in Cannes late on Wednesday. Ban did not visit Libya during the eight months of the armed uprising which led to the fall of the Libyan regime and the death of Qadaffy on October 20. His visit comes days after the UN Security Council on Monday called on Libya's interim authorities and neighbouring countries to stamp out the spread of weapons from Qadaffy's huge stockpile. And NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... ended its UN-mandated mission in the North African nation on October 31.

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Africa North

Libyan Council Names Electrical Engineering Professor As Interim PM

2011-11-01

Libya's interim authorities have named Tripoli academic Abdurrahim al-Keib as the new prime minister. The National Transitional Council (NTC) made the announcement days after declaring the country "liberated" following the death of Colonel Gaddafi. It also coincides with the official end of the Nato air campaign that helped overthrow the long-time leader. The NTC wants a national congress to be elected within eight months, and multi-party elections in Libya in 2013. Mr Keib, an academic specialising in electrical engineering and based in Tripoli, beat eight other candidates to receive 26 of the 51 votes from members of the NTC. He is seen as a consensus candidate who could smooth over rivalries within the NTC. Mr Keib is expected to appoint a cabinet in the coming days. The new interim government will run Libya until elections are held. Although not a familiar public figure, Abdurrahim al-Keib is said to be well-liked within the National Transitional Council and is seen as a consensus candidate. More importantly, not a threat to any power faction... Libyans will be hoping he can help smooth out regional and other rivalries within the Council - evident, for example in the bickering over how, when and where to bury Col Gaddafi's body - so that Libya can move forward with its ambitious step-by-step programme to democratic elections. It also helps that Abdurrahim al-Keib is from Tripoli. People in the capital have been irritated that the business of government has so far been run out of Benghazi in the east. He replaces Mahmoud Jibril, who said he would stand down once Libya was declared officially "liberated" - which happened on 23 October, after the death of Col Gaddafi and the fall of his hometown of Sirte. Spokesman Jalal el-Gallal said the NTC wanted to form an interim government after the fall of Col Gaddafi because its initial members started out as an impromptu group. "This vote proves that Libyans are able to build their future," NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil was quoted as saying after he voted.

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