Libya Jihadists Say Security Dependent on Islamic Law
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Libya's top jihadist group, blamed for deadly unrest that includes attacking a U.S. mission, said Tuesday there will only be security in the increasingly lawless country if Islamic law is introduced.
"Stability and security are dependent on the application of sharia (Islamic law)," Ansar Al-Sharia said, explaining that this was its position in light of the "political bickering" in Libya.
At the same time, it said it does not recognize state institutions, including the security services, accusing them of apostasy and of being "taghuts," or evil forces at the service of tyranny.
But it said its weapons "will not be aimed at Muslims and children."
The heavily armed group of ex-rebels is based in Libya's second city, Benghazi, cradle of the 2011 uprising that toppled veteran dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Its fighters command the western access to Benghazi as well as several neighborhoods in the city according to local sources.
Ex-rebels have become a thorn in the side of the government, which is struggling to impose its authority in the oil-rich North African nation.
Their militias and other groups have carved their own fiefdoms in a country flooded with weapons looted from Gadhafi's arsenal.
On Monday, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan pledged to beef up the security forces to combat the unrest plaguing the country, particularly Benghazi, which has been hit by a string of deadly attacks in the past week.
"There are those who want to sow chaos in the country to prevent the development of the state, to govern Libya in their own way and make it like Somalia," he said.
Zeidan, who was briefly abducted by armed men in Tripoli last month, said weapons, ammunition and other resources will be provided to security forces in Benghazi.
Ansar al-Sharia has been blamed for a spate of deadly unrest in Benghazi, including the September 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
The group has denied any involvement in that incident.
In its statement, it defended its fighters, saying "they are now considered criminals and extremists" after Libya's war "turned against them."
12 November 2013, 17:35
02
why does this scenario of extremism and violence always happen when the US "liberates" a country and brings "democracy" to it? somehow it always ends up looking like the of devilish love child of saudi arabia's backwardism and american love of violence...
12 November 2013, 18:19
02
yea, it's not qatar that gave the ok on arab's behalf, nor the US cruise missiles, nor NATO's weapons given to islamic extremists that led to all this, it's khamenei alleged "welcoming" of it.
ps: why is it that you have to create a new account for every comment you make?
12 November 2013, 19:16
30
You're right ... the US was in Lebanon and Hezbollah happened. Extremists and terrorists always appear when the US gets involved !
12 November 2013, 20:02
02
replace "US" with "israel", and "terrorist" with "resistance" and you're spot on. i see you're learning, not fast, but still learning.
12 November 2013, 20:03
02
i'm saying that this was never hezbollah's "saying" nor "thinking", and only in your imagination were they behind the string of assassinations.
12 November 2013, 20:04
02
and thanks for admitting you're relying on "5 year olds" opinions to get to such conclusions, but also only in your imagination do "all lebanese" think that.
12 November 2013, 20:06
02
in my opinion the assassinations only served to divide and incite lebanese against each other.
where i come from even 5 year olds know that when there is a crime you should look for who profits from it.
13 November 2013, 15:05
00
co-occurrence of events do not mean they are linked, nor that there is a cause-consequence. god knows what really goes on behind the scenes, why they start, who starts them, and why they stop. assuming they are linked is a mistake. especially when this did not really stop at that moment, in one sense it had stopped way before (most assassinations were between 2005 and 2007) and in another sense it didnt really stop because there were assassinations and attempts since then.
