Eye for an eye? Libyan militants seek vengeance for Al-Qaeda leader’s capture
Libyan jihadists have called for retaliation after the rendition of an Al-Qaeda leader in Tripoli, saying militants should kidnap US citizens and attack gas pipelines, ships and planes.
The statement released by the Libyan authorities on Tuesday has
called for an "immediate surrender" of Abu Anas al-Liby,
who is accused of playing a key role in the 1998 bombings of
American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
The document, which was passed by the General National Congress,
has labeled the US operation in Tripoli as a "flagrant
violation of (Libyan) national sovereignty," Al Jazeera
reports.
The MPs also want the US to allow the Libyan authorities and
family members to get in touch with Liby and guarantee the
suspect access to a lawyer.
The statement come after US ambassador, Deborah Jones, was
summoned to Libya's Justice Minister to provide an explanation
for the unannounced raid.
Libya’s Prime Minister, Ali Zeidan, said that all Libyan citizens
should be tried for their crimes on home soil. However, Zeidan
has made it obvious he doesn't want relations with the US spoiled
over the incident.
"Our relationship with the USA is one of friendship and
cooperation. They helped us with our revolution. Our relationship
will not be affected by this event, which we will settle how we
need to," Reuters reported Zeidan as saying.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama said that Abu Anas al-Liby has executed
plots that killed Americans and “he will be brought to
justice.”
He promised that the US will continue to pursue al-Qaeda-linked
groups in Africa, adding that it was not the same as going to war
there.
"There is a difference between us going after terrorists who
are plotting directly to do damage to the United States and us
getting involved in wars," Obama told a news conference.
"Where you've got active plots and active networks, we are
going to go after them."
Libyan militants seek vengeance for Al-Qaeda leader’s capture
Jihadists in Libya have launched an online campaign, calling for
retaliation for Liby’s abduction and urge militants to kidnap US
citizens and attack gas pipelines, ships and planes.
“The real Libyan hero rebels should kidnap an American in
Libya to negotiate for our brother Ruqai’s release,” says a
Facebook comment cited by the New York Times, referring to Liby’s
real name, Nazih Abdul-Hamed Nabih al-Ruqai.
The NY Times also reports that almost immediately following the
news of Liby’s capture a new Facebook page, called: “We are
all Nazih al-Ruqai, O America” quickly gained 2,000
subscribers.
Other messages called on Libyans to kidnap US citizens to
exchange them for imprisoned militants. Libyans were also urged
to damage pipelines exporting gas to Europe, and to target ships
and planes.
"Libya today is still a place of disbelief that is ruled by
something other than the Shariah of Allah; thus, there is no
security for disbelievers there," Reuters cites one of the
messages posted on a Facebook page called "Benghazi is
Protected by its People."
The Libyan government has also become target for online threats
as the Islamists accuse it of conspiracy with the US.
“We say that this shameful act will cost the Libyan government
a lot and it will be as you will see and not as you hear," a
message on a jihadist web forum reads.
On Monday, some 200 heavily armed Marines were moved to the US
naval base at Sigonella, Italy, from their base in Spain to
respond to any potential security crisis at the US embassy
diplomatic mission in Libya, CNN cited a US military official as
saying.
Liby, who was taken into US custody Saturday, is now reportedly
being held aboard the USS San Antonio, where he is being interrogated
by the US High Value Detainee Group, an inter-agency group led by
the FBI.
He was indicted by a US Federal Court in 2000 for his alleged
role in the 1998 US Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, which
left 224 people dead. Liby is on the FBI’s Most Wanted list
with a $5 million bounty on his head.
