IMAN Chairman backs call for the International Community to rid Libya of Islamist Extremists
Martes, 18 Marzo 2014
The Libyan government urgently needs help in the flight against extremism
Official Calls for International Help to Fight Terrorists in Libya
TRIPOLI POST
Appalled by the cheer killing of young military soldiers in Benghazi by a car bomb, the Libyan Minister of Justice said our international partners should be asked to help us fight terrorists who have declared war on innocent Libyans.
Mr. Salah Marghani was commenting Monday evening on a car bomb explosion that killed ten newly graduated military cadets and wounded 23 others some of them seriously.
“Now it is not time for mourning or condemnation. It is about time for Libyans to declare war on terrorists who have been killing Libyans and foreigners in the cities of Benghazi and Derna in eastern Libya,” he angrily told Al-Wataniy TV, a state owned satellite channel.
“What is going on in Benghazi and Derna is terrorism and we must declare the state of emergency in Benghazi and we fight back,” he said.
“Asking for international assistance in this fight is not violation of Libyan sovereignty. What violates our sovereignty is the killing of these youth in cold blood,” Marghani stressed.
The Libyan Minister of Justice confirmed that the country is incapable to carry out a simple crime investigation in Benghazi or anywhere else let alone detain suspected or criminal individuals.
Answering a question about why Libyan authorities do not reveal the names of assassins and the criminals who commit heinous acts despite the fact that they are well known, the minister said “revealing the names is not enough. What is needed is to arrest them and bring to justice and that the government cannot simply do because these criminals are fully armed.”
“The country has no army and police force,” he added.
“The Libyans must decide if they want a state or they want warlords,” Marghani said.
The government called the academy bombing a "terrorist act" and declared three days of mourning. No group has said it carried out the bombing but Libyan security forces have long been battling Islamist militants in the city.
Backing the call, Chairman of the IMAN Foundation, Ribal Al-Assad said:
"I wholeheartedly back the call of Mr. Marghani, it is imperative that Islamist militants are not allowed to make more headway in Libya. They are already heavily armed and established in many parts - it is imperative that something is done.
The international community must give the requisite support to the Libyan government , we cannot allow the country to be hijacked by those who wish to turn it into an Islamic Caliphate state.
The dire situation needs to be stopped before matters escalate further; under no condition can the international community stand by and allow Libya to become a hotbed of terrorism - this must not be allowed to happen."
