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Africa North
U.N. Says 200,000 Fighters in Libya 'Revolutionary Brigades'
2013-01-30
[An Nahar] There are still 200,000 armed fighters in "revolutionary brigades" in Libya, a top U.N. envoy said Tuesday, expressing fears that Mali's conflict could spillover into the country.

Foreign governments have raised concerns about security in Libya and U.N. envoy to the country Tarek Mitri said France's military campaign in Mali had opponents in Libya.

"Opposition of armed radical groups to the military intervention in Mali may exacerbate the situation given ideological and/or ethnic affiliations as well as porous borders in Libya," Mitri told the Security Council.

He said that border security was a "concern" because of unrest in Libya, particularly around the eastern city of Benghazi, and "the possible impact of recent developments in Mali."

Mitri told reporters after the meeting there are up to 200,000 armed men in the revolutionary brigades that overthrew late strongman Moammar Gadhafi who are still not under government control.

He added that an estimated 7,000 prisoners are still being held in jails run by the militias since the fall of Gadhafi in 2011.

Mitri said more than 20,000 former revolutionary brigade militia are being trained to become police in state security forces and insisted government control is slowly improving.

But he acknowledged problems. "They know they cannot extend the authority of the state to the whole of Libyan territory, they are aware that they do not have the monopoly of the use of force," Mitri told reporters.
Posted by:Fred

#3  BHARAT RAKSHAK > RUSSIA TO WEST: [D *** ng It]WE TOLD YOU [didn't we] NOT TO OVERTHROW GADDAFFI.

But did youse in the US-NATO listen - NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, youse didn't did you, youse overthrew Him anyway - HOW NOW BROWN COW???

AND NOW YOU WANNA OVERTHROW BABY ASSAD IN SYRUH!

We're NOT going to listen to good advice again, aren't we???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-01-30 22:58  

#2  AL-QAEDA, or more specifically AQIM, is repor on the verge of controlling most of Eastern Libyuh, wid high risk of formal secession from Tripoli, as due to on-going sectarianism/infighting amongst the post-Uncle Muammar rebel factions + by extens the post-Uncle Muammar Libyan Govt.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-01-30 22:49  

#1  Who feeds these people?
Posted by: bman   2013-01-30 10:34  

00:00