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(Thinking about this a bit more, the only forces that can be
linked to Qaddafi appear to be the NTC militiamen who were routed.
Things seem to be shaping up in Libya as a struggle between the
revolutionaries and Qaddafism without Qaddafi. I know this might
be disappointing to our resolute anti-imperialists who thrive on
binary oppositions but this is a continuing revolution, just as is
the case in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the NTC in
Libya are obstacles to genuine change and it will take force to
remove them.)
NY Times January 24, 2012
Pro-Government Libyan Militia Routed From a Qaddafi Bastion
By LIAM STACK
CAIRO — Forces loyal to Libya’s interim government were violently
expelled Monday from a town long seen as supportive of Col.
Muammar el-Qaddafi, a local militia leader said Tuesday, an
assault that left at least four combatants dead and raised the
specter of renewed conflict between revolutionary forces and those
supportive of the old order.
The town, Bani Walid, and its dominant Warfalla tribe long
benefited from Colonel Qaddafi’s rule. Bani Walid provided shelter
to his son Seif al-Islam after rebel forces drove the ruling
family from the capital, Tripoli, in August, and it was one of the
last strongholds to fall to rebel forces, in October. That
history, combined with what appeared to be a significant retreat
by forces loyal to the interim Transitional National Council,
sparked fears of a new pro-Qaddafi element that was both armed and
organized.
But both local fighters and security officials from the
transitional council denied that pro-Qaddafi forces had been
involved. Each side said the roots of the violence were more local
than counterrevolutionary.
“There is nothing about Qaddafi supporters or militias here. The
problem is between tribes,” said Salem Dabnon al-Waer, 47, who
described himself as commander of the Bani Walid fighters.
He said the dispute had begun when fighters from the May 28
Brigade, a rival militia aligned with the transitional council,
“kidnapped” a local man over the weekend, then spurned an attempt
by a council of town elders to negotiate his release. In
retaliation, Mr. Waer said, his fighters attacked the rival
militia’s base on Monday in an assault that, he said, killed a
total of 10 fighters on both sides and wounded 12. A Human Rights
Watch worker who left Bani Walid on Tuesday put the death toll at
four.
Gen. Abdel-Salam al-Hassi, chief of operations for the
government’s Defense Ministry, said, “These are only local clashes
between people because of very, very, very simple reasons.” He
described the spark for the clashes as a leadership contest within
Bani Walid’s military council.
“There are no Qaddafi regime forces involved, absolutely none,”
General Hassi said, adding, “It was a challenge on that level, but
everyone has a weapon, so it leads to fighting.”
By Tuesday night, militias loyal to the Transitional National
Council had taken up positions around three sides of Bani Walid at
a distance of at least 40 miles. Fighters from the May 28 Brigade
had withdrawn about 55 miles to the town of Sdada, according to
the Human Rights Watch worker, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity.
General Hassi denied that forces loyal to the transitional council
had retreated from Bani Walid, but said units of the Libyan
military were on their way to provide reinforcements. Libya’s
military is a weak institution composed of little more than ragtag
militias, and many other militias reject its authority.
The country’s interim prime minister, Abdel Rahim el-Keeb, urged
calm in a statement released online Tuesday night, saying the
clashes “conflict directly with the objectives of the Feb. 17
revolution and with the aspirations of our Libyan people.”
“The government calls on all citizens in all corners of our
beloved Libya to exercise caution and cooperate with state
institutions in all forms in order to maintain the country’s
unity, security and stability,” the statement said.
The interim government has faced growing public discontent in
recent weeks over its stewardship of postwar Libya. Critics
complain that its operations and budget are too opaque and that
many members are tainted by links, real or imagined, with the
Qaddafi government.
Its performance on a nuts-and-bolts level has also been faulted.
Basic services have yet to be restored in some areas, and towns
seen as sympathetic to Colonel Qaddafi, like Surt and Bani Walid,
remain in ruins after months of fighting.
The interim government has struggled to exert authority even in
Tripoli, where the streets are largely controlled by a patchwork
of regional militias whose members defer to their own commanders,
not government forces.
The clashes in Bani Walid were the second crisis faced by the
interim government in the last few days. On Saturday, a crowd in
the city of Benghazi — formerly the rebel capital — ransacked the
government’s local offices. The episode led to the resignation of
the deputy head of the transitional council, Abdel Hafidh Ghoga,
and the suspension of several members from Benghazi.
Yusef Sawie contributed reporting from Tripoli, Libya.
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