“We’re Muslims, good and faithful Muslims,” said one young
Malian to HRW. “But honestly, these people have taken all the joie de
vivre from our lives.”
Re: Ansar al-Shariah ; Movement for Unity and Jihad in West
Africa , or MUJAO.; al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM.
Ansar al-Sharia (Libya) (English: Partisans
of Islamic Law) is an Islamist militia group advocating the implementation of strict Sharia law across Libya. It was
designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State
on October 4, 2012 .
Background
Ansar al-Sharia was formed during the Libyan
civil war and rose to prominence after the death of Muammar
Gaddafi. Made up of former rebels from the Abu Obayda Bin Aljarah Brigade,
Malik Brigade and February 17 Brigade and
many more, the Salafist militia initially made their name by posting
videos of themselves fighting in the Battle of Sirte.Their first major public
appearance occurred on 7 June 2012, when they led a rally of armed vehicles
along Benghazi’s Tahrir Square and demanded the imposition of Sharia from
which they were later the same day chased out by local residents.Its leader,
Sheikh Muhammad al-Zawawi, later
gave an interview on a local TV station forbidding participation in the July 7 GNC elections on
the grounds that they were un-Islamic.The militia went on to provide security
to some public property in eastern
Libya, including Benghazi's Al Jala Hospital.The group is reportedly the
military arm of a charitable organization named Al-Dawa wa Al-Islah.
Noman Benotman, a former member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and
analyst of Libyan Islamism claims that Ansar al Sharia is less an
organisation than a term applied to an amorphous coalition of Islamist and Salafist groups
active in eastern Libya. CNN reports that Ansar al Sharia
is more a label than an organization, one that's been adopted by conservative
Salafist groups across the Arab world. The name means, simply, "Partisans
of Islamic Law." Their logo is a pair of AK-47s, a clenched fist, and an
open Koran.
Activities
Fawzi Bukatef, the leader in Benghazi of the rival Islamist militia February
17 Brigade, claimed that members of the organisation had been responsible for
the assassination ofAbdul Fatah Younis, the commander of rebel forces during the Libyan
civil war.
Ansar al-Sharia carried out destruction of Sufi shrines in Benghazi Tripoli
2012 U.S. Consulate attack in Benghazi
On September 11, 2012, the United States
Department of State Operations Center advised the White House Situation Room and
other U.S. security units that Ansar al-Sharia was claiming responsibility for
the attack on the U.S.
diplomatic mission in Benghazi that had just occurred.Witnesses said
they saw vehicles with the group's logo at the scene of the assault and that
fighters there acknowledged at the time that they belonged to Ansar
al-Sharia. Witnesses also said they saw Ahmed Abu Khattala, a commander of Ansar
al-Sharia, leading the embassy attack, a claim Mr. Khattala
denied. According to longwarjournal.org, the group issued a statement
asserting that it "didn't participate as a sole entity," and that the
attack "was a spontaneous popular uprising" to an anti-Islam film.
On 21 September 2012, after massive anti-militia protests in
Benghazi which largely blamed Ansar al-Sharia for the attack, hundreds of
protesters stormed the militia headquarters, pulled down flags of the militia
and torched a vehicle inside the base.Afterwards, crowds swelled to several
thousand strong and breached into Ansar al-Sharia military base where militants
retreated before the civilians got to the base and led a pro ansar sharia
peaceful protest. Another compound was taken later that night.
Elements of Libyan National Army and Libyan police
came to the support of the civilians the rioters later took over control of the
bases of different brigades such as Martyrs of 17th February and The first
Libyan Shield.
A few hours after the attack, Martyrs of February 17th,
together with Bou Salim Martyrs brigade, allegedly agreed to
disband, however about 150-200 militiamen moved from Benghazi
As of December 2012, the group still existed, although it
had adopted a low-key position
References
"The
Wrath of Libya's Salafis". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"Attack
by Fringe Group Highlights the Problem of Libya's Militias". New York
Times.
"The
Battle of the Shrines".Foreign Policy. aWard, Sharron
"Ansar
al Shariah issues statement on US Consulate assault in Libya". Long
War Journal.
What is Ansar al
Sharia, and was it behind the consulate attack in Benghazi
By Tim Lister and Paul Cruickshank, CNN Fri November 16, 2012
(CNN) -- Former CIA
Director David Petraeus is expected to tell House and Senate committees Friday
that soon after the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi ,
Libya
There is no easy answer.
Ansar al Sharia is more a label than an organization, one
that's been adopted by conservative Salafist groups across the Arab world. The
name means, simply, "Partisans of Islamic Law."
In Benghazi Tripoli London
Ansar al Sharia took over a security building in Tripoli
The group's central belief is that all authority is derived
from the Prophet Mohammed, that democracy is un-Islamic and that other branches
of Islam, such as the Sufi, are heretical. Ansar al Sharia and members of
another brigade, dubbed the Libyan Shield, have been accused of destroying Sufi
shrines near Benghazi
The description on the Twitter feed of Ansar al Sharia of Benghazi
As with many of the brigades that roam Libya Benghazi
In Benghazi
In a BBC interview a week
after attack, al-Zahawi denied Ansar al Sharia had any role in the attack, but
said the group would not give up its weapons.
"We are in a battle with the liberals, the secularists
and the remnants of Gadhafi," he told the BBC .
Al-Tarshani told The Irish Times the attack was wrong.
"The killing of the ambassador was not intentional — he
died as a result of suffocation," he told Mary Fitzgerald in a telephone
interview.
He also said that just because the assailants carried the
black flag often associated with Salafist groups, it did not mean Ansar al
Sharia was responsible. A CNN analysis of photographs of a large Islamist
parade in Benghazi
Another prominent Ansar al Sharia figure is former Guantanamo
Bay Benghazi Derna
Al-Tarshani told The Irish Times that the Benghazi
Benotman, himself a former Libyan jihadist, thinks that
blaming Ansar al Sharia for the attack oversimplifies the situation. He told
CNN in September that its loose structure made it easy for any group with a
terror agenda to infiltrate it because of a shared ideology.
One such group, Benotman said, was the Imprisoned Omar Abdul
Rahman Brigades, named for the blind Egyptian Sheikh imprisoned in the United
States World Trade
Center Benghazi
There does not appear to be organizational links between
Ansar al Sharia and al Qaeda, but there is solidarity. Al-Zahawi praised al
Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri in his BBC
interview, and said al Qaeda's statements "help galvanize the Muslim
nation, maintain its dignity and pride."
Benotman said most people in Benghazi
"They felt the attack on consulate was a threat to
their well-being. For many of the protestors, it's an opportunity to help the
government make serious decisions to boost security in Benghazi
The narrative from U.S. Benghazi
In part, that's because of the blurred lines and overlapping
memberships of the different militia. On the day of the attack, a U.S. Benghazi U.S.
According to the cable, during the meeting Libyan Shield
commander Ben Hamed and another Islamist militia leader "discussed the
very fluid relationships and blurry lines they say define membership in the
Benghazi based Brigades under the February 17, Libya Shield, and SSC [Supreme
Security Committee, a Libyan government created fighting outfit]
umbrellas."
Hamed and the other militia leader described themselves as
members of multiple brigades, the cable said.
Then there are the conflicting reports from U.S.
On September 18th, a U.S.
Another senior official told CNN: "Ansar al Sharia is
only one of the elements they are looking at. The notion that the intelligence
community has zeroed in on either Ansar al Sharia -- its leader Sufian bin Qumu
in particular -- is completely untrue."
At the same time, Matthew Olsen, director of the National
Counterterrorism Center
The possibility that al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb was
somehow involved in the attack was recently revived by U.S. Army Brig. Gen.
Carter Ham, commander of the U.S. Africa Command.
"It appears to me very likely that some of the
terrorists who participated in the attack in Benghazi Paris
At other times U.S. Iraq
Little is known about who Libyan authorities detained in the
wake of the consulate attack, and whether they are still detained.
A Tunisian, meanwhile, has been detained in connection with
the attack, though nothing is known publicly about his links to Ansar al
Sharia. Ani Ali al Harzi was arrested in Turkey Tunis
What can be said with some confidence is that the Salafist
trend has been revitalized across the Arab world as dictatorships have crumbled.
A number of Ansar al Sharia groups have emerged not only in Libya Yemen Tunisia Egypt Morocco
"The Muslims today are not like they were before,"
al-Tarshani told the BBC . "They cannot
stand any action that would insult our Prophet or other symbols."
Ansar al Shariah issues statement on US Consulate assault in
Libya
By BILL
ROGGIOSeptember 12, 2012 3:52 PM
Ansar al Shariah, an Islamist group in Libya Benghazi SITE Intelligence Group, is neither a
full denial nor a full claim of responsibility. The group stated that it
"didn't participate as a sole entity," leaving open the possibility
that its members were involved. Ansar al Shariah then claimed that the attack
"was a spontaneous popular uprising" to a video released on YouTube
that denigrated the Prophet Mohammed.
Below is an excerpt from the statement, emphasis is ours:
Ansar al-Shariah Brigade didn't participate in this popular
uprising as a separate entity, but it was carrying out its duties in
al-Jala'a hospital and other places where it was entrusted with some
duties. The Brigade didn't participate as a sole entity; rather, it
was a spontaneous popular uprising in response to what happened by the
West.
Ansar al Shariah wants you to believe that this attack was
part of a "spontaneous popular uprising," and not an assault linked
to an organized Jihadi-Salafist group thathas launched attacks in Benghazi in
the recent past, including against at least one foreign consulate. To
believe that, you also have to believe that a group of demonstrators, armed
with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, spontaneously showed up in
front of the US Consulate, and then overran the security and killed the US
Unnamed State Department officials breifed reporters late
this afternoon. The description they have provided, which generally matches
news reports, indicates that this wasn't a group of rowdy protesters gone wild,
but an organized attack. Fighting lasted for more than four hours before the
compound was "secured." From the briefing:
At approximately 4 p.m.
Eastern Daylight Time yesterday, which was about 10
p.m. in Libya Benghazi 4:15 , the attackers gained access to the
compound and began firing into the main building, setting it on fire. The
Libyan guard force and our mission security personnel responded. At that time,
there were three people inside the building: Ambassador Stevens, one of our
regional security officers, and Information Management Officer Sean Smith. They
became separated from each other due to the heavy, dark smoke while they were
trying to evacuate the burning building. The Regional Security Officer made it
outside, and then he and other security personnel returned into the burning
building in an attempt to rescue Chris and Sean. At that time, they found Sean.
He was already dead, and they pulled him from the building. They were unable,
however, to locate Chris before they were driven from the building due to the
heavy fire and smoke and the continuing small arms fire.
At about 4:45 our time here in Washington, U.S. security
personnel assigned to the mission annex tried to regain the main building, but
that group also took heavy fire and had to return to the mission annex. At
about 5:20 , U.S.
The mission annex then came under fire itself at around 6 o'clock in the evening our time, and that
continued for about two hours. It was during that time that two additional U.S.
At about 8:30 p.m.
our time here in Washington 2 o'clock in the morning in Libya U.S. Benghazi
READER COMMENTS: "Ansar al Shariah issues statement on
US Consulate assault in Libya
Posted by David Carvin at September 14, 2012
That Ansar al Shariah is sophisticated enough to conduct
such an operation should be the subject of more serious western analysis.
Salafists have a great deal of offensive materials they
might choose as the cited provocation. The video they chose was so amateurish
as to be almost incomprehensible. It is even plausible that it was produced by
the Salafists themselves for their cause celebre.
Compare it to the material promoted by zombietimes.com, for
example. Far more offensive. But this material is generated by the Occupy
crowd, so it would not cause the media to react in the same way.
Obviously, the provocatuers orchestrating the riots have
studied the dysfunctional western dynamic between the media and Christian
fundamentalists, in the same way that OBL studied the effects of planes
impacting the WTC.
The ideologues in the current administration may even find
this tactic useful to go along with, as it fits their campaign memes, and
allows them to shift blame onto the whacko Westboro Baptist Republicans.
My response would be the following to Ansar al Shariah:
It's not all of of the Marines, SOF, battleships and drones
that will respond either. Instead it will be a spontaneous popular uprising of
elite trained operators, battlehsips, and flying drones that ensure civility in
you country.
The Ansar al-Sharia Threat
Libyan militia behind Benghazi
Ansar al-Sharia, the Islamist militia linked to the deadly
terror attack against the United States Benghazi Libya U.S.
Intelligence reports provided to the U.S. Africa Command
earlier this month revealed that Ansar al-Sharia operates several Facebook
pages, including one outlet called the Campaigns of Ansar al-Sharia for Dawa
and Charity. The website was operating as late as Dec. 15 before being shut
down under pressure from the U.S.
That social media page was connected to the Benghazi-based
militia behind the terrorist attack that operated a camp in Benghazi
The Arabic-language Campaigns page showed photos and
graphics of what it calls the charitable work of the Ansar al-Sharia Brigade,
the Benghazi
However, content on the page showed signs of what analysts
said were apparent steps designed to deceive Western intelligence monitors into
thinking the page was not directly linked to the Brigade. The deception was
part of an apparent bid by the group to avoid being shut down by Facebook.
President Barack Obama promised on Sept. 12, the day after
the deadly attack, that the United States
So far, however, no public or covert action has been taken
against the Ansar al-Sharia Brigade by either U.S. Benghazi
A White House spokesman did not respond to emails seeking
comment on why the administration has not taken action against the terrorist
group.
Two suspects in the Benghazi Turkey Tunis
The Associated Press reported in
October that Ahmed Abu Khattala, commander of the Islamist militia Abu Obaida Bin
Jarrah, has been identified as a leader of the Sept. 11 Benghazi attack,
according to witnesses who were present. Abu Khattala also is a leader of Ansar
al-Sharia.
The Ansar al-Sharia Brigade was linked by U.S. Benghazi
The group acknowledged in
a Sept. 12 published statement on Facebook and YouTube that it was indirectly
involved in the attack. The statement said that the group “did not participate
formally and did not direct orders to its members to participate, meanwhile
engaging in some of its normal functions including the protection of some
institutions [in Benghazi].”
Several dozen attackers took part in the diplomatic compound
strike including terrorists armed with assault rifles, rocket-propelled
grenades, and mortars. They burned the facility and then attacked a nearby CIA
facility that was engaged in covert weapons activities in Libya
The Obama administration is under fire for putting out
misleading information for weeks after the attack by claiming it was a response
to an anti-Muslim video. Several intelligence officials said ignoring reports
implicating al Qaeda-linked terrorists in the assault was a politicization of
intelligence.
A Pentagon report published
by the Library of Congress in August on al Qaeda in Libya Guantanamo Libya United States
The Pentagon-produced counterterrorism analysis said Ansar
al-Sharia is believed to have clandestine links to senior al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan
The report said Ansar al-Sharia “could be the new face of al
Qaeda in Libya Arabian Peninsula
in areas of Yemen Tunisia Libya Tunisia
The Ansar al-Sharia-linked Campaigns Facebook page began
operating in November and carried photos of other Ansar al-Sharia Brigade
Facebook pages. Photographs on the page show the logo of the Ansar al-Sharia
Brigade and its media outlet, al-Raya Media Productions Foundation.
The Facebook page was used for social media connections and
has been “liked” by similar Islamist groups 631 times as of mid-December. The
page appears connected to the terrorist group Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AST)
and counterterrorism officials believe the Libyan Ansar al-Sharia group is part
of a jihadist effort to expand splinter terrorist groups in Egypt Tunisia Morocco Yemen
The page is being used for what Muslims call “dawa,” or
grassroots missionary activity, as well as for fundraising.
The group’s main jihadist cleric is Abu Mundhir al-Shinqiti
and it is active in Egypt Tunisia
According to U.S.
The Campaigns page was focused on promoting the terrorist
group’s effort to spread its ideology in Benghazi
The page also showed that Ansar al-Sharia is working with
other Islamist groups in Benghazi
The Facebook page of the Brigade’s Al-Raya Media Productions
Foundation has called for the release of Libyan prisoners held in Iraq
The group is using multiple social media outlets to expand
its influence, including videos posted on YouTube.
Bookmark the permalink.
In Egypt
By THOMAS JOSCELYN December 12, 2012 4:28 PM
In Egypt
By THOMAS JOSCELYNDecember 12, 2012 4:28 PM
Egypt Independent reports:
Naguib Gabriel, head of the Egyptian Federation of Human
Rights, on Tuesday filed a charge with the prosecutor general, requesting the
arrest of the members of the so-called Ansar al-Sharia Brigades, after they
posted on Facebook a list of assassination targets in case the state falls.
The list included familiar faces from politics and the
media, as well as Pope Tawadros II and other Coptic figures.
Gabriel said that what was posted constitutes intimidation,
thuggery, threats to national security and safety, sedition, terrorism and
violation of the rule of law, and that all these crimes are mentioned in the
Egyptian Penal Code.
He called on the interior minister to conduct investigations
into who is behind the group and its finances.
I'm currently looking into this group and the claim that it
has posted a hit list.
For my coverage of the al Qaeda-linked Ansar al Sharia Egypt
READER COMMENTS: "In Egypt
I'm curious to know why the failure of the State qualifies
as a prerequisite for the Ansar al-Sharia Brigade to indulge Their Night Of The
Long Knives fantasy? Sounds like Ansar is eager to do another Luxor
The "failure of the State" language is merely a
legalist dodge designed to make a transparent threat look as if it's just a
'hypothetical' response that would only be invoked if the current despot was
ejected.
Morsi's opponents are obviously going to be worried.
This Salafist front has already named names.
They sound like a pleasant bunch. :-( Hope Gabriel is
successful in getting the government to keep them under control.
More threats of violence from those claiming to be the true
face of the "Religiion of Peace". Adorable.
Attack by Fringe
Group Highlights the Problem of Libya’s Militias
Published: September
15, 2012
CAIRO — Ansar al-Shariah, the brigade of rebel fighters that
witnesses say led the attack on the United States diplomatic mission in
Benghazi, holds that democracy is incompatible with Islam. It has paraded the
streets with weapons calling for an Islamic state, and a few months ago its
leader boasted publicly that its fighters could flatten a foreign consulate.
Abdullah Doma/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Hani al-Mansouri, a spokesman for Ansar al-Sharia, spoke
Thursday about the Benghazi
But if the group’s ideology may put it on the fringe of
Libyan society, its day-to-day presence in society does not. It is just one of
many autonomous battalions of heavily armed men formed during and after the
uprising against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi who have filled the void in public
security left by his fall, resisting calls to disarm by saying that the weak
transitional government is not up to the job.
Ansar al-Shariah’s fighters have given conflicting stories
about their role in the attack. Said to number fewer than 200, they can usually
be found at Al Jala Hospital in Benghazi
“We had to coordinate everything,” said that militia leader,
Fawzi Bukatef, recalling the first phone call about the attack that he received
from the mission’s security team. The Libyan government, he said, “was absent.”
The organization and firepower used in the assault, which
killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and
three other Americans, has raised alarm in Washington about the possibility of
links to Al Qaeda and a premeditated conspiracy that found a pretext in anger
over an American-made video mocking the Prophet Muhammad. But to Libyans, the
battle for the mission has underscored how easy it is for a spark like the
earlier protest in Cairo
The battle over the mission has also became the latest
skirmish in a larger struggle unfolding across the region between hard-line and
moderate Islamists seeking to determine the fate of the Arab Spring.
The leaders of Libya United States Tripoli Benghazi United
States
But since the militiamen, who still call themselves
“revolutionaries,” remain the power on the streets, there is an open question
who will disarm or control them. “The government is required to do so,” said
Mr. Bukatef, leader of eastern Libya
Ansar al-Shariah representatives declined to be interviewed
for this article. The brigade in Benghazi
Mr. Bukatef said that its numbers had seemed to range from
50 to about 200. He claimed that some of its members were responsible for the
assassination during the uprising of the rebel commander Abdul Fattah Younes,
in revenge for his previous role as a minister in the Qaddafi government who
led a crackdown on Islamists. The transitional government, Mr. Bukatef said,
was too weak to confront such a brigade, and so no one has been charged with
the crime.
Many more-secular politicians in Libya Libya Libya
Ansar al-Shariah, Mr. Bukatef said, was excluded from
meetings of a larger eastern Libyan militia alliance that he oversees. “Some of
their members were with us at the beginning,” he said, but “we do not believe
people who do not believe in the government are entitled to be with us.”
Mr. Bukatef dismissed suggestions by some in the West that
Ansar al-Shariah might have ties to Al Qaeda or other international militants.
“They’re Libyans. They’re extremists. They are outlaws,” he said, noting that
some had served time in Colonel Qaddafi’s jails — a radicalizing experience for
many Libyan Islamists.
Witnesses at the scene of the assault on the mission said
they saw pickup trucks labeled with the group’s logo, which is well known in Benghazi
But amid the backlash against the attack — and the news that
the beloved United States ambassador was killed — the group’s leaders have
tried to distance themselves from the assault, often in muddled or
contradictory ways. On the morning after the attack, a spokesman for the group
made a statement to local television from the hospital saluting the assault,
approvingly recalling a similar mob attack on the Italian consulate in Benghazi
But the spokesman, Hani al-Mansouri, denied that the Ansar
al-Shariah brigade had participated as “an independent entity following
orders.” He said, “It was doing its work in Jala hospital and other places
where it has assigned roles.” And at a news conference on Thursday night, amid
growing threats of retaliation against the perpetrators of the attack, Mr.
Mansouri denied that any of the group’s fighters had participated, pleading
with the news media to accept his denial.
Ansar al-Shariah has never been shy about its beliefs. In
June the group led a parade of pickup trucks loaded with weapons through the
streets of Benghazi
Later, after several minor or unsuccessful attacks on
Western diplomatic offices and convoys, including a bomb blast in June outside
the United States Mission, a commander of the group said his brigade would have
been more ruthless if it had tried such things. While he disapproved of those
attacks, including the June attack, the commander, Mohammed Ali al-Zahawi, told
The Washington Post, “If it had been our attack on the U.S. Consulate, we would
have flattened it.”
Members of the group have often refused to talk to Western
journalists, or, in at least one case, refused to speak with a female
journalist. They gave the BBC a statement of
their philosophy on paper bearing the symbols of the Koran and a Kalashnikov.
“Democracy is a human condition where laws are made by people,” it said. “Only
God has the authority to make law and that is why Islam and Shariah are incompatible with
democracy.”
The Libyan guards who were outside the United
States
“You are an unbeliever! You are shooting at us with the
Americans,” the attackers shouted at one wounded Libyan guard, as he later
recalled from his hospital bed, with two bullet wounds in his right leg and
shrapnel from a grenade in his left. (He spoke anonymously for his safety.) “I
am just the gardener,” the guard said he eventually lied to a second wave of
fighters, who carried him to the hospital.
Libyans storm Ansar
Al-Shariah compound in backlash after attack on US Consulate
Published September
21, 2012 Associated Press
Sept. 21: Libyans participate in a protest against Ansar
Al-Shariah, a militia of Islamic extremists, and other Islamic militias in Benghazi ,
Libya
In an unprecedented show of public anger at Libya Benghazi
Ansar Al-Shariah fighters initially fired in the air to
disperse the crowd, but eventually abandoned the site with their weapons and
vehicles after it was overrun by waves of protesters shouting "No to
militias."
"I don't want to see armed men wearing Afghani-style
clothes stopping me in the street to give me orders, I only want to see people
in uniform," said Omar Mohammed, a university student who took part in the
takeover of the site, which protesters said was done in support of the army and
police.
No deaths were reported in the incident, which came after
tens of thousands marched in Benghazi
For many Libyans, the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate
in Benghazi was the last straw in one of the biggest problems Libya has faced
since the ouster and death of longtime dictator Moammar Qaddafi around a year
ago -- the multiple mini-armies that with their arsenals of machine guns and
rocket-propelled grenades are stronger than the regular armed forces and
police.
The militias, a legacy of the rag-tag popular forces that
fought Qaddafi's regime, tout themselves as protectors of Libya
Militias made up of Islamic radicals like Ansar Al-Shariah
are notorious for attacks on Muslims who don't abide by their hardline
ideology. Officials and witnesses say fighters from Ansar Al-Shariah led the
attack on the U.S.
After taking over the Ansar compound, protesters then drove
to attack the Benghazi
Earlier in the day, some 30,000 people filled a broad
boulevard as they marched along a lake in central Benghazi
"No, no, to militias," the crowd chanted, filling
a broad boulevard. They carried banners and signs demanding that militias
disband and that the government build up police to take their place in keeping
security. "Benghazi
Other signs mourned the killing of Stevens, reading,
"The ambassador was Libya Libya
The march was the biggest seen in Benghazi ,
Libya
Residents of another main eastern city, Darna, have also
begun to stand up against Ansar Al-Shariah and other militias.
The anti-militia fervor in Darna is notable because the
city, in the mountains along the Mediterranean coast north of Benghazi
A significant number of the Libyan jihadists who travelled
to Afghanistan Iraq
But now, the residents are lashing out against Ansar
Al-Shariah, the main Islamic extremist group in the city.
"The killing of the ambassador blew up the situation.
It was disastrous," said Ayoub al-Shedwi, a young bearded Muslim preacher
in Darna who says he has received multiple death threats because has spoken out
against militias on a radio show he hosts. "We felt that the revolution is
going in vain."
Leaders of tribes, which are the strongest social force in
eastern Libya
Tribal leaders in Benghazi
Activists and residents have held a sit-in for the past
eight days outside Darna's Sahaba Mosque, calling on tribes to put an end to
the "state of terrorism" created by the militias.
Militiamen have been blamed for a range of violence in
Darna. On the same day Stevens killed in Benghazi
Darna's residents are conservative, but they largely don't
fit the city's reputation as extremists.
Women wear headscarves, but not the more conservative black
garb and veil that covers the entire body and face. In the ancient city's
narrow alleys, shops display sleeveless women dresses and the young men racing
by in cars blare Western songs.
And many are impatient with Ansar Al-Shariah's talk of
imposing its strict version of Islamic law. The group's name means
"Supporters of Shariah Law."
"We are not infidels for God sake. We have no bars, no
discos, we are not practicing vice in the street," said Wassam ben Madin,
a leading activist in the city who lost his right eye in clashes with security
forces on the first day of the uprising against Qaddafi. "This is not the
time for talk about Shariah. Have a state first then talk to me about Shariah."
"If they are the `supporters of Shariah' then who are
we?" he said. "We don't want the flag of Al Qaeda raised over
heads," he added, referring to Ansar Al-Shariah's black banner.
One elder resident at the Sahaba Mosque sit-in, Ramadan
Youssef, said, "We will talk to them peacefully. We will tell them you are
from us and you fought for us" during the civil war against Qaddafi. But
"if you say no (to integrating into the) police and army, we will storm
your place. It's over."
Officials in the interim government and security forces say
they are not strong enough to crack down on the militias. The armed factions
have refused government calls for them to join the regular army and police.
So the government has created a "High Security
Committee" aimed at grouping the armed factions as a first step to
integration. Authorities pay fighters a salary of as much as 1,000 dinars,
around $900, to join -- compared to the average police monthly salary of around
$200.
However, the militias that join still do not abide by
government authority, and critics say the lure of salaries has only prompted
more militias to form.
Officials and former rebel commanders estimate the number of
rebels that actually fought in the 8-month civil war against Gadhafi at around
30,000. But those now listed on the High Security Committee payroll have
reached several hundred thousand.
"All these militia and entities are fake ones but it is
mushrooming," said Khaled Hadar, a Benghazi-based lawyer. "The
government is only making temporarily solutions, but you are creating a
disaster."
By ELIZABETH PALMER /
CBS NEWS/ October
10, 2012 , 11:11 AM
Libyan officer: U.S.
The militants were chased off their paramilitary bases in Benghazi Derna
"They are in an area about 50 kilometers (about 30
miles) east of Benghazi
Asked whether he anticipates a strike against the fighters,
the colonel warned against a unilateral American attack from the air.
"America Libya
The fight against Islamic extremist groups in Libya Susa
At the moment, his operation is stalled as he waits for
backup from the overstretched national army in Tripoli Bani
Walid Libya
"We have to concentrate on Eastern Libya ,"
said the Colonel - who confirms that fighters with links to al Qaeda are still
living and operating in the area under his command. "If we don't, we won't
only lose control in Bani Walid, we will lose the whole North African
coast."
BILLY-THE_KID says:
OK, here is your reality check. I was a Marine squad leader
in Vam and ran dozens of S&D missions. When we were in an area that had
been removed from our "free fire zone" we were required to call in
for permission to fire. Squad called platoon called Bat. who called Reg. who
called Div. and then the commands flowed backwards. We called in and then moved
to engage. Once we had an adventagious firing position, we engaged. When the
SITREP was called in it was simply. "3, 3/2. Said indigonous personel
intiated fire and we returned fire" "Exploytation report to
follow". The reason for all is to let you all know that if Mr. Obama had
not cleared the mission a junior officer wold have and later claimed
"com" problems. ObL dies and Obamastill takes the credit. Mission
I hope that I didn't burst any bubbles. Semper Fi
I hope that I didn't burst any bubbles. Semper Fi
Meeting Mohammad Ali al-Zahawi of Libyan Ansar al-Sharia
Ahmed MaherBBC Arabic, Benghazi
Mohammad Ali al-Zahawi, the commander of Libya Benghazi
But in recent days Ansar al-Sharia has come under the
spotlight.
The death of US ambassador Christopher Stevens in a
military-style attack on the US Benghazi
In an unusual move, Mr Zahawi agreed to give his first
interview to an international broadcaster - giving a glimpse into his ideology.
Start Quote- “Our brave youths will continue their struggle
until they impose Sharia”
Mohammad Ali al-Zahawi Commander of Ansar al-Sharia
"We are a brigade not a movement," he told BBC
Arabic TV at the brigade's fortified headquarters in the heartland of Libya
"We formed our brigade after the toppling of tyrant
[Muammar] Gaddafi.
"We took part in the liberation of Libya
Once the dust settled after the internecine conflict last
year, many brigades have emerged across Libya
"It is not the right time we give up our arms because
we are in a battle with the liberals, the secularists and the remnants of
Gaddafi," explained Mr Zahawi, 44, who was wearing jeans and a black
checked shirt. Nervous The brigade's building is just minutes away from the
city centre. A group of heavily armed young men with growing beards mans the
main entrance. They were nervous about our camera. The instructions were clear:
Do not show our faces and no filming inside. Inside, our movement was
restricted to one room and its attached hall where we interviewed Mr Zahawi. The
brigade is operating openly like many others since the ousting of Col Gaddafi
last year. And they have a goal they have not achieved yet.
"Our brave youths will continue their struggle until
they impose Sharia," Mr Zahawi said confidently. The brigade has an
ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam. Mr Zahawi confirmed in the
interview that his brigade had demolished and desecrated Sufi shrines in Benghazi
"It is a religious duty to remove these shrines because
people worship the deceased and this is prohibited. It is not me who says so
but rather our religion."
'No al-Qaeda link'
Mr Zahawi believes that the United
States
The US Benghazi
"Make no mistake, there is a massive American onslaught
on Muslim countries. The crusaders want to occupy our countries and act as our
guardians. They do not respect our sovereignty," he said.
His brigade was not linked to al-Qaeda though he thoroughly
approves of its strategy, he said.
"Al-Qaeda's strategy is aimed at weakening US
Asked what he thinks of recent statements made by al-Qaeda
leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mr Zahawi said: "Such statements are a wake-up
call for Muslims.
"They help galvanise the Muslim nation, maintain its
dignity and pride.
Mr Zahawi reiterated his brigade was not behind the attack
on 12 September on the US Benghazi
But he stopped short of condemning the death of the US
"Do you think that the killing of the US
The US US US
"I swear by God that we can tolerate the killing of all
people and wiping all countries off the map but we cannot tolerate a single
swear word that could hurt our prophet," he said.
"They are weeping buckets on this ambassador but they
won't shed any tears when dozens of Muslims are injured in these protests
against the blasphemous film."
After 40 minutes the interview - which was closely watched
over by his armed guards and his media assistant - came to an end.
We had expected it to be a short meeting, but Mr Zahawi had
relaxed and warmed to his subject.
He shook our hands warmly before we left, though this
friendly manner did not extend to the guards who escorted us to our vehicle.
Anti-Islam film
Thousands have protested across the Middle East ,
North Africa and Asia against a
film made in the US
How did the film come to public attention?
The 14-minute video was first posted on YouTube on 1 July
without attracting much attention. It was later picked up by various Arab TV
stations, with religious Egyptian TV channel al-Nas' presenter Sheikh Khalad
Abdalla broadcasting scenes on 8 September. A clip from his show, dubbed into
Arabic, was posted online and within days had been viewed by hundreds of
thousands of people.
The Afghan government says it has blocked YouTube to prevent
people from watching it.
White House officials have asked YouTube to consider whether
the film breaches its
own guidelines. These guidelines include the stipulation: "We
encourage free speech and defend everyone's right to express unpopular points
of view. But we do not permit hate speech..."
Google, which owns YouTube, said in a statement that the
video was "clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on
YouTube", but added that "given the very difficult situation in Libya Egypt
The access to the video has also been blocked in Saudi
Arabia, Indonesia and India.
What does the film show?
The footage, a trailer for a longer film entitled Innocence
of Muslims (initial title was Desert Warrior), appears to depict Islam as a
religion of violence and hate, and its Prophet Muhammad as a foolish and
power-hungry man.
It opens with a scene in which a Coptic family in a newly
radicalised Islamic Egypt is attacked by a group of Muslims while police look
on without intervening. The father tells his daughters that Muslims want to
kill all Christians and that the Islamic state is hiding their crimes.
It then shows the Prophet Muhammad and his life with his
family and his followers in the desert. He is shown having sex with his wife
Khadija and other women.
The video implies Khadija is behind the creation of the
Koran, which is described as a combination of subversions of the Torah and the
New Testament.
The trailer depicts Muhammad and his followers as killers,
looters and extortionists. In one scene the Prophet sanctions the sexual abuse
of children; in another, he says he is gay.
Why is it so offensive?
Depicting the Prophet Muhammad in any way already defies
Islamic belief, let alone satirising him. His wife Khadija and his earliest
companions are also revered in their own right in Islam, and so mocking these
individuals is also considered serious blasphemy.
The founding principle of Islam is that the Koran is the
direct word of God, revealed to Muhammad in order that he impart it to
humankind. Depicting Khadija as planning to concoct a holy book out of the Old
and New Testament defies an intrinsic Islamic belief.
Other references to allegations that Muhammad had affairs
with women, was greedy and violent would clearly be insulting in any context.
What do we know about how it was put together?
The entire film is thought to be around an hour long,
although most have only seen a 14-minute trailer which has now been widely
circulated on the internet in English and Arabic.
The fuller version had a showing in a small Los
Angeles
It was clearly put together on a budget, with a cheaply made
set, amateur actors and poor production standards. It was shot over five days
at a California
The most offensive parts of the film appear not to have been
in the original, but dubbed over the soundtrack at a later date.
Who is Nakoula Basseley Nakoula?
The now infamous trailer for the film was posted through a
Youtube account linked to the name "sambacile" - originally reported
as an Israeli-born Jewish estate agent who had raised $5m (£3.1m) from Jewish
donors in the US
US authorities now say they have identified Nakoula Basseley
Nakoula, an Egyptian-born Coptic Christian living in California
Mr Nakoula, who was found guilty of fraud in 2010 and
ordered to pay more than $790,000 in restitution, is thought to have used the
pseudonym "Sam Bacile" to hide his identity. He denies the
allegations.
Mr Nakoula is now in hiding.
What do the actors say about it?
They say they were misled about the film entirely, claiming
that the original film had nothing to do with Islam or Muhammad, and that all
references to him and insults to the religion were added post-production.
Cindy Lee Garcia, who had a small role in the film,
told Gawker.com that she and others
were given a script for a film and that it would be a historical drama set in
the Middle East .
She is now suing Mr Nakoula, who she accuses of duping her
into taking part in the "hateful" film. She is also asking a judge to
order YouTube to remove the film from its site.
Who else appears to have been involved in the making of the
film?
An American right-wing extremist called Steve Klein, linked
with various anti-Islamic groups in California
According to Salon,
Mr Klein cultivated links with Californian Coptic Christian Joseph Nasralla,
who has been identified as president and CEO of Media for Christ, the organisation
alleged to have produced the film.
Media for Christ is based in Duarte ,
California
Pastor Terry Jones, from Florida World
Trade Center
According to Gawker.com,
soft-porn director Alan Roberts was brought in to work on the film by Nakoula
Basseley Nakoula. The site says he too may not have been aware what he was
actually working on.
Is there something more going on here than protests about a
film?
As was evident after Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad
were published in 2006, politicians and religious leaders in the region used
perceived insults to Islam to rally public support.
Protests began to spread from Egypt
Middle East analyst Magdi Abdelhadi says that although the
film will have caused genuine offence among many Muslims, groups like al-Qaeda,
whose black flag has been seen at some of the protests, have seized the
opportunity to stir up unrest.
Disillusionment, lack of opportunity and anger at the
establishment is also feeding into the protests, analysts say.
By Frank GardnerBBC security correspondent
he attackers used heavy weapons including rocket-propelled
grenades
Anti-Islam film protests
The US Benghazi US Libya Middle East ,
private military contractors have told the BBC .
The consulate's walls were breached in just 15 minutes,
guards were outgunned and overwhelmed and four US
US embassies and consulates in areas of the world where they
are deemed liable to attack are usually offered a formal security contract
called a Worldwide Protective Services Agreement, known in the industry as a
'Wips'.
The contract, or so-called tasking order, is between the US
“Start Quote - This
was a well-crafted military operation: the attackers would have carried out at
least two weeks of surveillance" ”
Noman BenotmanFormer Libyan jihadist
Under this agreement, extensive security precautions are put
in place, including low-profile armoured vehicles, run-flat tyres, sufficient
weapons, ammunition and trained personnel, as well as a tried and tested
command and control system.
But sources have told the BBC
that on the advice of a US Benghazi
Instead, the US
Possible informant?
Inside the consulate, the defenders - consisting of a small
group of Libyans and private US contractors who had formerly served in the US
military including the elite Navy Seals - returned fire and put into action a
fall-back plan to evacuate staff to a second building.
But the defenders were quickly outgunned by the sizable and
determined attacking force that used heavy weapons including rocket-propelled
grenades prompting investigators to consider whether Tuesday's attack had in
fact been planned in advance by a jihadist group.
"This was a well-crafted military operation [by the
attackers]," said former Libyan jihadist Noman Benotman. "They would
have carried out at least two weeks of surveillance."
With fires blazing inside the compound within minutes of the
attack beginning, the US
Mr Stevens is believed to have suffocated from fire smoke in
the blazing compound
Meanwhile the attackers appeared to know exactly where staff
were being taken to and fired on a second building supposed to be a safe haven,
prompting suspicions they had a prior informant inside the mission.
The investigation into the attack is being conducted jointly
by the FBI, the US US
Given the unstable security situation in Benghazi Libya
The northeast of Libya Darna Iraq US
Both US and British diplomats in Benghazi
This week the UK Foreign Office altered its travel advice
for the region, warning against all travel to Benghazi
i really apreciate the current Shariah Advisory firms
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