Gunmen abduct Libyan prime minister in Tripoli
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan was snatched by gunmen before
dawn Thursday from a Tripoli hotel where he resides, the government said. The
abduction appeared to be in retaliation for the U.S. special forces' raid over
the weekend that seized a Libyan al-Qaida suspect from the streets of the
capital. Zidan's abduction reflected the weakness of Libya's government, which
is virtually held hostage by powerful militias, many of which are made up of
Islamic militants. Militants were angered by the U.S. capture of the suspected
militant, known as Abu Anas al-Libi, and accused the government of allowing the
raid to happen or even colluding in it.
The gunmen scuffled with the prime minister's guards before
they seized him and led him out at around 5.15 a.m., said the witnesses,
speaking on condition of anonymity because they feared for their own safety.
They said Zidan offered no resistance while he was being led away. A statement
on the government's official website said Zidan was taken to an "unknown
location for unknown reasons" by a group believed to be
"revolutionaries" from a security agency known as the Anti-Crime
Committee. The Cabinet held an emergency meeting Thursday morning, headed by Zidan's
deputy, Abdel-Salam al-Qadi.
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