Libya rebels dissolve cabinet after commander's death

Aug 8, 2011

RABAT, Morocco: Libyan rebels have dissolved their executive committee after “shortcomings” by some members in the handling of the shooting dead 12 days ago of their military chief, a rebel spokesman said on Monday.

A spokesman for the rebels’ governing National Transitional Council (NTC) told Al Jazeera television that rebel leader Mahmoud Jibril, who was head of the committee, had been asked to form a new executive body of ministers.

“Given the shortcomings in the performance of some members of the executive committee with regard to this crisis and this incident, the Council has decided to form a new committee,” rebel spokesman Abdel-Hafiz Ghoga told the channel.

Rebel army head Abdel-Fatah Younes was shot dead on July 28 after he was called back from the front to testify before a judicial committee investigating the military campaign against Muammar Qaddafi.

Rebels said Younes was killed by an allied militia. His death was a setback for the rebels and signaled divisions among their ranks.

Younes was part of the group involved in the 1969 coup that brought Qaddafi to power. He occupied senior positions at Qaddafi’s side, and was interior minister before he defected and took a top role in the rebellion in February.

Source: Arab News.
Link: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article485656.ece.