Brian Rohan
Reuters
November 7, 2011
Fighters who toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi in Libya’s uprising will keep their weapons for now to aid in security, an Islamist commander said.
Many are expected to leave their units, given the end of major combat operations, while those who stay could accept command from the nascent defence ministry, brigade leader Abduljawad Bedeen said in an interview.
“A large percentage want to return to civilian life, and I wouldn’t be surprised if individuals chose to be part of the army,” he told Reuters. “As units we are not opposed to coming under the umbrella of the army — our main goal is to serve our country.”
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“What we don’t want to see is a public relations event where fighters turn in their arms for the cameras,” said Bedeen, who is also spokesman for the Union of Revolutionary Forces that encompasses some 25,000 fighters from Libya’s east.
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