By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 29 July 2013:
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan revealed that British Prime Minister David Cameron had offered to send a . . .[restrict]British forensic team to help Libya with its criminal investigations. Zeidan did not say whether he had accepted this offer.
He also said that Libya would be seeking help from Interpol in its criminal investigations, as well as other international organizations, without giving any further details.
Zeidan stressed that this help in criminal investigation was of a forensic nature and that it did not infringe on Libya’s sovereignty or its internal affairs.
Zeidan was reacting to the spate of violence that had hit both Tripoli and Benghazi recently, including an attempted mortar attack on the Corinthia, multiple assassinations and bombings.
“We need criminal investigators” stressed Zeidan at today’s press conference. After the (February 17th) revolution Libyans developed a complex of the idea of any intelligence gathering or investigative bodies. But these are necessary to investigate internal criminal activities, pleaded Zeidan.
He explained that whenever he tried to create a criminal investigating or intelligence gathering body, there was always suspicion and questioning. However, he insisted that without such a body, Libya could not form a state.
We must have a strong intelligence agency. It must be well organized, but also controlled and monitored by the public through the GNC, he stressed. Zeidan even resorted to giving the example of the prophet Mohamed who he said had helpers providing information.
The Prime Minister revealed that for four months his government has been studying the creation of an intelligence gathering service. This has met with opposition within the GNC, he admitted.
The government is protective of its citizens and their rights, he assured, but it is also concerned that it gets the appropriate apparatus to do its job. Therefore, we will activate the criminal investigation department, he declared, implying that he has obtained GNC approval.
Not all who worked under Qaddafi in his intelligence gathering were tainted, he stressed. Where was Libya going to obtain people with experience (if it does not use some people who worked under Qaddafi), he asked.
The Prime Minister spoke for one hour but refused to take any questions at the end of his briefing. [/restrict]
