By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 16 July 2013:
Defending his decision to seek the foreign training of Libya’s security forces at Sunday’s press conference, . . .[restrict]Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said that from the first day that he received office he was intent on training Libya’s security forces.
However, he noted that during his first four months in office there was not much interest in joining the army and the police. This was due to the low wages being offered.
Zeidan said that he now has a plan to raise wages from 2014 to those who join, turn up to work and have an intention to stay in the army or the police.
The Prime Minister said that they had tried to implement local intensive training, but without success. As a result he resorted to foreign training. “I called some countries personally”, Zeidan revealed.
“These agreements were transparent and open, we have nothing to hide”, he stressed. Intensive training is necessary so that “Libya could have a capable army”, he added. He pointed out that many countries receive training from foreign countries, citing the UAE and Saudi Arabia as examples. [/restrict]