Libya Herald reporters.
Tripoli, 25 November 2014:
Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni has effectively rejected a move by UNSMIL chief Bernardino Leon to call . . .[restrict]off airstrikes against Libya Dawn, by insisting on conditions that are extremely unlikely to be be met.
The Prime Minister’s office has gone public with a phone call that Leon made earlier today asking Thinni to calm the situation in Tripoli by halting air attacks. This, Leon appears to have said, would allow him to continue to set up his second round of talks in Ghadames, which had notionally been planned for next Monday.
The government web site reported that Thinni had agreed to stop the attacks, providing five conditions were met.
These were that there should a recognition of the legitimacy of the House of Representatives and the government that it had appointed, coupled with “respect for the principle of a peaceful transfer of power and the democratic process”.
He also demanded the withdrawal of all armed groups from Tripoli, the recognition of the state institutions of the police and army, the embracing of the fight against terrorism and the arrest of all “perpetrators of criminal acts”.
Thinni told Leon that the attacks on Mitiga had been preemptive strikes against Libya Dawn to protect citizens. The armed groups that had seized Tripoli were illegitimate, he said. [/restrict]
