By Ajnadin Mustafa.
Tripoli, 23 July 2016:
France and other countries should be counted on to help Libya fight terrorism, Colonel Mahdi Al-Barghathi, the Government of National Accord’s defence minister said today.
Barghathi stated that those in the west of the country who had protested against France on Friday were exercising their right to demonstrate. But he added that the GNA had not authorised the presence of foreign intelligence agents. That prerogative he said, rested with the House of Representatives.
Nevertheless, he went on to insist that there was only one government in Libya and it was “stupid, ignorant and unpatriotic” to try and deny this. Libya should be united to avoid a political, social, security and economic meltdown.
Barghathi added that the insurgents in Benghazi were terrorists who had links with Al-Qaeda. Foreign counter-terror forces were working against them. However, any other interference in Libya, any neocolonialism, would not be tolerated.
He deplored the 14 murders in Benghazi and said they were a blemish on the city. He demanded that the authorities do everything to bring to justice the criminals responsible.
