Tripoli, 13 September:
Prime Minister-elect Mustafa Abushagur, has said . . .[restrict]that all those involved in the murder of US Ambassador Chris Stevens on Tuesday night must be caught and punished. It was an attack against “America, Libya and free people everywhere”, he said.
Paying tribute to Stevens, he called him “a dear friend of mine, and of Libya” who had played a “key role in helping our revolution”
Stevens had, he said, been in Benghazi throughout the revolution and was “very instrumental” in its support. “The men and women serving at the United States Consulate were allies in our shared fight for freedom and democracy.”
Conveying his “deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those unjustly lost last night, and to all Americans”, he called the attack “barbaric” and “shameful”.
“There is never any justification for this type of action”, said Abushagur, who was elected to be Libya’s next prime minister by a wafer-thing majority in the General National Congress last night. “These actions run counter to the very foundations of free Libya, of democracy, and of Islam. They are reprehensible.”
The revolution would not be complete “until state institutions are strong, when heavy arms are in the hands of only the government and when our streets are safe to all – both to Libyans and to our honored guests”.
Stating that the government could not do this alone, he called on “all true Libyans” to hand in their weapons and to work together to make a better Libya for all.
“This kind of shameful behavior – mobs using force on their own accord – cannot happen again, no matter the target or motivation”, he said. [/restrict]
