By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 26 August 2014:
Even as Operation Dawn members are alleged to be ransacking and burning houses in Tripoli, . . .[restrict]including that of Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni, the Misratan-led group says that it rejects terrorism and extremism and objects to the “terrorist group” label given to it by the House of Representatives.
Operation Dawn called on state institutions, including the military and security services, to restore stability and the provision of services that cover the basic needs of Tripoli residents, confirming its own willingness to contribute to the provision of security.
The group claimed that their actions liberated the capital’s establishments and institutions “from the remnants of the former regime,” with the help of the “honourable 17th February revolutionaries who destroyed the system of injustice and tyranny”.
In the statement, the group asserted its full support for the constitution and for the peaceful transfer of power. It stated that recognition of the House of Representatives (HoR) must be based on constitutional legitimacy, possibly referring to the pending ruling by Libya’s Constitutional Court on the legality of the HoR convening in Tobruk.
In speaking specifically about the HoR, it condemned the gathering of HoR members in Tobruk, the call for foreign intervention, and the characterisation of “honest revolutionaries” as terrorists, stressing that such labels are unfounded and were aimed at discrediting those who remain loyal to the 17 February Revolution.
Furthermore, the statement called for remedying the history of oppression of Tebu, Amazigh and Tuareg tribes and called for a military that did not differentiate or protect tribal or partisan interests but worked for the good of the nation as a whole.
The statement called on embassies and diplomatic missions to return, assuring them they would be protected. It also called extended an invitation to the new UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Libya Bernadino Leon to come to Tripoli and see what is happening there firsthand. [/restrict]
