Former rebels besiege Libyan premier's office

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — About 200 former rebel fighters in Libya have besieged the prime minister's office, demanding that he resign.

The militia members, who did not threaten violence, want Prime Minister Ali Zidan to step down in accordance with a political isolation law banning members of the former regime from political life.

He served as an ambassador under Moammar Gadhafi, who was ousted in an eight-month civil war.

The law is controversial because it bans anyone who worked with Gadhafi from 1969 until he was killed in 2011.

The prime minister's convoy was seen moving around the capital, Tripoli, last week with more security guards than usual — after an influx of militias from around the country.

View the original article here

Libya: Gunmen storm private TV office

CAIRO (AP) — The official Libyan news agency says militia stormed the headquarters of a private TV network in Tripoli, looting and smashing equipment before abducting staffers.

LANA says some staffers were released following Thursday's attack on Al-Assama TV network, but that the militia was still holding the network top two managers.

It's unclear what prompted the attack.

The network is affiliated with a top political figure leading the largest coalition in parliament.

Mahmoud Shammam, who runs another TV network, told the official Libya TV that he tried unsuccessfully to reach government ministers and security officials to get their help.

Two years after the revolution that ousted and killed Libya's dictator Moammar Gadhafi, militiamen have filled in security vacuum, operating with impunity with the state relying on them as parallel security forces.

View the original article here