The Assassination of a Four Star General Uniting the People by Surmounting Brigade Chaos

The Four Star General Abdul Fatah Younis was assassinated on the 28th of July in somewhat shady circumstances. The General was killed along with two of his associates (Mohammed Khames and Naser al-Mathkur). All three were members of the Obeidi tribe, the largest tribe in the East of Libya. The tribe was heavily present in Benghazi searching for the bodies which were found the following day.

The President of the Council Mustapha Abdul Jalil held a press conference with members of the Obeidi Tribe by his side announcing that the General had been killed. He also warned during the conference that all brigades must either join the National Liberation Army or disband, a sign that one of the brigades may have been involved in the murder.

The heinous act, first shows us that whoever may be behind the attack has no respect for law and order. The execution style killing reminds us that not all is under control in Benghazi and some elements are taking things in their own hands with no regard for the will of the people or the legitimacy of the TNC.

Secondly, that the bodies were burned and mutilated quite plausibly makes it a revenge killing (one story is that two "February 17 Martyrs Brigade" members murdered him in revenge for the death of their father, although there are other competing stories - the editor). And the fact that Gadhafi's propaganda machine, through his main announcer, the comedian Dr Shakeer, had been taunting the General before his death leads one to think that the Fifth Column may have been behind the assassination.

The timing of the incidents, which reflect negatively on the Transitional Council, especially since they have just recently been recognized by the US and the UK and are working towards receiving frozen Libyan assets abroad that are urgently required for basic necessities such as electricity and water, is suspicious.

Another interesting point is what took place on the 1st of August, when an armed brigade, an-Nedaa, based in al-fawahaat, Benghazi, was surrounded and then a gun battle broke out after the brigade failed to surrender to the authorities. It was proven that the brigade was run by the Fifth Column and was behind the two jail breaks which occurred on the very night of the General's death.

If these unfortunate events have shown us one thing, they have brought to the limelight the essential need for the many irregular brigades to now come under one umbrella under the command of the NLA (National Liberation Army - editor). Research shows that militias either become too ideological or violent when they continue to survive in isolation.

We have fought against the rule of killings and executions so notorious in Gadhafi's police state. The Libyan people will not allow any brigade or organization to take the law into their own hands.

The facts about Abdul Fatah's killing are still not yet clear. However, the timing of the triple murder, the jailbreak and the renegade brigade do suggest the work of the Fifth Column.

The Transitional Council has clamped down on the remaining brigades based in the city and ordered that they either join the NLA, shut down or face the consequences, a move that seems to be in effect as the scattered brigades around Benghazi have all shut and no armed men were visible recently.

Despite these unfortunate incidents we have seen enough supportive response to believe that the people and tribes of Libya are still united behind the TNC and that Gadhafi's attempt to cause a rift over this has failed miserably, just like every other plot against the blessed revolution. 

Written by Tawfik Mansurey

Libya Post Edition No. 6