Western countries slam Libyan PM abduction

The US, UK and France, along with the UN, have condemned the brief abduction of Libya’s PM and pledged their support for its transition to democracy.

US Secretary of State John Kerry called the act “thuggery”, while UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged all Libyans to respect the rule of law.

Ali Zeidan was abducted from a Tripoli hotel and held for several hours by armed militiamen.

He praised the armed groups that came to rescue him and has called for calm.

The motive of the abduction is unclear but some militias had been angered by last Saturday’s US commando raid in Tripoli to capture senior al-Qaeda suspect Anas al-Liby.

Many militias are under the pay of the defence or interior ministries – in the absence of an effective police force or military – but their allegiance and who really controls them is in doubt.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said: “Libyans did not risk their lives in their 2011 revolution to tolerate a return to thuggery.

“Today’s events only underscore the need to work with Prime Minister Zeidan and with all of Libya’s friends and allies to help bolster its capacity with greater speed and greater success.”

Kerry said there could be “no place for this kind of violence in the new Libya”.

– See more at: http://www.novinite.com/articles/154485/US%2C+UK%2C+France%2C+UN+Slam+Libya+PM+Abduction#sthash.BzkgHLV7.dpuf

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