Libya orders 'illegitimate' militias to disband

BENGHAZI, Libya -- The Libyan army said yesterday that it had raided several militia outposts operating outside government control in the capital, Tripoli, while in the east, the militia suspected in the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate said it had disbanded on orders of President Mohammed el-Megaref.

El-Megaref said late Saturday that all of the country's militias must come under government authority or disband, a move that appeared aimed at harnessing popular anger against the powerful armed groups following the attack that killed the U.S. ambassador.

The assault on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, which left Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead, has sparked a backlash among many Libyans against the armed factions that run rampant across the nation nearly a year after the end of the country's civil war.

On Friday, residents of Benghazi, the cradle of the Libyan revolution last year that toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi, staged a mass demonstration against the militias before storming the compounds of several armed groups in the city to demand the militias dissolve.

The government has taken advantage of the popular sentiment to move quickly. In a statement published by the official LANA news agency, the military asked all armed groups using the army's camps, outposts and barracks in Tripoli and other cities to hand them over. It warned that it will resort to force if the groups refuse.

Yesterday, security forces raided a number of sites in the capital, including a military outpost on the main airport road, which were being used as bases by disparate militias since Gadhafi was driven from the capital a year ago, according to military spokesman Ali al-Shakhli.

Tripoli resident Abdel-Salam Sikayer said he believes the government could make this push now because, thanks to the country's first free election in decades that took place in July, the public generally trusts it.

The government faces obstacles, though. It needs the most powerful militias on its side to help disband the rest. It also relies on militias for protection of vital institutions and has used them to secure the borders, airports, hospitals and even July's election.