Libyan General storms Tripoli hotel in demand of ransom

A source close to the Libyan Transitional Council stated that General Khalifa Hifter entered, Tuesday morning, the location of the members of the Transitional National Assembly in Rixos Hotel, Tripoli, fortified with armed militia carrying light and medium-sized weapons. The source, which requested anonymity, said that Hifter’s heavy armed entrance was an attempt to terrorise council members, in a bid to force them to appoint him Chief of Staff of the Libyan National Army.  Hifter’s demanded  5% of US$1bn  currently kept in the hotel to build the national army. The source noted that  the head of the Council Mostafa Abdel Jalil, and a number of the members, were not present at the moment of the Hifter’s irruption, as they were in the Headquarters of the Islamic Daoua. While no one was hurt some said this likened it to an attempted coup by the general over the February rebels. A close source to the National Transitional Council said things had calmed down after Abdel Jalil agreed to meet General Hifter. It is worth mentioning that Khalifa Hifter is one of the “Free Officers” who participated with the late Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to overthrow King Mohamed Idris al-Sanusi, leaving the country following the defeat of the Libyan forces in its wars with Chad in the late eighties. Hifter joined opposition after the Chadian conflict and returned to the country following the Feb17 revolution, where he was promoted to Major General, and appointed Chief of Ground Troops of the National Army. On a different note, the source said that a group of revolutionaries attacked a Libyan attorney general and a  judge, Abdel Aziz Hassadi, without harming him, leading to a suspended day’s work on Wednesday.  The judiciary is now requesting higher protection for its staff as a result of the assault.