Libya swears in new defense minister
Today’s news from the Associated Press was selected by Media Writing student Alexandria Rogers.
By Esam Mohamed, Associated Press —
TRIPOLI, Libya — Libya’s Congress has sworn in a new defense minister despite a continued show of force by gunmen carrying out near-daily attacks on security forces.Congress on Monday approved Abdullah al-Thani as the country’s military chief.
He replaces Mohammed Al-Barghathi, who resigned following May raids by militias on ministries in the capital, Tripoli, to pressure lawmakers to pass a contentious bill.
Most recently on Sunday, Prime Minister Ali Zidan said armed men stormed a military barracks west of Tripoli and looted some of the equipment.
Al-Thani was known to have been detained several times under Moamar Gadhafi because of his brother’s criticism of Libya’s intervention in the internal affairs of neighboring Chad.
Al-Thani’s brother, who fled Libya under Gadhafi, was a pilot in the Air Force.
