Abdel Wahab Qaid

Abdel Wahab Mohamed Qaid
Member of the General National Congress of Libya
Assumed office
8 August 2012
Personal details
Born 1967 or '68
Political party Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (–2012)
Umma Party[1] (2012–present)
Alma mater Al-Arab Medical University, Benghazi
Religion Sunni Islam
Website Facebook page

Abdel Wahab Mohamed Qaid (Arabic: عبدالوهاب محمد قايد‎), alias Abu Idris al-Libi is a Libyan politician and former militia leader. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Libyan Parliament (General National Congress)[1] and the head of the National Border Guard for southern Libya.[2]

He was described as one of the most senior members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group that fought against the rule of Muammar Gaddafi.[3][4] He was one of the last members of LIFG to be released from prison (on February 16, 2011) as part of the reconciliation program headed by the leader's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.[5][6][7] He is the elder brother of Abu Yahya al-Libi, former number 2 in al-Qaeda, who was killed in a US drone strike in June 2012.[2][3][5][8]

After the Libyan Civil War of 2011 that led to the deposition of Gaddafi, he was elected to the General National Congress as an independent, representing a constituency in Southern Libya. After the parliament was constituted, he founded the al-Wafa Bloc (full name: al-Wafa li dimaa Al-Shuhadaa, "Remaining Faithful to the Blood of the Martyrs"), made up of former anti-Gaddafi militia fighters. He advocates a rigorous exclusion of representatives of the disempowered Gaddafi regime from public offices ("Political Exclusion Law").[9][10] He chairs the parliamentary Committee for National Security. Qaid was considered a main contender for the office of President of the General National Congress after the first President Mohammed Magariaf retired from this office due to the exclusion law in May 2013.[11][12] Unlike all other groups, the al-Wafa Bloc opposed a women's quota in the Constitutional Assembly elected in February 2014.[13] In October 2013, Russian media reported that Bassem al-Hashemi Sol, spokesman of a "Libyan Tribal association", accused Qaid of being a high-ranking al-Qaeda member.[14]

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 Aaron J. Xylenes (September 14, 2012). "الحضور الجهادي في ليبيا (Jihadist presence in Libya)". ME Transparent (in Arabic).
  2. 1 2 Tucker Reals (September 13, 2012). "What's behind violent anti-U.S. protests in Muslim nations?". CBS News.
  3. 1 2 Delivered Into Enemy Hands – US-Led Abuse and Rendition of Opponents to Gaddafi’s Libya. Human Rights Watch. September 6, 2012. p. 26. ISBN 1-56432-940-2.
  4. ↑ Abdurrahman, Najla (4 April 2011), Foreign Policy: Putting The Rebel Rumors To Rest, NPR
  5. 1 2 "Libya Releases Remaining LIFG Members – Including 'Adb Al-Wahhab Muhammad Qaid, Brother Of Al-Qaeda Commander Abu Yahya Al-Libi". Middle East Media Research Institute. February 2011.
  6. ↑ ليبيا تُفرج عن قادة "المقاتلة"... واشتباكات في بنغازي عشية "يوم الغضب". CagePrisoners (in Arabic). February 17, 2011.
  7. ↑ "ليبيا تفرج اليوم عن 110 من المتشددين الاسلاميين (Libya frees today about 110 Islamic militants)". ME Transparent (in Arabic). Reuters. February 16, 2011.
  8. ↑ Jarret Brachman (March 25, 2010). "Today I Interviewed Abu Yahya al-Libi’s Older Brother, Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad Qaid (Abu Idris)".
  9. ↑ Sharqieh, Ibrahim (18 February 2013), An Ill-Advised Purge in Libya, The Brookings Institution
  10. ↑ Mezran, Karim (5 March 2013), Overcoming Political Polarization in Libya, Atlantic Council
  11. ↑ Dettmer, Jamie (1 June 2013), "Brother of Al Qaeda commander killed in drone strike a major candidate for presidency of Libya’s parliament", FoxNews.com
  12. ↑ Zaptia, Sami (1 June 2013), "Three early nominees for GNC leadership emerge", Libya Herald
  13. ↑ Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace (13 July 2013), "On the Struggle for an Inclusive Constitutional Assembly", Libya Herald
  14. ↑ Matni, Munsef; Naovaf, Ibrahim (17 October 2013), "Gaddafi supporters are tortured in Libyan jails" – tribe union’s spokesman, The Voice of Russia
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