Human rights group warns of weapons up for grabs in Libya

JOHN LYONS, TRIPOLI

LIBYA'S new government has been urged to secure a massive stockpile of weapons found in Sirte, the hometown of Muammar Gaddafi.

The warning came after Gaddafi was buried alongside his son, Mutassim, in an undisclosed location in the Libyan desert.

Human Rights Watch said yesterday there were "vast stockpiles of unguarded weapons" in Sirte.

They said these included surface-to-air missiles.

One of the biggest concerns in Libya now is the number of weapons in private hands.

HRW also wants an inquiry into the apparent massacre last week of 53 Gaddafi fighters in Sirte.

Rebel fighters last Thursday took control of Sirte after a battle lasting two weeks with the last of the Gaddafi supporters.

This culminated in Gaddafi's flight, capture and death.

HRW's David Mepham said yesterday the killings of the 53 men in Sirte provided "prima facie evidence that war crimes may have been committed".

The fighters were found on the lawns of a hotel. Many had their hands bound and bullet wounds to the heads.

Nearby, another 10 bodies were found.

The National Transitional Council said Muammar and Mutassim Gaddafi had been buried in secret "to avoid sedition". It continues to reject suggestions that Gaddafi was lynched by rebels.

The NTC's chief, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, yesterday suggested that Gaddafi had been killed by one of his own supporters.

"Who had an interest in Gaddafi not being tried?" he said.

"Every Libyan wanted him put on trial."

The mood among numerous Libyans following news of Gaddafi's burial was one of relief.

Many Libyans said it finally put an end to the Gaddafi era and the country now needed to move on.

NATO is keen to formally end its engagement in Libya but the NTC wants NATO to continue with a role in case some Gaddafi forces regroup.

Overnight, NATO was set to decide whether its mission would end.

Foreign delegations are increasingly visiting Libya.

While the international airport in Tripoli is not yet working, Mitiga, the military airport in Tripoli, is being used for commercial flights.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama said yesterday that Gaddafi, "who for 42 years terrorised his country", had had an opportunity during the so-called Arab Spring to loosen his grip on power.

He told NBC in the US that while "obviously, you never like to see anybody come to the end he did", it had sent a message to other dictators that people yearned for freedom.


(2011-10-27/The Australian)