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Suspects Arrested Over Killing of Wanted Libyan Commander

Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf al-Werfalli. (AFP)
Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf al-Werfalli. (AFP)
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Suspects Arrested Over Killing of Wanted Libyan Commander

Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf al-Werfalli. (AFP)
Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf al-Werfalli. (AFP)

Libyan authorities on Saturday announced increased security measures in second city Benghazi and the arrest of two suspects in connection with the killing of Mahmoud al-Werfalli, a member of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

Mahmoud Al-Werfalli, a commander in an elite unit attached to LNA, was shot dead on Wednesday along with his cousin.

The ICC issued a first warrant for Al-Werfalli’s arrest in August 2017, accusing him of having ordered or personally carried out seven separate rounds of executions of 33 people in 2016 and 2017.

In July 2018, the ICC issued a second arrest warrant for Al-Werfalli for his “alleged responsibility for murder as a war crime.”

Col. Ali Madi identified the suspects in Al-Werfalli’s killing as Mohammed Abdeljalil Saad and Hanine Al-Abdaly.

The latter is the daughter of lawyer and rights activist Hanan Al-Barassi, who was gunned down in November in Benghazi in broad daylight.

Military authorities in Benghazi said Al-Abdaly was arrested while “threatening a fellow citizen with a handgun,” according to a video footage of the alleged incident.

Possession of the handgun in itself is considered a crime, they said, AFP reported.

Meanwhile, the head of security in Benghazi, Gen. Abdelbasit Bougheress, said on Saturday that on “instructions” from Haftar, all shops must install surveillance cameras before Tuesday.

Cars with tinted windows will be banned in the city, as well as vehicles without license plates, he added, among other measures.

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CENTCOM Nominee: US Needs Troops in Syria to Stop ISIS Comeback

US Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper 
US Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper 
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CENTCOM Nominee: US Needs Troops in Syria to Stop ISIS Comeback

US Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper 
US Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper 

ISIS remains a threat in Syria and a US military presence is still needed there to deal with it, US Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper said in his confirmation hearing to become the next head of US Central Command.

The Pentagon has already decided to significantly reduce the number of troops in the country from 2,000 to fewer than 1,000.

But Cooper told the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 24 there is a continued need for at least some presence. And he argued that the complex situation in Syria needs to be weighed before making additional troop cuts.

“Presence is indispensable in the execution of the counter-ISIS mission today,” said Cooper, who currently serves as the deputy commander of CENTCOM, which oversees US forces in the Middle East.

“We have led it. We lead it today, and I anticipate we’ll lead it into the future. Every decision made on force posture is going to be conditions-based as I look to the future,” he added.

When asked by Senator Joni Ernst about the church bombing in Syria few days ago, Cooper said, “We are focused on this problem set every single day. ISIS remains a threat, and as we look to the future, and if confirmed, I will remain nose down on this threat. It is an absolute priority.”

Cooper said the US was right to back Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa and that he was a vital partner in the campaign against ISIS.

“ISIS thrives in chaos,” Cooper said. “If the government of Syria, now seven months into their existence, can help suppress that ISIS threat, along with the US forces in the region, that stability helps create our own security.”

He added, “I think, given the dynamic nature of what’s happening today, that assessment [of required US troops in Syria] in the future could look different than it does today, perhaps.”

Cooper said the US played—and continues to play—a central role in the anti-ISIS campaign.

“The United States has led this mission from the outset. We still lead it today, and I expect that leadership to continue as we move forward, guided by operational realities,” he affirmed.