Libya interior minister quits over failure

TRIPOLI - Libyan Interior Minister Fawzi Abd al Ali resigned Sunday due to criticism mounted against him by some lawmakers on his handling of a series of attacks that rocked the North African country.

Ali has reportedly submitted his resignation after Libya's congressmen criticized the performance of the interior ministry's supreme security committee in coping with the surge of attacks that rattled the country in the past few days.

Libyan interim Interior Minister Fawzi Abdel A'al speaks at a news conference in Tripoli in this January 24, 2012 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

Libya's national congress convened Sunday a public hearing on the pressing security situation in the country.

The Libyan security forces have been condemned after the twin blasts that killed two people on the day Muslims celebrated the feast of Eid al-Fitr a week ago in Tripoli.

In addition, one security member was killed and eight others injured during Wednesday's clashes between forces of the supreme security committee and unidentified armed men in a farm south of Tripoli.

On Friday, a complex of religious shrines, including the tomb of Abdul-Salam al-Asmar, a renowned Libyan Muslim saint, was almost totally destroyed by armed men.

Abdel Rahim el-Keeb, Libya's interim prime minister, together with defense minister and chiefs of military and intelligence, attended Sunday's hearing.

With regard to the demolition of religious shrines, Keeb said, "Attacks on religious shrines and tomb of the renowned Muslim saint are out of personal motivation," adding that investigation is underway and results will be published later on.

He noted that the interim government has been focusing on the rebuilding of national security forces, calling on the national congress to speed up the legislation to combat negative actions and criminalize the possession and use of weapons.

Meanwhile, Keeb urged the necessity of activating and strengthening security forces in major cities and regions in order to maintain quick response to security events.

For his part, Osama Jewle, Libya's defense minister, stressed the activation and rebuilding of the national army, calling for the continuing work of military councils before the national army is rebuilt.

Sunday's session was adjourned after the congress demanded an immediate attendance of the resigned interior minister upon receiving information that he had decided to withdraw the supreme security committee from checkpoints in response to the parliament criticism.

However, leader of the supreme security committee Walid al- Khatony said that "we did not receive any official orders to withdraw and all the staffers are working as usual in their departments."