Libya Defense Chief Quits as Gunmen Extend Ministry Siege
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Libya’s defense minister resigned as gunmen extended their siege of ministries in Tripoli for a second day, demanding the government’s resignation and tougher rules to bar Muammar Qaddafi-era officials from state jobs.
“Breaking into the ministries dressed in military uniform, and carrying guns, represents a flagrant attack on democracy and the elected authority, which I swore to protect,” Mohammed Al-Barghathi, a Qaddafi-era air force officer, said in a video on the Defense Ministry website. On May 5, Libya’s parliament passed the so-called Isolation Law, which bars senior officials who served under Qaddafi from office and from belonging to a political party for at least 10 years. The law comes into effect on June 5.