Libyan military accuses Qatar of supporting terrorism

The Libyan military accused Qatar of sponsoring terrorism and prolonging the defeat of extremist groups and their attempts to destabilise the North African country.

Col Ahmed Al Mesmari, the Libyan army spokesperson, said “the role that Qatar plays in terrorism in the country is huge.”

The Libyans placed the blame on Ali Sallabi, a Libyan politician, who has spent 15 years living in Qatar and studying under Yousef Al Qardawi, the spiritual head of the Muslim Brotherhood and a man with close ties to the Qatari royal family.

Col Al Mesmari accused the Libyan of being the main figure distributing Qatari money and weapons to Libyan Islamist militias in an attempt to destabilise the country.

He also said that Qatari media was behind the promotion of Sallabi after the death of Qaddafi as the next leader of Libya.

The Colonel accused Qatar of trying to sponsor the extremists groups to gain a foothold in Libya for “the extensive coast lines, access to the sea and oil reserves that would be an effective launching pad for terrorism".

He said that Qatari military aircraft had "landed on Libyan soil" and used the country to transport arms and weapons to support the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaeda, and extremist groups in the country and in Syria.