Libyan Militia: Looters Took Anti-Aircraft Missiles During ‘Protest’

Benghazi Militia's Base Was One of Four Sacked During Friday Rally

Massive pro-regime rallies in the Libyan city of Benghazi were problematic, as demonstrators sacked the bases of several independent militias, including the Ansar al-Sharia group accused of an attack on the US consulate, likely destroying evidence that would’ve helped the investigation.

That’s small potatoes, however, according to Ismail Salabi, the head of Rafallah al-Sahati (RAS), one of the other militias that had their base attacked by rioters. He’s warning they made off with massive amounts of weaponry, setting the stage for potential problems.

Salabi reported that the looters made off with some 2,000 semiautomatic rifles, massive amounts of ammunition, and perhaps most ominously, a cache of heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles.

Libyan security officials downplayed the seriousness of the incident, saying they were setting up new checkpoints to “track down” the weapons, but reporters on the ground noted no new checkpoints were ever actually setup, and the weaponry seems to have simply disappeared into the countryside.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.