TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) – Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan was snatched by gunmen before dawn today from a Tripoli hotel where he resides, the government said. The abduction appeared to be in retaliation for the United States’ special forces raid over the weekend that seized a Libyan al-Qaida suspect from the streets of the capital.
Zidan’s abduction reflected the weakness of Libya’s government, which is virtually held hostage by powerful militias, many of which are made up of Islamic militants. Militants were angered by the U.S. capture of the suspected militant, known as Abu Anas al-Libi, and accused the government of colluding in or allowing the raid.
In a sign of Libya’s chaos, Zidan’s seizure was depicted by various sources as either an “arrest” or abduction.