Libya militants call for kidnapping Americans in retaliation for citizen capture

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Libya militants call for kidnapping Americans in retaliation for citizen capture

(Xinhua) 10:22, October 09, 2013

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Libya's militants on Tuesday called for kidnapping U.S. citizens in Tripoli and for staging attacks in retaliation for the capture of an alleged al-Qaida leader by U.S. authorities over embassy bombing charges.

Earlier in the day, the Libyan government summoned the U.S. ambassador in Tripoli to seek clarification about the capture of Anas al-Liby, a Libyan national, who is also an alleged al-Qaida militant.

Liby, 49, is believed to have been one of the masterminds behind the 1998 U.S. embassy attacks, which killed more than 220 people in Kenya and Tanzania. He has been indicted in a New York court in connection with the attacks.

On a Facebook page named "Benghazi is Protected by its People," a militia groups called Libyans to seal off entrances and exits to the capital and kidnap citizens of the United States and its allies in order to force U.S. and Libyan authorities to release the jailed militants.

The group also called on Libyans to cut off pipelines exporting gas and oil to Europe, and attack ships and planes.

A second militia group named "the Revolutionaries of Benghazi - al-Bayda, Derna" condemned the al-Qaida leader's capture, calling the U.S. raid a "conspiracy."

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry admitted that Libyan authorities have not been informed of a counter-terrorism operation carried out by U.S. troops in Libya to capture alleged al-Qaida leader Anas al-Liby.

Kerry defended the U.S. raid in Tripoli, saying that al-Liby was a "legal target" and would face justice in a court of law."

（Editor：YanMeng、Yao Chun）