Al Qaeda Presence Detected In Libya

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Intelligence on the rebel forces battling Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has shown "flickers" of al Qaeda or Hezbollah presence, but there is still no detailed picture of the emerging Libyan opposition, NATO's top operations commander said on Tuesday.

"We are examining very closely the content, composition, the personalities, who are the leaders of these opposition forces," Admiral James Stavridis, who is NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and also the commander of U.S. European Command, said during testimony at the U.S. Senate.

Gaddafi's troops on Tuesday reversed the westward charge of Libyan rebels as world powers met in London more than a week after the United States and other nations launched a military campaign in Libya.

While the opposition's leadership appeared to be "responsible men and women" fighting Gaddafi, Stavridis said, "we have seen flickers in the intelligence of potential al Qaeda, Hezbollah, we've seen different things."

"But at this point I don't have detail sufficient to say there is a significant al Qaeda presence or any other terrorist presence," he said.

(Reporting by Missy Ryan and Susan Cornwell; editing by Eric Beech)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Yeuk Moy]

04:09 PM on 05/04/2011

The truth is that the US, Al Queda and Hezbollah have a common enemy in Gaddafi. We don't like him for different reason, we all agree that he should go. It would be natural for Al Queda and Hezbollah send assets to the Rebels to fight Gaddafi and possibly gain influence. Since we can offer the most to the Rebels (like their survival against Gaddafi), we can insist that they do not accept Al Queda or Hezbollah's aid. Actually, I believe some of the moderates do not want anything to do with them anyway.

[one tequila two tequila]

06:42 PM on 04/02/2011

Flickers? does this mean they have photos on the flickr web site?
Face it, we have a problem Houston!
Iraq-Failure
Afghanistan-Failure
Libya-Failure
America is "persona non grata" in the Arab world, not to mention Africa

[BJ Tucker]

01:23 PM on 04/01/2011

I wrote an analysis on this story for In Homeland Security. Hopefully it'll answer some questions.
http://www.inhomelandsecurity.com/2011/03/presence_of_al-qaeda_seen_amon.html

[Gloria Otting Vestring]

05:08 PM on 03/30/2011

Flickers of AQ or Hammas?
In other words, they don't know.

We've had some "flickers" here too, haven't we?

[I do not lie]

03:17 PM on 03/30/2011

amazing how many HuffPo intelligence experts pop up with their own professional opinions on a story like this.

[notfooledbyu]

01:59 PM on 03/30/2011

Once again Bin Laden must be overjoyed with US inability to grasp even the most basic fundamentals of the situation, and willingness to drive our own economy closer to complete ruin for no discernable gain. Is there still time to argue that we just appear to be impotent and foolish and that there actually is a rational plan? Probably not.

[Thumbody]

12:20 PM on 03/30/2011

I think it makes perfect sense for us to support the rebels some of whom killed our very own soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan don't you?

[amber15]

12:38 PM on 03/30/2011

proof????

[Regularhands]

04:30 PM on 04/06/2011

The burden of proof should lay with the folks that are dropping bombs on a sovereign nation.

[Aroon]

11:49 AM on 03/30/2011

Like the "flickers" of WMDs in Iraq?

[TYRANNASAURUS]

11:12 AM on 03/30/2011

Intelligence Detects 'Flickers' Of Al Qaeda In Libya....

Give me a break...........they can find more than flickers in the Untied States.

[Gloria Otting Vestring]

05:11 PM on 03/30/2011

Exactly right. Don't have to travel out of the country for that.

There are how many different "terrorist" groups? Two were mentioned in the small article, that don't really contain any facts... only flickers

[stape45]

09:56 AM on 03/30/2011

Here we go, people. Thus begins our merry jaunt to Excuse City.

[AmigaMan]

09:26 AM on 03/30/2011

Don't tell me... Osama bin Laden, the world's boogeyman, is hiding out in a cave in Libya now? ROTFLMAO

[stape45]

09:59 AM on 03/30/2011

Of course. And he's taken two WMD's with him. So that makes three excuses for "going in".

[Thumbody]

12:21 PM on 03/30/2011

He's playing cards with Gaddafi in a remote location never to be found.

[Gloria Otting Vestring]

05:12 PM on 03/30/2011

More than likely the man is deceased

[indjoe]

09:23 AM on 03/30/2011

This is a plant story from pro Gaddafi operatives .
little too nothing too back it up.

[BlueRoseofTexas]

11:26 AM on 03/30/2011

How do you know?

[Gloria Otting Vestring]

05:16 PM on 03/30/2011

Something odd about it for sure. You're right, no facts.

[Manhajsadiqeen]

09:05 AM on 03/30/2011

Al Qaeda was not present in any numbers in Libya. Suddenly Al Qaeda has appeared overnight and begin killing as they go threw the east Libya. nonsense!

The Tuarag have set up an emirate and they aren't Al Qaeda!

It is almost funny how the US and many in the west use Al Qaeda to invade, occupy, subjugate and kill innocent Muslims because Al Qaeda is present.

The Muslimeen in North Africa and the Middle East are tired of the despotic regimes that have been armed, trained and protected by the west. They are removing these American puppets and the west is trying to find something that could derail the Islamic revolution, so their puppets play up and with scare tactics, in unison cry, 'The shari'ah is coming'! or they say, 'If you don't protect me and Al Qaeda will take over'!

I have said this many times, Al Qaeda central is not in position to take over any Muslim government in Muslim lands. Their franchises aren't ready yet either. They still lack the manpower to do this. But, their ranks are swelling!

The best way to defeat Al Qaeda is not threw drone attacks that target a few Al Qaeda members but kill many innocent. Nor, invading and subjugating the innocent population. Only threw a rightful Islamic government will cease the Al Qaeda as we know it!

Since Al Qaeda has urged for the return of Islamic government, this is fact will negate the numbers in their ranks.

[AppleBaby]

08:59 AM on 03/30/2011

I'm having a deja vu

[Benjamin J Grimm III]

08:58 AM on 03/30/2011

Oil Qaeda. So how much more will this cost me at the pump?