Who Are Libya's rebels, And What Is Their Connection To Al Qaeda

Mr al-Hasidi admitted he had earlier fought against 'the foreign invasion' in Afghanistan Photo: AFP

Libyan Rebel Commander Admits His Fighters Have al-Qaeda Links -- The Telegraph

Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi, the Libyan rebel leader, has said jihadists who fought against allied troops in Iraq are on the front lines of the battle against Muammar Gaddafi's regime.

In an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Mr al-Hasidi admitted that he had recruited "around 25" men from the Derna area in eastern Libya to fight against coalition troops in Iraq. Some of them, he said, are "today are on the front lines in Adjabiya".

Mr al-Hasidi insisted his fighters "are patriots and good Muslims, not terrorists," but added that the "members of al-Qaeda are also good Muslims and are fighting against the invader".

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More News On Who Are Libya's Rebels

Libyan opposition leader wasn't held at Guantanamo -- Thomas Joscelyn, Threat Matrix
Good news: Libyan rebel commander fought against US in Afghanistan -- Rick Moran, American Thinker
US Joins the Jihad -- FavStocks
Saving the Libyan Islamists -- John Rosenthal, Pajamas Media
U.S. finds no organized Al Qaeda presence in Libya opposition, officials say -- L.A. Times
Libyan rebels at pains to distance themselves from extremists -- Globe And Mail
Who are the Libyan Freedom Fighters and Their Patrons? -- Peter Dale Scott, Japan Focus