The guard claimed repeatedly that there is no al Qaeda in Libya, and that the flag flying atop the courthouse is dark black, while the al Qaeda flag is charcoal black. To many locals, its a distinction without a difference." (10 mths ago)
“In Tripoli, Abdelhakim Belhaj, a well-known al Qaeda fighter and founder of the notorious Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), is now leading the rebel military counsel in Tripoli. A few weeks ago, Belhaj ordered his fighters to take command of the Tripoli airport, then controlled by a group of Zintan fighters, a brigade of Berber Libyans who helped liberate the capital from Gaddafi loyalists. A few days later, Belhaj gave a speech emphasizing that his actions had the blessings of Libyas National Transitional Counsel (NTC), who appointed him to the leadership of Tripolis military command.
According to a Libyan who didn’t want to be named, a special military group inside the NTC is calling on Salafi fighters with military backgrounds to join a special group fighting in the rebellion. “There will be special benefits if you join whether you die in battle, or when you return home, including monthly salaries. (One NTC source told me that Belhajs fighters are the only rebel fighters who receive a monthly salary.)”
http://www.vice.com/read/al-qaeda-plants-its-flag-in-libya