Coalition of Libyan rebels lashes out at its own council

A prominent group of Libyan lawyers and judges who shepherded the revolution through its early days has sharply criticized its own rebel council, calling for resignations after a recent high-profile assassination.

The February 17 Coalition contains several of the activists who started the revolt, and their written statement of protest about the mysterious killing of General Abdel Fatah Younis will likely have profound repercussions.

Among other things, the coalition has called for the dismissal of the rebel defence and foreign ministers, and the disbanding of armed groups that support the rebellion but do not fall into the structure of the rebel military.

Abdulsalam El-Musmari, a former judge who leads the coalition, says that Islamists aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood have taken control of key positions within the rebel council and its umbrella group of volunteer fighters, the Union of Revolutionary Forces.

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