Abdel Wahab Qaid

Abdel Wahab Mohamed Qaid
Member of the General National Congress of Libya
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 August 2012
Personal details
Born1967 or '68
Political partyLibyan Islamic Fighting Group (–2012)
Umma Party[1] (2012–present)
Alma materAl-Arab Medical University, Benghazi
WebsiteFacebook page

Abdel Wahab Mohamed Qaid (Arabic: عبدالوهاب محمد قايد), alias Abu Idris al-Libi is a Libyan politician and former militia leader. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Libyan Parliament (General National Congress)[1] and the head of the National Border Guard for southern Libya.[2]

He was described as one of the most senior members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group that fought against the rule of Muammar Gaddafi.[3][4] He was one of the last members of LIFG to be released from prison (on February 16, 2011) as part of the reconciliation program headed by the leader's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.[5][6][7] He is the elder brother of Abu Yahya al-Libi, former number 2 in al-Qaeda, who was killed in a US drone strike in June 2012.[2][3][5][8]

After the Libyan Civil War of 2011 that led to the deposition of Gaddafi, he was elected to the General National Congress as an independent, representing a constituency in Southern Libya. After the parliament was constituted, he founded the al-Wafa Bloc (full name: al-Wafa li dimaa Al-Shuhadaa, "Remaining Faithful to the Blood of the Martyrs"), made up of former anti-Gaddafi militia fighters. He advocates a rigorous exclusion of representatives of the disempowered Gaddafi regime from public offices ("Political Exclusion Law").[9][10] He chairs the parliamentary Committee for National Security. Qaid was considered a main contender for the office of President of the General National Congress after the first President Mohammed Magariaf retired from this office due to the exclusion law in May 2013.[11][12] Unlike all other groups, the al-Wafa Bloc opposed a women's quota in the Constitutional Assembly elected in February 2014.[13] In October 2013, Russian media reported that Bassem al-Hashemi Sol, spokesman of a "Libyan Tribal association", accused Qaid of being a high-ranking al-Qaeda member.[citation needed]

  1. ^ a b Aaron J. Xylenes (September 14, 2012). "الحضور الجهادي في ليبيا (Jihadist presence in Libya)". ME Transparent (in Arabic). Archived from the original on September 19, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Tucker Reals (September 13, 2012). "What's behind violent anti-U.S. protests in Muslim nations?". CBS News.
  3. ^ a b Delivered Into Enemy Hands – US-Led Abuse and Rendition of Opponents to Gaddafi’s Libya. Human Rights Watch. September 6, 2012. p. 26. ISBN 1-56432-940-2.
  4. ^ Abdurrahman, Najla (4 April 2011), Foreign Policy: Putting The Rebel Rumors To Rest, NPR
  5. ^ a b "Libya Releases Remaining LIFG Members – Including 'Adb Al-Wahhab Muhammad Qaid, Brother Of Al-Qaeda Commander Abu Yahya Al-Libi". Middle East Media Research Institute. February 2011.
  6. ^ ليبيا تُفرج عن قادة "المقاتلة"... واشتباكات في بنغازي عشية "يوم الغضب". CagePrisoners (in Arabic). February 17, 2011. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012.
  7. ^ "ليبيا تفرج اليوم عن 110 من المتشددين الاسلاميين (Libya frees today about 110 Islamic militants)". ME Transparent (in Arabic). Reuters. February 16, 2011. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  8. ^ Jarret Brachman (March 25, 2010). "Today I Interviewed Abu Yahya al-Libi's Older Brother, Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad Qaid (Abu Idris)".
  9. ^ Sharqieh, Ibrahim (18 February 2013), An Ill-Advised Purge in Libya, The Brookings Institution
  10. ^ Mezran, Karim (5 March 2013), Overcoming Political Polarization in Libya, Atlantic Council
  11. ^ Dettmer, Jamie (1 June 2013), "Brother of Al Qaeda commander killed in drone strike a major candidate for presidency of Libya's parliament", FoxNews.com, archived from the original on June 2, 2013
  12. ^ Zaptia, Sami (1 June 2013), "Three early nominees for GNC leadership emerge", Libya Herald
  13. ^ Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace (13 July 2013), "On the Struggle for an Inclusive Constitutional Assembly", Libya Herald