New Libya 'will shun extremism'

The rebel military commander in Tripoli says the new Libya will shun Islamic extremism and not serve as a breeding ground for terrorism.

The commander, Abdel Hakim Belhaj, was the leader of the now dissolved Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which fought alongside al-Qaida in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr Belhaj played down his past in an interview, saying: “We never have and never will support what they call terrorism.” He insists Libya is a moderate Muslim country.

The rebels have been backed by the West, and the emergence of Mr Belhaj as a prominent figure puzzled some.

He says he was tortured by the CIA in 2004, but he holds no grudges because the common goal was to oust Libyan despot Muammar Gaddafi.