Abdul Fatah Younis
Encyclopedia
Abdul Fatah Younis sometimes transliterated Fattah Younis or Fattah Younes or Fatah Younes, was a senior military officer in Libya
. He held the rank of Major General
and the post of Minister of Interior, but resigned on 22 February 2011 to defect to the rebel side in what was to become the 2011 Libyan civil war
. He was considered a key supporter of Muammar Gaddafi
or even No. 2 in the Libyan government.
In resigning, he urged that the Libyan army
should "join the people and respond to their legitimate demands". In an interview with John Simpson on 25 February, he said he believed Gaddafi would fight to the death, or commit suicide.
On 29 July 2011, Younis was reported dead by Libya's National Transitional Council
(NTC). NTC's oil minister Ali Tarhouni
said Younis was killed by members of an anti-Gaddafi
militia.
in 1992 where he apologised for Libya's involvement in the killing of Yvonne Fletcher
, and offered to extradite her killers; he also admitted Libyan support of the IRA and offered compensation for their victims.
He had arrived in Benghazi commanding a special forces unit whose mission was to help relieve the besieged Katiba compound, which had sheltered the remaining loyalist forces in the city since 18 February, and which was undergoing almost continuous attack. He claimed to have ordered his soldiers not to shoot at protesters, and negotiated an arrangement whereby the loyalists were permitted to retreat from the building and the city.
Following confirmation that Younis had indeed defected to the side of the rebels, he was declared commander-in-chief of its armed forces
. In March, a military spokesperson announced that Khalifa Haftar had replaced Younis as commander of the military; however, the National Transitional Council
denied this. By April, Younis held the role of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, with Omar El-Hariri
serving as Younis's Chief of Staff
, while Haftar took the third most senior position as the commander of ground forces with the rank of lieutenant general
.
. Al Bawaba media did not specify where they got such information. He denied this report in a radio interview the next day.
On 28 July, Younis was placed under arrest to face questioning in Benghazi, the de facto capital of Libya under the NTC, on suspicion that his family had contacts with the Gaddafi regime, The NTC said that he was summoned (from the Brega front) to answer questions regarding the misuse of military assets, but he never made it to the meeting.
Later that day, Younis was killed under unclear circumstances. His body and those of two other officers was found dumped on the outskirts of Benghazi. They had been shot, and the bodies burnt afterwards. NTC head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil said Younis was killed by pro-Gaddafi assailants, and the head of the group responsible had been arrested. The Libyan government gave another version of the event, saying that Younis had been killed by the rebels because they thought he was a double agent
.
At his funeral, Younis was hailed as a hero of the revolution by his nephew. However, as he was laid to rest, his son broke down and yelled: We want Muammar to come back! We want the green flag back!. This claim was later denied by NTC.
, a high-profile member of the National Transitional Council
in Benghazi, said that the suspect arrested in connection with the murder was a rebel militia leader, who confessed that his subordinates shot and killed Younis, instead of bringing him to Benghazi for questioning as ordered. Tarhouni added that it was not the militia leader but his lieutenants that did it.
According to the NTC, Younis was "summoned from the front by a committee of four judges with the knowledge of the NTC's executive committee, the rebels' de facto government." However, the NTC said that it didn't know "why this arrest (warrant) was issued", "who was present at the meeting when the decision was made", or "on what basis the decision was made." According to military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Omar Bani, the judges who summoned Younis "did not have the authority do so" and "the defence minister had written a letter recalling the arrest warrant."
A rebel official, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Younis was brought back to the Benghazi area on 27 July, and held at a military compound until 28 July, when he was summoned to the Defense Ministry for questioning. When they left the compound, two men from the security team escorting the detainees opened fire on Younis from their car with automatic weapons, said the officer, who was at the compound and saw the shooting. He said the two men were members of the 17 February Martyrs' Brigade and shouted that Younis was a traitor who killed their father in Derna, an eastern city. "The men's leader was shouting, 'Don't do it!' but they shot Younis and his two aides, and took their bodies in their car and drove away," the officer said. The NTC has confirmed that Younis was shot after he was released following questioning.
Tarhouni said it was not members of the 17 February Martyrs' Brigade but of another brigade, the Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade, who had killed Younis. Rebels say the Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade was composed mainly of former prisoners of Gaddafi's notorious Abu Salim prison
in the capital Tripoli
, who had always distrusted Younis. The brigade is named after one of the companions of Islam
's Prophet Mohammed, and according to Reuters, the group is likely to have Islamist leanings. One rebel commander said Islamists whom Younis had targeted as interior minister may have killed him in retaliation.
Gaddafi's government claimed that a rebel militant group aligned with al Qaeda killed Younis.
had been named chief suspect in the killing of Younis. Isawi denied involvement in the killing, saying he "never signed any decision relating to Abdel Fattah Younes."
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. He held the rank of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and the post of Minister of Interior, but resigned on 22 February 2011 to defect to the rebel side in what was to become the 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
. He was considered a key supporter of Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
or even No. 2 in the Libyan government.
In resigning, he urged that the Libyan army
Libyan Army
In 2009 the IISS estimated that the Ground Forces of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya numbered 25,000 with an additional, estimated, 25,000 conscripts...
should "join the people and respond to their legitimate demands". In an interview with John Simpson on 25 February, he said he believed Gaddafi would fight to the death, or commit suicide.
On 29 July 2011, Younis was reported dead by Libya's National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
(NTC). NTC's oil minister Ali Tarhouni
Ali Tarhouni
Ali Abdussalam Tarhouni is a Libyan economist and politician. Tarhouni served as the minister for oil and finance on the National Transitional Council, the provisional governing authority in Libya, from 23 March 2011 to 22 November 2011...
said Younis was killed by members of an anti-Gaddafi
Anti-Gaddafi forces
The anti-Gaddafi forces were Libyan groups that opposed and militarily defeated the government of Muammar Gaddafi, killing him in the process. These opposition forces included organised and armed militia groups, participants in the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libyan diplomats who switched their...
militia.
Career
Younis was previously minister for public security, and attended a key meeting with the British ambassador to EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1992 where he apologised for Libya's involvement in the killing of Yvonne Fletcher
Yvonne Fletcher
WPC Yvonne Joyce Fletcher was a British police officer fatally shot during a protest outside the Libyan embassy at St. James's Square, London, in 1984. Fletcher, who had been on duty and deployed to police the protest, died shortly afterwards at Westminster Hospital...
, and offered to extradite her killers; he also admitted Libyan support of the IRA and offered compensation for their victims.
He had arrived in Benghazi commanding a special forces unit whose mission was to help relieve the besieged Katiba compound, which had sheltered the remaining loyalist forces in the city since 18 February, and which was undergoing almost continuous attack. He claimed to have ordered his soldiers not to shoot at protesters, and negotiated an arrangement whereby the loyalists were permitted to retreat from the building and the city.
Following confirmation that Younis had indeed defected to the side of the rebels, he was declared commander-in-chief of its armed forces
Free Libyan Army
The National Liberation Army , also known as the Free Libya Army, is a Libyan military organisation affiliated with the National Transitional Council, which was constituted during the 2011 Libyan civil war by defected military members and civilian volunteers, in order to engage in battle against...
. In March, a military spokesperson announced that Khalifa Haftar had replaced Younis as commander of the military; however, the National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
denied this. By April, Younis held the role of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, with Omar El-Hariri
Omar El-Hariri
Omar Mokhtar El-Hariri was a leading figure of the National Transitional Council of Libya who formerly served as the Minister of Military Affairs. He controlled the National Liberation Army and the Free Libyan Air Force from March to May 2011...
serving as Younis's Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
, while Haftar took the third most senior position as the commander of ground forces with the rank of lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
.
Death
On 24 July, he was reported by Al Bawaba media to have been killed under "mysterious circumstances" on the first day of the Fourth Battle of BregaFourth Battle of Brega
The Fourth Battle of Brega was a battle during the 2011 Libyan civil war between forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and forces of the Libyan opposition for control of the strategic town of Brega and its oil port.-Background:...
. Al Bawaba media did not specify where they got such information. He denied this report in a radio interview the next day.
On 28 July, Younis was placed under arrest to face questioning in Benghazi, the de facto capital of Libya under the NTC, on suspicion that his family had contacts with the Gaddafi regime, The NTC said that he was summoned (from the Brega front) to answer questions regarding the misuse of military assets, but he never made it to the meeting.
Later that day, Younis was killed under unclear circumstances. His body and those of two other officers was found dumped on the outskirts of Benghazi. They had been shot, and the bodies burnt afterwards. NTC head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil said Younis was killed by pro-Gaddafi assailants, and the head of the group responsible had been arrested. The Libyan government gave another version of the event, saying that Younis had been killed by the rebels because they thought he was a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
.
At his funeral, Younis was hailed as a hero of the revolution by his nephew. However, as he was laid to rest, his son broke down and yelled: We want Muammar to come back! We want the green flag back!. This claim was later denied by NTC.
Perpetrators
A member of the rebel special forces and close aide to Younis said that he was killed by another group of rebels known as the 17 February Martyrs' Brigade as a revenge attack for incidents that occurred when Younis was interior minister. Finance Minister Ali TarhouniAli Tarhouni
Ali Abdussalam Tarhouni is a Libyan economist and politician. Tarhouni served as the minister for oil and finance on the National Transitional Council, the provisional governing authority in Libya, from 23 March 2011 to 22 November 2011...
, a high-profile member of the National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
in Benghazi, said that the suspect arrested in connection with the murder was a rebel militia leader, who confessed that his subordinates shot and killed Younis, instead of bringing him to Benghazi for questioning as ordered. Tarhouni added that it was not the militia leader but his lieutenants that did it.
According to the NTC, Younis was "summoned from the front by a committee of four judges with the knowledge of the NTC's executive committee, the rebels' de facto government." However, the NTC said that it didn't know "why this arrest (warrant) was issued", "who was present at the meeting when the decision was made", or "on what basis the decision was made." According to military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Omar Bani, the judges who summoned Younis "did not have the authority do so" and "the defence minister had written a letter recalling the arrest warrant."
A rebel official, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Younis was brought back to the Benghazi area on 27 July, and held at a military compound until 28 July, when he was summoned to the Defense Ministry for questioning. When they left the compound, two men from the security team escorting the detainees opened fire on Younis from their car with automatic weapons, said the officer, who was at the compound and saw the shooting. He said the two men were members of the 17 February Martyrs' Brigade and shouted that Younis was a traitor who killed their father in Derna, an eastern city. "The men's leader was shouting, 'Don't do it!' but they shot Younis and his two aides, and took their bodies in their car and drove away," the officer said. The NTC has confirmed that Younis was shot after he was released following questioning.
Tarhouni said it was not members of the 17 February Martyrs' Brigade but of another brigade, the Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade, who had killed Younis. Rebels say the Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade was composed mainly of former prisoners of Gaddafi's notorious Abu Salim prison
Abu Salim prison
Abu Salim prison is a top security prison in Tripoli, Libya which was often described as notorious for mistreatment and human rights abuses by human rights activists and other observers before the overthrow of the government of 40 years standing in 2011....
in the capital Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, who had always distrusted Younis. The brigade is named after one of the companions of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
's Prophet Mohammed, and according to Reuters, the group is likely to have Islamist leanings. One rebel commander said Islamists whom Younis had targeted as interior minister may have killed him in retaliation.
Gaddafi's government claimed that a rebel militant group aligned with al Qaeda killed Younis.
Prosecution
On 28 November, NTC chief military prosecutor Yussef Al-Aseifr announced that former NTC deputy prime minister Ali Abd-al-Aziz al-IsawiAli Abd-al-Aziz al-Isawi
Ali Abd-al-Aziz al-Isawi is a Libyan politician who is a leading figure of the National Transitional Council of Libya and was the Vice-Chairman of the Executive Board of the NTC until his dismissal along with the board's other ministers on 8 August 2011. He previously served as the Minister of...
had been named chief suspect in the killing of Younis. Isawi denied involvement in the killing, saying he "never signed any decision relating to Abdel Fattah Younes."
External links
- Defector turns fire against old comrade, Andrew England in Benghazi, Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, 7 March 2011 - Profile: Abdul Fatah Younis – Libya's rebel general, Martin Chulov, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 29 July 2011