BENGHAZI – Wanis Al-Sharif has been sacked as deputy interior minister responsible for eastern Libya. The post is not being filled for the moment because the government itself will be replaced within the next three weeks, but Colonel Salah Al-Din Awad Doghman has been appointed by the Interior Ministry to take over Sharif's work. Even before Tuesday's attack on the US diplomatic mission in the city and the killing of US ambassador and three of his staff, there had been growing criticism of Sharif's handling of security in Benghazi. The city has seen a spate of assassinations of former regime military figures in recent weeks as well as attempted assassinations, kidnappings, bombings and attacks on security and other government buildings. Sharif's explanation of Tuesday's events was seen as the last straw by officials as well as members of the General National Congress and the Libyan media. He first announced that no one was in the mission at the time of the attack and then, after the news of the deaths was announced, he tried to put the blame equally on the Americans and pro-Gaddafi sympathizers. He said the demonstration outside the mission over the blasphemous video had been peaceful until US security guards started firing but also claimed that those responsible for the attack were Gaddafi elements. The explanation was derided as “ridiculous” by influential Congressman Salah Ajouda Jawdah while Congress leader Mohamed Magarief refuted it, saying that the attack was premeditated. Questions are also being asked why it took so long for security forces, for which Sharif was reposnsible, to get to the US mission after the attack began. – Libya Herald
