Delivered Into Enemy Hands - Human Rights Watch

In late autumn of 2007, these reports appeared to be confirmed when Abu Layth al-Libi
announced that the LIFG had joined al Qaeda. 88 This assertion, however, was later rejected
by core leaders of the LIFG, which posted statements on several websites saying it was
unauthorized. The LIFG “had no link to the al Qaeda organisation in the past and has none
now,” the statement read. 89
In fact, by the time Abu Layth made the announcement, the core leadership of the LIFG,
then imprisoned in Libya, had already begun reconciliation talks with the Gaddafi govern-
ment. 90 The mediator for these talks was Saif al-Islam, one of Gaddafi’s sons. 91 Noman
Benotman, a LIFG member based in the UK, was allowed to return to Libya for the talks. 92
Abu Layth al-Libi and Abu Yahya al-Libi reportedly opposed reconciliation. 93 In January
2008, Abu Layth was reportedly killed in a US air strike. 94
Ultimately the LIFG leadership imprisoned in Libya did reconcile with the Libyan government.
Part of that reconciliation involved the publishing of a book, over 400 pages long,
called “Corrective Studies in Understanding Jihad Accountability and the Judgment of the
People,” in which the LIFG renounced the use of violence to achieve political aims. 95 The
book was authored by six of the LIFG’s most senior members: Belhadj, Saadi, Sharif, Abd
al-Wahhab (the elder brother of Abu Yahya al-Libi), Mitfah al-Duwdi, and Mustafa Qanaifid.
It ultimately resulted in the early release in March 2010 of three of the men interviewed for
this report—Belhadj, Sharif and Saadi—along with hundreds of other prisoners. 96
87 Ibid., p.180, 196.
88 Ibid., p. 196.
89 David Blair, “Extremist group announces split from al-Qaeda,” The Daily Telegraph, July 9, 2009, http://bit.ly/mUx5al,
(accessed May 15, 2012).
90 Tawil, Brothers in Arms, p. 196-97.
91 Ibid., p. 196, n. 3.
92 Ibid., p. 197.
93 Ibid.
94 Ibid.; See also Blair, “Extremist group announces split from al-Qaeda,” The Daily Telegraph.
95 Camille Tawil, “The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group’s revisions: one year later,” Magharebia, July 23, 2010,
http://magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/07/23/feature-02 (accessed June 19, 2012);
See also a text of selected translations of “Corrective Studies in Understanding Jihad, Accountability and the Judgment of
People,” in Mohammed Ali Musawi, “Selected Translation of the LIFG Recantation Document,” Quilliam, 2009,
http://www.solami.com/jihadstudy.pdf (accessed June 19, 2012).
96 Tawil, “The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group's revisions: one year later,” Magharebia,
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