Libyans 'Unsurprised' By PM's Abduction

In the wake of the kidnapping of Prime Minister Ali Zeidan from the Corinthia hotel in Tripoli, a group of Libyan men amassed outside the building.

Wearing casual clothes, they wielded Kalashnikovs and shouted at drivers as they assisted the hotel's normal security team.

Extra security provided by the army or official militias funded by the government was absent.

The Corinthia is a location widely considered to be one of the safest in the capital and is used by EU and IMF missions when they are in Libya.

On Thursday morning though it was a scene of chaos, with long queues at the reception desk as Western businessmen attempted to check out.

'We've been told to leave, that's all I know,' said one British guest as he stood in line with his luggage.

In the streets people seem resigned and unsurprised by the abduction, and seem to see it as a logical step in the deteriorating security situation. Many are getting on with their day-to-day business.

"There's no real police or security. What do you expect?" said Abdul Rahebi, who runs a cafe near the Corinthia Hotel.

"This wouldn't have happened under Gaddafi," said one of his customers, sparking laughter amongst those queuing for coffee.

PM Ali Zeidan (C) arrives at the government HQ after being freed

Although people do not miss the authoritarian regime of Gaddafi there is a certain sense of nostalgia now about the days before the revolution.

"At least you knew who you knew who was abducting people back then," said Seraj Mohamed Essa, who works in a nearby hotel.

Over the last six months it seems like support for Mr Zeidan has waned on an almost daily basis.

During his term as prime minister, he has failed to create a functioning security force, made no progress on creating a constitution and struggled to regain control over oil fields in the east.

Carjackings, assassinations and bombings are increasingly frequent and handguns are sold at market stalls next to cages of canaries in a market just 10 minutes walk from the Corinthia Hotel.

As the security situation has worsened the already limited grip of the government has weakened leaving a vacuum that has quickly been filled by numerous ideological militias.

Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi

These include the federalists in the east who have become increasingly powerful and taken over essential oil infrastructure costing crippling production and costing the government more than £3.1bn in lost revenue.

The other main group that has benefited from the weakening government is Libya's militant Islamist groups who have surged in popularity by offering services that the government cannot, caring for the poor, protecting hospitals and collecting rubbish.

These extremist Islamic groups in Libya have been vocal in their criticism of the secretive US operation to abduct Anas al Libi, with many blaming Libya's weak government, which has struggled to minimise the destabilising effect of the raid.

One of the groups that has been most critical is Ansar al Sharia, a militant group that flies the same flag as al Qaeda and has been connected to the 2011 raid on the US diplomatic compound that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens.

It has staged two days of protests expressing anger over the US operation.

"Ansar al Sharia don't represent the masses but many people feel that the Libyan government has failed us by allowing American agents to secretly work in our country," said Seraj Mohamed Essa.

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