Tunisians protest specter of foreign intervention in Libya

By Aaed Omeira

TUNIS, Tunisia

Dozens of Tunisians staged a demonstration on Saturday in capital Tunis to protest the prospect of foreign military intervention in neighboring Libya.

"We stand here today to express our solidarity with our Libyan brothers against any possible threat," Ahmed al-Kahlawi, head of Tunisia’s National Commission for the Arab Struggle against Normalization (with Israel) and Zionism.

"Western countries want to seize Libya’s water and oil wealth, like what happened in Iraq in 2003," al-Kahlawi said, going on to assert that his group rejected foreign military intervention in the troubled North African nation "by anyone".

Lawyer Bashi al-Seid, who also attended Saturday’s protest, told Anadolu Agency: "We will hold this government responsible for any negative decision it takes regarding the crisis in Libya."

On previous occasions, Tunisian officials have voiced opposition to military intervention in Libya by their country, except to fight Libya-based terrorist groups.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls recently said his country could intervene in Libya with the ostensible purpose of fighting the Daesh terrorist group.