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Car Explodes Outside French Embassy in Libya Car Explodes Outside French Embassy in Libya
(about 3 hours later)
CAIRO — A car bomb destroyed about half of the empty French Embassy in Libya early Tuesday morning, in the most significant attack against a Western interest there since the killing last September of the American ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens. CAIRO — A car bomb destroyed about half of the French Embassy in Libya early Tuesday morning, officials said, in the most significant attack against a Western interest in the country since the killing last September of the American ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens.
Two French guards were injured in the attack, and one was in critical condition, said a French diplomat present at the scene. Two guards were injured in the explosion, one critically, but most employees had not yet arrived, Libyan and French officials said.
The explosion was a new blow to the transitional Libyan government’s hopes of establishing a better sense of public security after the ouster of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi nearly two years ago. The blast was the largest in Tripoli since the end of the Western bombing campaign that helped force Colonel Qaddafi from power. It was the largest in a long string of smaller attacks on diplomatic missions, and it marks one of the first to occur in the capital. The attack was a new blow to the transitional government’s hopes to established an improved sense of public security after the ouster of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi nearly two years ago. It was the largest blast in Tripoli since the end of his rule, one of the largest in a string of attacks on diplomatic missions, and the first major one in the capital.
As in previous attacks, no one claimed responsibility. But Libyans and international analysts have blamed Islamist militants for past attacks, and did so again in Tuesday’s bombing. Both the French and Libyan governments labeled the explosion an act of terrorism, and the pattern of attacks on Western diplomatic missions indicated the responsibility of Islamist militants. Many Libyan militants have vowed to fight what they see as a foreign crusade to remake their country as a Western-style liberal democracy instead of a Islamic state. They resent the Western powers for their military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, to say nothing of the history of European colonialism in North Africa.
Many Islamist militants in Libya have said that they are fighting a foreign attempt to remake their country as a Western-style liberal democracy instead of an Islamic state. They resent the Western powers for their military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, to say nothing of the history of European colonialism in North Africa. Militants have expressed special anger at France, in Facebook posts and other forums, for its intervention in neighboring Mali, a former French colony where French troops landed in January to help the central government roll back a hard-line Islamist takeover. The blast outside the embassy came just a day after the French parliament voted to extend the deployment of those troops.
In particular, extremists have focused their anger, in posts on Facebook and other forums, against France for its intervention in neighboring Mali, a former French colony where French troops landed in January to help the central government roll back a hard-line Islamist takeover. The blast outside the embassy came just a day after the French parliament voted to extend the deployment of those troops. That hostility may seem incongruous after France was praised by Libyans for its leading role in the Western air campaign that saved the Libyan insurrection.
Even during the uprising against Colonel Qaddafi, which was greatly aided by French military assistance, many Libyans suspected France and the other Western powers of intervening in order to seek oil or influence. And some Islamist militants further resent the West for its help because they believe the Western powers sought to “seize the revolution” in order to “recreate Libya in a Western image of secular democracy,” said Professor George Joffe, a Libya scholar at Cambridge University. But even then, many Libyans suspected France and the other Western powers of intervening in order to seek oil or influence. And some Islamist militants further resent the West for its help because they believe the Western powers sought to “seize the revolution” in order to “recreate Libya in a Western image of secular democracy,” said Professor George Joffe, a Libya scholar at Cambridge University.
The explosion outside Tuesday went off just after 7 a.m., before most employees had arrived at the building. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Libyan official involved in investigating the crime scene said the blast had taken place when the Libyan guards who stand outside were changing their shift. The explosion outside the Tuesday went off just after 7 a.m. A Libyan official involved in investigating the crime scene said the blast had taken place when the Libyan guards who stand outside were changing their shift, avoiding Libyan casualties.
The force of the blast broke the windows and damaged the facades of more than two dozen buildings over an area as wide as 500 yards. Plumes of smoke billowed from the burning wreckage of a car, described by the official as a Renault, that was parked by the embassy walls. A burst water main flooded the street. The force of the blast broke the windows and damaged the facades of more than two dozen buildings over an area as wide as 500 yards. Plumes of smoke billowed from the burning wreckage of the car, described by the official as a Renault, parked by the embassy walls. A burst water main flooded the street.
A resident living nearby, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, compared the blast to the worst days of violence in Iraq. “I was knocked out of bed. I lived in Baghdad and I woke up to explosions as big as this one,” she said. A resident living nearby, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, compared the blast to the worst days of violence during the civil war in Iraq. “I lived in Baghdad and I woke up to explosions as big as this one,” she said. “I was knocked out of bed.”
In a statement, the Libyan government described the explosion as a “terrorist attack” and vowed “to cooperate with all parties to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.” Following the pattern of other recent attacks in Libya, no one claimed responsibility. The Libyan government vowed “to cooperate with all parties to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
“The people and government categorically reject such acts,” the statement said. “They do not reflect the respect and appreciation that the Libyan people hold for the French Republic and the French people,” the statement added, specifically recalling French support for the revolution. “The people and government categorically reject such acts,” the government said in a statement. “They do not reflect the respect and appreciation that the Libyan people hold for the French Republic and the French people,” the statement added, specifically recalling French support for the revolution.
In Paris, President Franςois Hollande said the bombing was “aimed, by way of France, at all the countries of the international community engaged in the struggle against terrorism.” In Paris, President Franòois Hollande said the bombing was “aimed, by way of France, at all the countries of the international community engaged in the struggle against terrorism.”
“France expects the Libyan authorities to shed the fullest light on this unacceptable act, so that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice,” Mr. Hollande added in a statement. “France expects the Libyan authorities to shed the fullest light on this unacceptable act, so that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice,” Mr. Hollande added, in a statement.
Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, arrived in Tripoli on Tuesday to meet with Libyan officials. The French and Libyan authorities would “make every effort to ensure that the circumstances of this odious act are exposed and its perpetrators quickly identified,” Mr. Fabius said in an earlier statement from Paris. Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, flew to Tripoli on Tuesday, where he toured the site with the Libyan prime minister, Ali Zeidan. Mr. Fabius told reporters that Libya had pledged to punish the “terrorists” responsible for what he called the “cowardly” attack, according to news wires.
Such an inquiry, however, may be difficult. The new Libyan government commands few disciplined police or military officers. Its forces often seemed outmatched by the freewheeling militias formed during and after the uprising against Colonel Qaddafi, and in fact it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between the autonomous militias and the loosely organized government fighters. But pursuing the attackers may be difficult. The new Libyan government commands few disciplined police or military officers. Its forces often seem outmatched against the freewheeling militias formed during and after the uprising against Colonel Qaddafi. Indeed, it is sometimes hard to distinguish the autonomous militias from the loosely organized brigades nominally reporting to the government.
Attacks or bombings targeting Western diplomats have been more common around the eastern city of Benghazi, in a region known as a center of Islamist militancy. There was an attempted attack on the British envoy before the killing of Ambassador Stevens, and in January there was an attempted ambush there of the Italian consul. The killing of the American ambassador illustrates the problem: seven months later, little progress has been made to hold anyone to account.
Benghazi, the site of that attack, is known as a Libyan hub of Islamist militancy, and attacks on diplomatic missions have been more common there. Last June, armed fighters attacked the convoy of the British ambassador. Ambassador Stevens was killed at the diplomatic mission in Benghazi in September. And in January, militants attempted to ambush the the Italian consul.
Last month, Libyan security officials said they had arrested two men in the kidnapping near Benghazi of five British humanitarian activists, at least two of them women who had been sexually assaulted.Last month, Libyan security officials said they had arrested two men in the kidnapping near Benghazi of five British humanitarian activists, at least two of them women who had been sexually assaulted.
Most Western diplomats have pulled out of Benghazi and retreated to better-secured facilities in Tripoli, in the West. But the attack on the French Embassy may raise new questions about the possibility that militants may now try to strike other targets in the capital as well. It was the second attack in the capital following the hurling of a bomb at an empty United Nations compound in January. In the aftermath of the attacks, most Western diplomats have pulled out of Benghazi and retreated to the capitol, Tripoli. But the attack on the French Embassy may raise new questions about security there as well. It followed an attack in January on an empty United Nations compound with an improvised explosive device.
“Until very recently everybody was pointing to the chaos and anarchy in Benghazi as the reason that an incident such as the attack on the U.S. consulate there could take place,” said Claudia Gazzani, a Libya researcher for the International Crisis Group. “Now people are coming to grips with the fact that even in the capital, where you have the most presence of the state, that same kind of anarchy rules.”“Until very recently everybody was pointing to the chaos and anarchy in Benghazi as the reason that an incident such as the attack on the U.S. consulate there could take place,” said Claudia Gazzani, a Libya researcher for the International Crisis Group. “Now people are coming to grips with the fact that even in the capital, where you have the most presence of the state, that same kind of anarchy rules.”

Reporting was contributed by Suliman Ali Zway from Benghazi, Libya, Osama Al-Fitori from Tripoli, Libya, Alan Cowell from London and Steven Erlanger from Paris.

Reporting was contributed by Suliman Ali Zway from Benghazi, Libya, Osama Al-Fitori from Tripoli, Libya, Alan Cowell from London and Steven Erlanger from Paris.