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Africa
Libyan military chief defends past
Abdel Hakim Belhaj, once arrested by the CIA, defends himself against accusations of extremism.
Last Modified: 03 Sep 2011 10:21

A military commander of Libya's National Transitional Council is a former leader of the Libyan Islamic fighting group, he fought in Afghanistan, was arrested by CIA and has been described as an extremist.

But Abdel Hakim Belhaj says he is an "ordinary Muslim", and blames the negative labels on a post-9/11 backlash.

Al Jazeera's James Bays speaks to Belhaj and reports from Tripoli.
Source:
Al Jazeera
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