January 21, 2012,

NewsRescue- In aftermath of the NATO-US coordinated deposition of president Gaddafi, and the installation of the NTC (National Transitional Council) Government, there have been continuous attacks against the new government.

AFP- BENGHAZI, Libya — Protesters threw several home-made grenades at Libya’s ruling National Transitional Council office in the city of Benghazi on Saturday, without causing casualties, witnesses said.

The attack in the eastern city that was the cradle of last year’s uprising which overthrow Moamer Kadhafi took place as up to 2,000 protesters, including injured former rebels, demonstrated outside the NTC office, witnesses and an AFP correspondent on the scene reported.

The explosions came a day before the electoral law and the composition of the election commission is to be announced.

At least three blasts were heard by the AFP reporter who said that he did not see any apparent damage to the NTC office or any casualties.

Mustafa al-Manae, secretary at the NTC office, said that NTC head Mustafa Abdel Jalil met a group of protesters and also sent three ministers to hear their demands.

Witnesses said the blasts occurred when wounded former rebels who helped topple Kadhafi were protesting at being “marginalised” in the new Libya, demanding more transparency in the NTC’s functioning and opposing what they said were opportunists from joining the ruling body.

Home-made bombs were used regularly by the former rebels during last year’s conflict against Kadhafi, especially to attack checkpoints of the former leader’s forces.

Protesters have held regular demonstrations in Benghazi for several weeks, accusing the NTC of lacking transparency and recruiting members who were once seen as loyalists of the former regime.

The grenade blasts come just two days after NTC deputy head Abdel Hafiz Ghoga was manhandled by university students in Benghazi.

Ghoga, who also serves as official spokesman for the interim government, had to be escorted away after being mobbed by angry students at the University of Ghar Yunis in Libya’s second largest city.

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In other reports, the US deployed 12,000 troops to Libya

According to Asharq Alawsat, the troops landed in the eastern oil port city of Brega.

Although the deployment is said to be aimed at generating stability and security in the region, the troops are expected to take control of the country’s key oil fields and strategic ports.

Brega, the site of an important oil refinery, serves as a major export hub for Libyan oil. The town is also one of the five oil terminals in the eastern half of the country.

Following the popular uprising of the Libyan people, NATO launched a major air campaign against the forces of the former regime on March 19, 2011 under a UN mandate to “protect the Libyan population.”

The Western military alliance, however, was heavily criticized for its failure to protect civilians and taking action beyond the terms of the UN mandate.

On October 20, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was killed in his hometown of Sirte, eight months into an uprising that put an end to his 42-year dictatorship.

Human rights groups have accused NATO of committing war crimes and human rights violations against Libyans.