Libyan Prime Minister Kidnapped By Rebels

At dawn on Thursday, Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan was kidnapped by rebels. According to CNN, he was taken to an undisclosed location. Since then, Ali Zidan has been rescued and returned. 

Armed rebels escorted the prime minister from the Corinthian Hotel in Tripoli into a convoy of waiting cars, said a hotel clerk who was not authorized to speak to the media.The witness reported no gunfire during the incident, and said the gunmen were respectful and “caused no trouble.”

The abduction was first seen as a “rumor” in Zidan’s office, according to its official Facebook page. Later they posted an update which stated that it was “coerced by kidnappers to deny the report.”

Last month, Zidan said the nation is trying to rebuild after decades under Gadhafi’s rule. He shot down reports that Libya is a failed state.

“We are trying to create a state, and we are not ashamed of that,” Zidan told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “The outside world believes that Libya is failing, but Libya was destroyed by Gadhafi for 42 years, and was destroyed by a full year of civil war. And that’s why we are trying to rebuild it.”