Mahmoud Jibril

Mahmoud Jibril محمود جبريل
Jibril at the World Economic Forum Special Meeting in Jordan 2011
Leader of the National Forces Alliance
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 March 2012
Preceded by	Position established
Prime Minister of Libya
In office 5 March 2011 – 23 October 2011
President	Mustafa Abdul Jalil
Deputy	Ali Abd-al-Aziz al-Isawi Ali Tarhouni
Preceded by	Baghdadi Mahmudi
Succeeded by	Ali Tarhouni (Acting)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 5 March 2011 – 22 November 2011
Prime Minister	Ali Tarhouni (Acting) Abdurrahim El-Keib
Preceded by	Abdul Ati al-Obeidi
Succeeded by	Ashour Bin Khayal
Personal details
Born	Mahmoud Jibril el-Warfally 28 May 1952[1] Benghazi, Libya[2][3]
Political party	National Forces Alliance
Alma mater	Cairo University University of Pittsburgh
Religion	Sunni Islam

Mahmoud Jibril el-Warfally^[4] (Arabic: محمود جبريل الورفلي‎), also transcribed Jabril or Jebril or Gebril, (born 28 May 1952) is a Libyan politician who served as the interim Prime Minister of Libya for seven and a half months during the Libyan Civil War, chairing the executive board of the National Transitional Council from 5 March to 23 October 2011.^[5][6] He also served as the Head of International Affairs.^[7] As of July 2012, Jibril is the head of one of the largest political parties in Libya, National Forces Alliance.^[8]

Toward the end of the conflict, Jibril was increasingly referred to by foreign governments and in media as the interim prime minister of Libya rather than as the chairman of the executive board, the title used to describe him on the NTC's website, but it was unclear whether this was an official title or simply referred to his position as the provisional council's head of government.^[9] Jibril's government was recognized as the "sole legitimate representative" of Libya by the majority of UN states including France, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Iran, and Qatar.

Career

Jibril graduated in Economics and Political Science from Cairo University in 1975,^[10] then earned a master's degree in political science in 1980 and a doctorate in political science in 1985, both from the University of Pittsburgh.^[11]

Jibril led the team who drafted and formed the Unified Arab Training manual. He was also responsible for organizing and administering the first two Training conferences in the Arab world in the years 1987 and 1988. He later took over the management and administration of many of the leadership training programs for senior management in Arab countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.^[10]

From 2007 to early 2011, he served in the Gaddafi regime as head of the National Planning Council of Libya and of the National Economic Development Board of Libya (NEDB),.^[12] While there, he was a protégé and close friend of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and promoted privatization and liberalization policies.^[13][14][15]

National Transitional Council

On 23 March 2011, amidst the Libyan civil war, the National Transitional Council officially formed a transitional government and Jibril was appointed to head it.^[16] Jibril led meetings and negotiations with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a meeting that resulted in France officially recognizing the National Transitional Council as the sole representative of the Libyan people. He also met with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and then-U.S. Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz, successfully persuading them to publicly back the NTC.^[17]

Since being appointed as the NTC's head of government, Jibril has been referred to by foreign officials as both as the interim prime minister^[18] and the chairman of the Executive Board,^[19] the title attributed to him by the NTC official website.^[5] References to Jibril as the prime minister, including by news organisations,^[20] foreign government ministries^[21] and world leaders,^[22] have increased significantly since rebels entered Tripoli in late August 2011.

In his capacity as the NTC's top diplomat, Jibril has also been referred to as the council's foreign minister,^[23][24] though this may be a colloquial title. Qatar-based news organization Al Jazeera has also called him "the NTC's chief of staff" on at least one occasion.^[25]

The Executive Board was sacked en masse by decision of the NTC on 8 August over its sluggish response to the assassination of General Abdul Fatah Younis, Benghazi's top commander.^[26] Jibril was asked to form a new board subject to the council's approval.^[27] Though Jibril stayed on as the board's chairman, a spokesman for the NTC said he would be required to spend less time out of the country.^[28]

On 21 August, amidst the Battle of Tripoli, Jibril gave a televised speech urging revolutionary fighters against looting, revenge killing, abusing foreign nationals, and mistreating prisoners of war. He also called for unity and asked that police and army units in Tripoli disavow Gaddafi but remain at their posts. Jibril declared, "Today, all Libya's people are allowed to participate in the building of the future to build institutions with the aid of a constitution that does not differentiate between a man and a woman, sects or ethnicities. Libya is for everyone and will now be for everyone. Libya has the right to create an example that will be followed in the Arab region."^[29]

In September, Jibril "proposed 36 names for a new cabinet, including friends and relatives, and retained the prime minister and foreign minister slots for himself." He later retracted the proposal when NTC members objected, but an anonymous council official said it had "left a bitter taste".^[30]

Resignation

On 3 October 2011, Jibril announced that he would resign from government once the country had been "liberated".^[31] He later specified this meant the capture of Sirte from loyalist holdouts.^[32] On 20 October 2011, Sirte was captured and Muammar Gaddafi was killed. Keeping his promise to leave at the war's end, Jibril resigned three days later. He was succeeded by Abdurrahim El-Keib on 31 October.

In the National Forces Alliance

In 2012, Jibril became a member of newly founded political union of National Forces Alliance. On 14 March 2012, he was elected leader of the alliance. Jibril represented his party in the General National Congress election.

In the national elections of September 7, 2012, Jibril described his party as a supporter of democracy and also as an advocate of Sharia. The NFA won the largest number of seats in these elections. At the time, Jibril ran for a second term as prime minister. Jibril won the first round of voting, with 86 votes, significantly more than the 55 votes obtained by his primary opponent, Mustafa Abushagur. However in the second round of voting Abushagur ultimately defeated Jibril.

Works

• el-Warfally, Mahmoud G., Imagery and Ideology in U.S. Policy Toward Libya, 1969-1982, University of Pittsburgh Press; (December 1988), ISBN 978-0-8229-3580-3

References

1. Date information sourced from Library of Congress Authorities data, via corresponding WorldCat Identities linked authority file (LAF) .
2. "Pitt Alumnus Mahmoud Jibril—President of Libya’s National Forces Alliance and Former Prime Minister of Libya—to Present Distinguished Lecture on Campus Oct. 31". University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
3. "Libya: Moussa Koussa 'tried to get job in new government'". The Daily Telegraph (London). 8 September 2011.
4. "Libyan rebels look to Pitt grad for voice | TribLIVE". Pittsburgh live. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
5. "The Executive Board of the National Transitional Council". National Transitional Council. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
6. Friedman, Uri (23 March 2011). "Libyan Rebels Name Mahmoud Jibril Their Prime Minister". The Atlantic. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
7. "Excerpts from Libya Contact Group Chair's Statement". Reuters Africa. Reuters. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
8. Chris Stephen Muslim Brotherhood fell 'below expectations' in Libyan elections The Guardian, 10 July 2012
9. Peralta, Eyder (13 May 2011). "Libyan Opposition Leader: The Revolution Is Led By 'New Breed Of Generations'". National Public Radio. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
10. "Council members". Interim Transitional National Council website. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
11. University of Pittsburgh Commencement, 1985. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. 28 April 1985. p. 22. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
12. Wikileaks - 09TRIPOLI386, reviewed and hosted at Politiken
13. "Mahmoud Jibril and Qaddafi’s Wealth Redistribution Project". The Passionate Attachment. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
14. Enrico Piovesana Il possibile successore di Gheddafi, peacereporter, 24 March 2011
15. http://46.4.48.8/cablegate/wire.php?id=09TRIPOLI386&search=jibril%20National%20Economic%20Development%20Board
16. "Libyan air force 'no longer exists'". Al Jazeera. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
17. Schwartz, Daniel (29 March 2011). "Mahmoud Jibril: the international face of Libya's rebels". CBC News. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
18. Sherman, Brad (12 May 2011). "Letter to the Libyan Interim PM" (PDF). Office of Congressman Brad Sherman. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
19. Füle, Štefan (14 July 2011). "Statement by Commissioner Štefan Füle following his meeting with Dr Mahmoud Jibril, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Libyan Transitional National Council". Europa. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
20. Salama, Vivian; Peker, Emre (26 August 2011). "Libyan Rebels Seek Aid as Qaddafi Invokes Jihad". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
21. "President Sarkozy receives Mr Mahmoud Jibril, Prime Minister of the National Transitional Council of Libya at the Elysée Palace". Embassy of France in Dublin. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
22. "About-face for Berlusconi, who feted Qadhafi". Dawn. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
23. "US stops short of recognising Libya rebels". Al Jazeera. 14 May 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
24. "Top diplomats set for Libya talks in Turkey". The News International. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
25. "Rebels make gains in western Libya". Al Jazeera. 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
26. "Libyan opposition dissolves leadership board". Al Jazeera. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
27. "Libya rebels dissolve executive committee". The Oregonian. OregonLive.com. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
28. Fahim, Kareem (9 August 2011). "Libyan Rebels Dismiss Entire Cabinet". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
29. "The world is watching, don't seek vengeance, rebel leaders tell Libyans". Herald Sun. 22 August 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
30. Jaffe, Greg (28 September 2011). "Libyans wait, and worry, as government delays forming cabinet". The Washington Post.
31. "Jibril vows to quit after Libya 'liberation'". Al Jazeera. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
32. "Libyan forces say liberation of Sirte is near". CBC News. CBC News. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2011.