Experts Say Libya's Plan to Control Militias Unlikely to Work

Leaders not likely to cede command to military

"It will never work," the Libyan militia commander told us. "It's like suddenly asking the inmates of Guantanamo to cooperate with their guards."

He was talking about the Libyan government's efforts to get Libyan militia units in Benghazi to work with army commanders.

On Monday, an official announcement said two of the most powerful militias—the February the 17th Brigade and the Rafaala al-S'hati Brigade—had been assigned new bosses, officers from the Ministry of Defense.

The idea is to bring the militias under more direct state control, but it's unlikely to work.