Kidnapped Libyan Olympic Committee chief released

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) ? The president of Libya's Olympic Committee was released Sunday a week after unknown gunmen nabbed him from his car in the capital, his brother said.

Salah al-Alam said committee chief Ahmed Nabil al-Taher al-Alam returned home unharmed and was resting. He said it was not clear why his brother was abducted or on what conditions his abductors let him go. He said they are suspected to be a criminal gang, and had interrogated his brother for only 15 minutes during his week of captivity.

Security officials were not immediately available for comment.

The abduction comes amid a wave of score-settling between rival groups in Libya's eight-month civil war that ended with the capture and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in October.

Dozens of former rebel groups now operate independently, often ignoring the nation's weak central authorities.

Since Gadhafi's fall, militias frequently have taken matters into their own hands and rounded up officials with ties to the ousted regime.

Al-Alam served as head of the Libyan Football Association under Gadhafi. He is known to have been friends with Gadhafi's son, Mohammed, who was al-Alam's predecessor as Olympic Committee president.

The sports official was released in the western city of Misrata late Saturday, from where he was transferred to a military base in Tripoli and was handed over to security officials. He returned home early Sunday, the brother said. Al-Alam was abducted in Tripoli and it is not clear where he was held.

Five Libyans have qualified to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics to be held in London. A committee official said the delegation left to London Saturday.

"We're tremendously relieved," International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said. "We were very concerned. We're very happy it's come to a successful conclusion."

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AP Sports Writer Stephen Wilson in London contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-22-Libya-Olympic%20Kidnapping/id-b870bc0494a94b18a36ab670e6aa9fc7

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