Osama al-Juwaili

Who is Osama al-Juwaili?

Osama al-Juwaili is a Libyan commander who serves as Minister of Defence in the government of Abdurrahim El-Keib, Libya's interim Prime Minister. He fought in the 2011 civil war against the government of Muammar Gaddafi. Immediately prior to his appointment on 22 November 2011, Juwali's Zintan Brigade, a band of anti-Gaddafi fighters based in Zintan in Libya's Nafusa Mountains, located and captured Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, one of the former Libyan leader's most prominent sons, in the Libyan Desert. al-Juwaili is said to be aligned with the Tripoli Revolutionary Council led by Abdullah Naker, who warned in an interview 18 November that his men could overthrow the government even before it was appointed if it failed to meet their demands for representation.

Studied "Electronic Support" and Graduated from the Tripoli Military Academy in 1982, he remained to be a trainer at the academy until 1987. He resigned from the army in 1992 with rank of Captain. Juwali was then appointed as head of the Vocational Guidance center in Yifrin part of the Libyan Ministry of Workforce and Training. He defected to the anti-Gaddafi forces during the 2011 civil war, becoming the head of Zintan's military council. His uncle was reportedly a deputy governor of the Central Bank of Libya under Gaddafi.