Civilians disembark from the first boat carrying travellers since February 2011 from Cyprus to Tripoli, at the El Chaab seaport, in Tripoli, yesterday.

DOHA: Qatar’s active role in the international alliance that helped bring down the dictatorial regime of Muammar Gaddafi seems to have created a divide among the Libyan leadership regarding the Qatari involvement.

Former Prime Minister  in the National Transitional Council  (NTC) Mahmoud Jibril accused Qatar of trying to play too big a role in his country’s affairs and supporting unnamed factions, in remarks broadcast yesterday.

“Qatar has given a lot to the Libyan revolution at the beginning, and has truly played a role that cannot be forgotten,” Jibril, who resigned in October after Gaddafi’s capture and killing, said in an interview broadcast by the Dubai-based Al Arabiya television.

“But now I think that Qatar is trying to play a role that is bigger than its true potential,” he added, without elaborating.

Jibril accused Qatar of siding with factions he did not name in the conflict in Libya.

“The Qatari role in Libya, if it was a role that meets the interests of the Libyan people, then it is welcome. But when Qatar sides with a faction or with a group against the rest of the Libyan people, then this may not be in favor of the Libyan people...,” Jibril said.

He also said that a ‘foreign force ordered the execution’ of Gaddafi without naming anyone.

A few days ago another leader, former NTC Foreign Minister and current ambassador to the United Nations Abdurrahman Shalgham had also accused Qatar of trying to dominate on Libyan affairs.

“Qatar wants to dominate Libya. The leader of Libya’s NTC and his delegation, who visited Qatar recently accepted what was dictated by Doha without having a political experience and background knowledge,” Shalgam told “Maa Al Hadat” (With the Event) programme aired by the Arabic section of the German satellite channel Deutsche Welle.

Shalgham accused Qatar of not walking the same line with all parties in Libya. He rejected Qatar’s leadership takeover of the International Coalition forces in Libya.

Meanwhile, a statement issued on behalf of the February 17 Alliance on November 7 expressed its deep gratitude to Qatar “for all what Qatar did to achieve victory and protect the Libyan people.”

The statement described the financial, moral and logistic support given by Qatar to the revolutionaries “the best on the ground” and lauded its role as a link between the rebels and the international alliance.

The statement issued by the political bureau of the Alliance rejected criticisms made by leaders on personal grounds and welcomed Qatar to chair the Libya Friends Alliance subject to conditions.

Earlier this year, Qatar, UAE and some Arab countries played a role in securing an Arab League decision that paved the way for a UN Security Council resolution to protect civilians in Libya after the uprising broke out there in March.THE PENINSULA