RADA Special Deterrence Forces

The RADA Special Deterrence Forces (وزارة الداخلية قـــوةْ الـــرَدَعْ الخـَــاصَـــةْ), Interior Ministry Special forces RADAA) are an Libyan Salafist militia operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior (Libya). Based in the capital of Tripoli, they have a role in the suppression of crime in the current political vacuum.

The current leadership of this specialized police force is Abdul Raouf Kara who is a Salafist.

History
RADA special forces was originally a fighting unit that helped topple dictator Muammar Gaddafi in the Feb 17th, 2011 Revolution. After the removal of Gaddafi, Abdul Rauf Kara was member of the police force formed by the Supreme Security Committee with reported 700 men at his disposal. The Supreme Security Committee (SSC) was then dissolved into the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Libya where his forces were then relabeled as RADA Special Deterrence forces under the guidance of the Ministry of Interior.

Size and composition
The group has an estimated 1500 members. It is the third or fourth largest militia in Tripoli. 90% of their force are legitimate police officers, 70% who served in the Libyan police force prior to the 2011 revolution. Their main area of operations in Tripoli is the eastern areas of Soug Al Jouma and Ain Zara. Their headquarters are at Mitiga International Airport.

Ideology
The leader of the group is Abdul Rauf Kara, who has been described as a Salafist. More specifically, the group has been described as following a type of Madkhalism, a form of apolitical Salafism which supports secular government. They are opposed to the extreme Salafists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and hold hundreds of IS members as prisoners at Mitiga.

Operations
RADA Special Deterrence Forces operates as an independent department under the Ministry of Interior, and implements a focused anti-narcotics and police force mandate. RADA Special Forces are involved in police work, investigations, arrests, patrols, checkpoints, and other anti-crime activities. This organisation actively and publicly releases images and online footage displaying the seizure smuggled explosives and its components smuggled by terrorists, unregulated alcohol seizures, unregulated medical goods such as highly addictive Tramadol, dollar-dinar black market inflation control arrests, arrests of suspects of terrorism and terrorist affiliates, arrests of kidnappers and other high time criminals, arrests of smugglers of both goods and immigrants, raids on buildings believed to house illegal contraband, etc.

The RADA Special Deterrence Forces organization operates within Tripoli but also outside the capital, in cities such as Sabratha, Zawiah, Benghazi, Sirte, Dernah, Zwarah and other major cities.

The RADA Special Deterrence Forces operates under common law principles, however, Ethics diverge from common law, as they are affected by wider ultra orthodox religious based on hardline Islamic laws which were necessarily implemented post 2011 Libya's civil war due to country wide Anarchy.

As an example, in August 2017, one of Libya's most notorious Human and fuel smugglers " Fahmi Salim Bin Khalifa " was captured  as ordered by the Attorney General's Office and praised by the state owned National Oil Corporation. The move is notable due to Libya's 2013 – 2017 security vacuum and governance crisis since the February 17 – Libya Civil war to oust Gaddafi.

Controversy
The SDF has been the subject of controversy due to its Salafist orientation. In the process of combating real crime, it has engaged in moral policing based on Sharia law. On 3 November 2017, RADA raided and shut down a Comic Con event held in the city, accusing the event of containing "satanic, pornographic, and masonic material that is intended to corrupt the morals of the youth and the Libyan people, influenced by western culture".

The group has been accused of torturing detainees. On 4 November 2017, an artist who was arrested and who participated in the Comic Con event was released and reported that he had been beaten in custody and accused of creating un-Islamic artwork and being an apostate. As of 20 December 2017 all those detained at the Comic Con were released.