Libya - Militias Are Asked to Join Army - NYTimes.com The new army chief of staff, Salem al-Gnaidy, called Tuesday for armed groups to put themselves under the command of the Libyan Army, after clashes in which 31 people were killed. Mr. Gnaidy added that patience was running out with the militias. Fighting broke out on Saturday at the headquarters of the Libya Shield militia in Benghazi when its gunmen clashed with troops and with protesters demanding that militias disband. Mr. Gnaidy said he welcomed "any force" that wants to join the army and said, "We are ready to pay bonuses to those who hand over weapons." Mr. Gnaidy became chief of staff on Sunday, after his predecessor resigned in response to the Benghazi clashes. Public resentment has been building over the continued existence of dozens of armed militias nearly two years after the fall of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.