Troubles in Libya

Eastern Libyan forces take control of Tripoli international airport, advance on capital

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/...security-1.jpg

Eastern Libyan forces on Friday seized the former Tripoli International Airport on the southern outskirts of the capital, a spokesman for the forces said.

Ahmed Mismari also told reporters his troops were in control of Tarhouna and Aziziya, two towns near Tripoli.
He said five of his fighters had been killed.
Tripoli is home to Libya's internationally recognized government.

The development comes as UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Friday he was "deeply concerned" after meeting eastern commander Khalifa Haftar in Libya to try to avert a renewed civil war as forces advanced on Tripoli.

Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) said in the evening it had taken control of Tripoli's airport.

The thrust by the LNA, allied to a parallel administration based in the east, is a dangerous escalation of a power struggle that has dragged on since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Here

Oil has spiked moderately on this breaking news

EDIT:- Reuters Report

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Khalifa Haftar

---

Genuine question because I don't know: Is his first name assumed and/or is it a title referring to an aim to create a caliphate?

^ surely that would be Haftar Hav Khalifate

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Is his first name assumed and/or is it a title referring to an aim to create a caliphate?

---

...I suspect it's the name given to him by parents hoping at least one of their kids would amount to something...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tomcat

...I suspect it's the name given to him by parents hoping at least one of their kids would amount to something...

---

Thanks Tom.
(btw, did you have to, like me, balk slightly and reassess what you were writing to avoid using "Christian name"? :))

...no, "first name" is more commonly used in the US than Christian name...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tomcat

...no, "first name" is more commonly used in the US than Christian name...

---

For once I agree with US English. Mind you, "christian name" has become non-pc and archaic in the proper-English speaking world, but remains in my lexicon as it was the only term when I was younger.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maanaam

"christian name" has become non-pc and archaic in the proper-English speaking world

---

...I wonder where that is...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tomcat

...I wonder where that is...

---

Almost every english-speaking place that is not US or US colonised. :)

I would suspect the french backing him will have to do with Total

HOW THE WEST PLUNDERS LIBYAN BILLIONS

On March 30, 2019, former Belgian finance ministers were interrogated in the Belgian parliament with passion. One of the main questions that the deputies asked was: "Who allowed you to withdraw interest and dividends from Libya’s frozen accounts in 2011?" The desire of the Belgian legislators to comply with international law is commendable, but ... no changes so far!

I recall that in 2011, by decision of the UN Security Council, the banks of the United States and other Western countries froze the assets of the Libyan Jamahiriya, which were in their accounts and intended for the development of international cooperation. However, it turned out that all these years, money from the accounts in Belgium, Luxembourg, England, Germany and other countries mysteriously disappeared, which was charged in the form of interest and dividends on frozen Libyan assets.

This robbery of Libyan holdings is estimated by experts at € 3-5 billion.

Belgian deputies found that in October 2012 a letter was sent from the Belgian Ministry of Finance to the banks of Belgium, stating that anti-Libyan sanctions do not apply to interest and dividends. The then Minister of Finance, Steven Vanackere, at parliamentary hearings acknowledged that there was such a letter, but the decision was made before he took office.

But his predecessor, Didier Reynders, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, assured the deputies that in his time there were no permissions to pay either interest or dividends ... There was money, but now there is no money. Mystic!

The deputies from the former finance ministers did not find out where and to whom the billions of euros were transferred.

In the European media, articles appeared that the Libyan billions went to ... covering the expenses of the NATO alliance that committed aggression in 2011 against the Libyan Jamahiriya!

Moreover, this money stolen from the Libyan people financed terrorist mercenaries in Libya, Syria, Yemen and ... to prepare terrorist acts in Europe itself.

And the truth about the most grandiose robbery of the century, and even "under the auspices of the UN," gradually seeps from the seemingly most secret bank safes of the West.

However, robbers always leave traces.

How NATO Alliance plunders Libyan money and arms terrorists

On February 22, 2011, the United Nations decided to freeze the billions of dollars of the sovereign state of the Libyan Jamahiriya under the pretext of "taking care of civilians" and "protecting Libyans from the terrible bloody regime."

On August 22, 2011, gangs of al-Qaida terrorists, with the support of the special forces of the countries of the NATO alliance, its aviation and the navy of the countries, launched an assault on Tripoli, the capital of the Libyan Jamahiriya. The resistance of the inhabitants of the city and military units loyal to the Jamahiriya continued until the end of October.

At that time, the NATO countries were already cutting the Libyan people's money.

Already in August 2011, the UN Security Council considered France and Germany’s proposals to “defrost” Libyan assets in the amount of 5 billion and 1 billion euros, respectively. But the old Britain was, of course, the pioneer in cutting, although the main piece of the pie was cut off by the United States, the main financier of Al Qaeda terrorists in Libya.

Under pressure from the United States, in August 2011, the United Nations approved the request of the United States to transfer $ 1.5 billion belonging to the Libyan Jamahiriya for needs .... "Democratic government" in Tripoli. That is, into the pockets of the homegrown democrats, the Al Qaeda terrorists.

Spain

August 2011 Puppet pro-Western "PNS", which rules in Libya, will soon receive from Spain part of the frozen assets of the Libyan Jamahiriya. According to Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, for starters, "revolutionaries" will receive 16 million euros.
"We provide PNS access to 16 million euros. These are the Libyan funds that were kept in Spain," the prime minister told reporters. And then he reassured indignant journalists: in the future, the Spanish side could transfer more money to the PNS.

Zapatero also announced his willingness to defrost the rest of the account of the Libyan state. According to the Prime Minister, this only requires the approval of the UN Security Council. The problem is that the UN Security Council was in the pocket of the United States.

Italy

The Italian government also decided to “unfreeze” the accounts of the Libyan Jamahiriya and give this money to the “rebels” (other names: “revolutionaries”, “democrats”, “victims of the regime”).

This was announced on August 31, 2011 by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.

Britain

But let's talk primarily about Britain, especially since the British call themselves "the most democratic, the most humane, the most caring about the fate of the world and human rights."

On Tuesday, August 30, 2011, the UN Security Council, at the insistence of the United States, allowed Britain to unfreeze $ 1.6 billion from Libya’s accounts and transfer them to the "rebels" whom they brought to power. for help ... Libya. This decision was made, as stated by the Anglo-Saxons, due to the fact that in the Arab country began a food crisis.

Eight months of bombing by NATO aircraft and shelling of Libyan cities and towns by NATO warships from the sea, eight months of a complete economic and humanitarian blockade by the NATO alliance brought the desired results to the Western democrats. There are no words to describe the nightmare into which the peacekeepers of the United States, Britain and their henchmen in NATO turned the prosperous country into peace.

What about the media? The Anglo-Saxons have a total ban on the display of destruction and casualties in Libya.

Fact is a fact. Back in 2011, Britain gave $ 1.5 billion from the accounts of the Libyan Jamahiriya to al Qaeda terrorists.\\

On August 30, 2011, the UN Security Council allowed the UK to “unfreeze” 1.6 billion dollars of Libyan government money, which was kept in English banks as cash

On August 31, 2011, England received permission from the UN Committee on Defrosting Sanctions and returning to the Jamahiriya $ 1.5 billion in banknotes of the national Libyan currency, the head of the Foreign Office, William Hague, said.

The banknotes of the Libyan national currency with the image of the leader of the Libyan Jamahiriya, Muammar Gaddafi, were printed by a British firm before the start of the NATO alliance's aggression against it. The British authorities blocked the shipment of funds in February 2011, but part of the money in the amount of $ 160 million was already sailing on a ship in Tripoli, but the ship was returned under escort of British warships. A few months passed, al Qaeda terrorists seized power in Tripoli, and now the UN graciously allowed England to give billions of dollars ... to terrorists.

Moreover, Britain pledged to "fill Libya" with Libyan money, but on the condition ...

Under what condition?

The British government was determined to defrost another 12 billion pounds (almost $ 19 billion) of Libyan assets. This was announced on September 15, 2011 by British Prime Minister David Cameron at a joint press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the leaders of the pro-Western Transitional National Council / PNS / Libya.

But on the condition ... to find Muammar Gaddafi, the leader of the Libyan revolution. "We will help you find Gaddafi and bring him to justice," Cameron said at a press conference in Tripoli. The prime minister also stressed that the UK is ready to help the new Libyan rulers, in which the majority are al Qaeda terrorists, and in other directions. “Now the Arab Spring can become the Arab Summer,” Cameron was sure.

And his forecast was surprisingly accurate: after Libya, Syria and Yemen flared up. And in addition to the Libyan Jamahiriya, the special forces of England, France and the USA were additionally deployed, who took part in the storming of the Libyan city of Sirte, which held the defense, and in the reprisals against the leaders of the Libyan Jamahiriya.

On October 20, 2011, photographs and video footage of the execution of Gaddafi flew around the world.

Belgium

Whatever the Western media claimed about “Libyan money” outside Libya, but the fact is: the leader of the Libyan revolution, Muammar Gaddafi, did not have a single PERSONAL account in foreign banks. Neither European, nor Arab, nor African, nor Asian. No such accounts!

Frozen Libyan money is in the accounts of Libyan state-owned companies and foundations created during the times of the prosperous and dynamic Libyan Jamahiriya to develop international cooperation with various countries and finance international business projects with the participation of Libya.

A state that has been destroyed at the request of the world's financial brokers

Despite the UN banning the use of this money, Western banks have been using it for seven years, increasing their profits.

Moreover, money has disappeared from a number of accounts. UN investigators are looking for where they went. Yes, there was money in the accounts in 2011, billions of Libyan money, they were frozen by the UN. There were accrued interest. These profits have disappeared.

Why? And who defrosted them?

SIX BILLION DOLLARS! - were used to finance ... in Libya and Syria, terrorist gangs, including the thugs of the criminal organization ISIS-DAESH, created by US intelligence agencies.

Six Billion for NATO Alliance

Nearly nine months after Politico (Politico) first reported that interest payments related to nearly $ 70 billion in frozen assets previously owned by the Libyan Jamahiriya were paid (transferred) to some hidden accounts. UN investigators finally began to study where this money really went.

It became known that interest payments received from Libyan assets reached $ 5.7 billion.

According to RTBF, the money went to accounts controlled by gangs of mercenaries in Libya, who were accused by the international community of crimes against humanity.

How the West plunders Libyan billions | Katehon think tank. Geopolitics & Tradition

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by baldrick

I would suspect the french backing him will have to do with Total

---

Egypt are backing him as well.

Maybe another strongman dictator is what the place needs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Genuine question because I don't know: Is his first name assumed and/or is it a title referring to an aim to create a caliphate?

---

Maybe you can start googling shit you dont know instead of derailing threads with your nonsense questions?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by foobar

Maybe you can start googling shit you dont know instead of derailing threads with your nonsense questions?

---

Says the stupid little boy who makes a habit of trying to derail threads with nonsense.

:rofl:

^
By "nonsense" you mean anything that dilutes your daily US propaganda dump and by "derailing" you mean any opinion that opposes or calls into question your opinion.... :)

This clown sure sounds like sid witless. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by foobar

^
By "nonsense" you mean anything that dilutes your daily US propaganda dump and by "derailing" you mean any opinion that opposes or calls into question your opinion.... :)

---

No, I mean your irrelevant fucking nonsense, you stupid little boy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Genuine question because I don't know: Is his first name assumed and/or is it a title referring to an aim to create a caliphate?

---

Two different spellings - khaleefa v khalaafa:

His name: خليفة (khaleefa)

Caliphate: خلافة (khalaafa)

It's just a name. He's not a jihadist, just an ex-military turned Warlord who fancies his chances of taking over the country and earning buckets of loot.

The same first name as the President of the United Arab Emirates, the Emir of Abu Dhabi:

Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( خليفة بن زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان‎ )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalif...ayed_Al_Nahyan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalifa_Haftar

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Neverna

The same first name as the President of the United Arab Emirates, the Emir of Abu Dhabi:

Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( خليفة بن زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان‎ )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalif...ayed_Al_Nahyan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalifa_Haftar

---

Nev, your multi personalities and boundless knowledge never ceases to amaze!

^ Just wait till 7pm, David.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Neverna

^ Just wait till 7pm, David.

---

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/..._text_hi-1.gif

... :ponder:

As clashes break out near Tripoli, alarm grows over danger of major escalation in Libya's years-long power struggle.

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/...c0090_18-1.jpg

Forces loyal to Libya's renegade General Khalifa Haftar are marching in the capital, Tripoli, igniting fears of renewed war in the chaos-wracked country.

The assault by Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) raised fears of a full-blown battle in Tripoli, the seat of a United Nations-backed government that is protected by an array of militias holding sway over the city's economy and institutions.

Following Haftar's move on Thursday, the Tripoli-allied militias mobilised for "war" by deploying troops and moving weapons from the coastal towns of Misrata and Zawiya to areas around the capital.

As skirmishes broke out near Tripoli on Friday, Antonio Guterres, the UN chief who was in the capital to help organise a conference aimed at hammering out a plan for elections, headed to the eastern city of Benghazi to meet Haftar.

But he wrote on Twitter later in the day: "I leave Libya with a heavy heart and deeply concerned. I still hope it is possible to avoid a bloody confrontation in and around Tripoli."


Libya: High alert in Tripoli after renegade leader orders advance (5:52)
The escalation threatens to undermine UN-led efforts to bring stability to a country that has for years been split between the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east allied to Haftar.

The 75-year-old former army officer's rise, including advances on strategic oil fields and port cities, has come on the back of support by countries such as neighbouring Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. He has portrayed himself as the only solution for Libya's instability, but many in the country fear he could try to reinstate authoritarian rule.

Read more
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/...edium=z-boxiku

Libya - From Ghaddafi To Hafter


"Libya is back in the news as the so called Libyan National Army under General Hafter is moving to attack Tripoli. How did we get here?

In March 2011 the United Kindom, France and the U.S. set out to destroy the government of Libya. Muslim Brotherhood militia and al-Qaeda aligned forces, equipped by Qatar and supported by Britain, took the easten city of Benghazi. The U.S. airforce destroyed government troops on the ground and helped the militants to capture and murder Muhammar Ghaddafi. Chaos ensued as various tribal forces, local militia and Islamists fought over control of the cities and the spoils.

One person who tried to insert himself into the chaos as new leader of Libya was the former general Khalifa Haftar. He had taken part in the coup that brought Ghaddafi to power but later fell out with him and changed sides. The CIA sponsored him to launch a coup against Ghaddafi. The coup failed and since 1990 Hafter has lived in Virginia where he also became a U.S. citizen.

Haftar's attempt to take power amongst the chaos of 2011 failed. The Muslim Brotherhood aligned militia saw him as a secular Ghaddafi follower and rejected him. The situation changed in 2014 after the military in Egypt ousted the Muslim Brotherhood aligned president Morsi from power. Egypt, under the new president Sisi, feared the Islamist gangs in Libya and wanted to eliminate them. Hafter was called upon to build an army and to take over Benghazi. The United Arab Emirates financed the project. With UAE money, Egyptian air support, Russian supplies, French intelligence and special forces support Hafter slowly defeated the various Islamist gangs and took control over Benghazi.

It took him more than three years to consolidate his control and to build up his Libyan National Army (LNA) that would allow him to take the western parts of Libya.

Those western parts, including the capital Tripoli, are controlled by various feuding familes, clans and tribes, each with their own militia. There is also a nominal Government of National Accord under Fayez al-Sarraj. It is recognized by the UN but has no forces of its own. It depends on the support of local militia in Tripoli and support coming from the coastal city of Misrata. That city has a strong tribal militia which even operates a small air force."

Libya - January 1 2019

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?a...id=30271&stc=1


"Misrata is also what blocked Hafter from moving his troops from Benghazi in the east along the coast towards Tripoli in the west. The blocking force made it necessary for Hafter to move through the thinly populated south and then west and again north towards Tripoli. An attempt to do so in 2018 failed when local forces in the southwest (pink), supported by Algeria's military, resisted Haftar's move.

This year Algeria has its own problems as mass protests forced its president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down. The Algerian military is busy at home with installing a new ruler. Hafter, with the help of UAE money, bought off the southwestern forces and thereby opened the roads towards Tripoli. He also took control of Sirte in the north and the El Sharara oil fields near Wasi al Hayaa in the south. The field produces some 300,000 barrels of oil per day which can be exported through Sirte's ports. Control of these assets gave Haftar a huge power boost."

Libya - April 6 2019

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?a...id=30272&stc=1

"Haftar's LNA is now some 20 miles from Tripoli but resistance from local militia and from forces sent from Misrata is building up. Yesterday Haftar's military briefly took the defunct international airport of Tripoli but was soon ousted. Today fighter jets launched from Misrata attacked his forces."

Tripoli - April 6 2019

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?a...id=30273&stc=1


"If Hafter wants to succeed he will have to take the road between Tripoli and Misrata to split his enemies. He could then take Tripoli and announce his own national government. There are rumors that some of the warlords in Tripoli are willing to change sides and to join Haftar.

Hafter has open support from France, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Russia. The Trump administration is not interested to step into the mess. Hafter is an old CIA asset and if he takes control there is a good chance that the U.S. will have influence over him. As long as Libyan oil flows and keeps the global oil price down Trump will be happy. Russia is trying to stay in the background to not give the anti-Russian forces in Washington an excuse to intervene.

The Muslim Brothers, supported by Turkey and Qatar, are still in play in Misrata but have otherwise lost their influence on the ground.

Hafter and his troops seem to have nearly all advantages on their side. Their supply route from Benghazi through the south towards Tripoli is too long, but France is helping to protect it by keeping rebels from Chad and Mali in Libya's south under control. The Egyptian air force may well help again and destroy whatever planes Misrata has left.

But war is unpredictable and militia in Libya have often changed sides on a moment's notice. It may take 10 days to take Tripoli without many casualties or 100 days of intense fighting. The attempt could even fail.

Libya is a divers tribal country that is unlikely to function as a democracy. A strongman like Muhammad Ghaddafi can control it by distributing the income from its mineral resources and by keeping the Islamists down. Hafter may be able to replicate that.

But he is 75 years old. A year ago he was evacuated to France for some medical emergency procedures. His sons, two of which lead some of his militia, are of unknown quality. Another problem is brewing in Benghazi where Wahabbi preachers, trained in Saudi Arabia, replaced Muslim Bortherhood preachers and now introduce Saudi style rule over women and local culture.

A strongman ruling all of Libya from Tripoli is certainly better for Libya and its people than the long chaos that ensued after the war the U.S., Britain and France waged against the country. Given some time Hafter may well achieve that. But he is not a longterm solution. The best one can hope for is that he wins enough time for Libya to come back to its senses and for the civil war to die down. "

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/0...fter.html#more

It appears that the rats, (americanus rodentia) are scurrying for another hole to live in:

Declining security in Libya results in personnel relocation, agility emphasis

Due to increased unrest in Libya, a contingent of U.S. forces supporting U.S. Africa Command temporarily relocated in response to security conditions on the ground.

By U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs, United States Africa CommandStuttgart, GermanyApr 07, 2019

Due to increased unrest in Libya, a contingent of U.S. forces supporting U.S. Africa Command temporarily relocated from the country in response to security conditions on the ground.

U.S. Africa Command’s mission in Libya involves military support to diplomatic missions, counter-terrorism activities, enhancing partnerships, and improving security across the region.

U.S. Africa Command remains committed to a secure and stable Libya, which contributes to regional security. U.S. Africa Command is conducting prudent military planning while continuing to assess the security situation. The command is making the personnel adjustments in response to the evolving security situation. U.S. Africa Command will continue to monitor conditions on the ground in Libya, and assess the feasibility for renewed U.S. military presence, as appropriate.

“The security realities on the ground in Libya are growing increasingly complex and unpredictable,” said U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, commander, U.S. Africa Command. “Even with an adjustment of the force, we will continue to remain agile in support of existing U.S. strategy.”

The United Nations continues to call for a political solution for a stable and secure Libya. U.S. Africa Command will continue to do its part to support the government and people of Libya.

United States Africa Command

What does the military phrase used, "agility emphasis", mean in lay terms? Scuttling away from the fox, like headless chickens?

Shades of that movie about the ameristani Ambassador being taken out.

Can't win with the old chinky sycophant.

If they stay there, one of his whackjob websites will say they are up to no good.

If they leave, one of his whackjob websites says they are running away.

He has a whackjob website for every occasion.

:)

Flexibility is an attribute many admire. Along with of course the ability to be inclusive in ones outlook :)

Last week, the bodies of the first Russians killed in Libya’s civil war started arriving back home for burial. Officially,

Russia isn’t part of the fighting in North Africa, which has been ongoing for several years now.

In reality, however, Russian combatants have been providing massive support to one side in the conflict, in exchange for which Moscow’s Libyan allies have promised “oil, railways, and highways.”

Meduza investigative journalist Liliya Yapparova has learned that an infamous Russian private military company has suffered dozens of casualties in Libya.

She also found some of the mercenaries’ names despite efforts to keep that information secret: even the mercenaries’ bodies are being withheld.


MORE https://meduza.io/en/feature/2019/10...ay-for-tripoli

Just airing:
Al Jazeera World
Eight years on from Gaddafi’s death, an investigation into how western governments handed over his opponents for detention and torture by Libyan intelligence.

https://www.aljazeera.com/live/

The expected blowback from evil and immoral deeds from the past.

Won't hear any real challenging and retrospective analysis from the much beloved Western press.
Naturally...

Some opinion pieces on the Libyan "troubles".

Libyan Peace Talks and Russian Diplomacy 101

"Libya stands at a precarious watershed between a peaceful political settlement – or further civil war. But at least the two main warring factions this week entered into a process of dialogue when they attended a summit in Moscow hosted by Russia.

Turkey was the second party at the summit acting as a mediator, along with Russia. Ankara is a staunch supporter of the UN-recognized Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli. Moscow recognizes the GNA too, but it also has strong links with the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar which is based in the eastern city of Tobruk.

Potentially, the diplomatic process that has got underway could bring an end to nearly nine years of conflict in Libya. The constructive involvement of Russia and Turkey is analogous to what these two nations have achieved in forging a political settlement for ending the war in Syria.

Arguably, Libya could represent an even more challenging task compared with Syria. At least in Syria there was a central, functioning national state with which to build peace on. By contrast in Libya, there is no unifying national state. The conflict there is more defined as an archetypal civil war, whereas in Syria the conflict was based on the defense of a state in the face of foreign-backed aggression. The task of procuring a comprehensive peace accord in Libya could therefore be more complicated and elusive.

As Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out this week: “The Libyan statehood was bombed by NATO in 2011, and we are still facing the consequences of this illegal, criminal escapade, the Libyan people first of all.”

We may recall that the US and its European NATO allies conducted a seven-month aerial bombing campaign from March-October 2011 in Libya under the false and derisory pretenses of organizing “a humanitarian intervention”. That murderous NATO blitzkrieg resulted in the brutal lynching of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The oil-rich country then became overrun by islamist extremists and warlords, and has remained in a state of chaos ever since. Syria could have fallen by the same nefarious fate of NATO-backed regime change, only for Russia’s military intervention at the end of 2015 to defend the state owing to their long-time alliance.

The NATO destruction of Libya has had disastrous geopolitical consequences. Extremists travelled from there to wage war against the state of Syria. This covert deployment of militants and weapons trafficking to Syria had the backing of the US and Turkey. That lethal conduit greatly exacerbated the war and death toll in Syria.

Libya, as a failed state, then became a gateway for millions of refugees from the Middle East and Africa attempting to enter Europe across the Mediterranean Sea. Hundreds of thousands of people have died from drowning in capsized shoddy boats. Crime and human trafficking have burgeoned. And Europe has borne sharp internal political divisions from the destabilizing inward migration.

For the past nine years, the NATO powers have washed their hands of their criminal destruction of Libya and the horrendous repercussions for the region.

Russia has shown commendable leadership in trying to piece Libya together through diplomatic engagement.

As an opinion article in the Washington Post observed: “While President Trump spends his time tweeting insults and threatening to start Middle Eastern wars, Russia is filling the vacuum in international diplomacy. In the case of Libya, ending a bloody conflict at the doorstep of Europe in an oil-rich country is a major deal.”

The conference in Moscow this week produced a shaky ceasefire. GNA leader Fayez Sarrij signed up to the truce, but the LNA’s Khalifa Haftar left Moscow with-holding his signature, saying that he wanted more time to consider. A truce does seem to be holding, however.

A follow-up peace summit is taking place this weekend in Berlin, hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The two Libyan leaders are expected to attend, as are Russia and Turkey, the two main guarantors. Other nations invited to participate include the US, China, Britain, France and Italy. Arab states which back different factions in Libya are also slated to attend: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE (which support the LNA) and Qatar (which backs the GNA).

Turkey has reportedly sent militia under its control from Syria to back up the GNA. Relations between Ankara and LNA leader Haftar are volatile. Turkey’s President Erdogan has threatened to deploy Turkish troops to Libya if Haftar’s forces resume their offensive to take over Tripoli.

Libya’s combustible conditions could yet explode into war, a war which may become another bloody proxy battlefield for international powers.

Nonetheless, Russia has created a diplomatic space for political progress towards stability and peace in the North African country. Can a government of national unity be formed by the warring sides? It’s not clear if the GNA has the inherent political stability to make a partnership work.

But one thing is clear. Russia’s diplomatic prowess has salvaged a chance
for peace out of the unholy mess that NATO left behind."

Libyan Peace Talks and Russian Diplomacy 101 — Strategic Culture


LNA’s Haftar Says to Sign Deal With GNA’s Sarraj in Berlin If Conditions Met – Source

" The LNA commander, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has said during his talks with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias that he would sign a deal with Fayez Sarraj, the head of the Government of National Accord (GNA), at the upcoming Berlin conference on Libya if certain conditions are met, a diplomatic source told reporters.

"Haftar has said that there are some preconditions that he has previously put forward to sign the agreement", the source said, adding that Haftar did not specify them.

The negotiations between Haftar and Dendias lasted more than an hour and a half. Later on 17 January, Haftar is also expected to meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The UN-led conference on the Libyan crisis settlement is scheduled to be held in the German capital on 19 January. Libyan National Army (LNA) head, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and Fayez Sarraj, the head of the rival GNA, are also expected in Berlin.

Libyan Ceasefire Agreement Envisions Russian Control Over Implementation - Reports

Last Monday, both Haftar and Sarraj participated in talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire deal in Moscow. However, Haftar left the Russian capital without signing the agreement, explaining that he needed additional time to look into the deal. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced on 16 January that he would dispatch troops to Libya in support of the GNA.

Libya has been torn apart between the two rival administrations since 2011, when its long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed, with the LNA controlling the east and the Tripoli-based GNA sitting in the country’s west."

https://sputniknews.com/world/202001171078061960-lnas-haftar-says-to-sign-deal-with-gnas-sarraj-in-berlin-if-conditions-met/

UN Seeks End to Foreign Interference in Libya at Berlin Peace Conference - Spokesman

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres hopes his presence at the international conference on Libya in Berlin over the weekend will help end foreign interference in that country’s war and bolster peace negotiations between warring parties, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said during a press briefing.

"The secretary-general will be heading off to Berlin today to attend the Berlin Conference on Sunday being organized by the Germans," Dujarric told reporters on Friday. "What we hope comes out of Berlin is a renewed demonstration of international unity in supporting the intra-Libyan political process, ending foreign interference, leading to full respect for the UN arms embargo."

The latest of over a half dozen Libyan peace conferences will attempt to break a deadlock between the nation’s internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and the rebel Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Gen. Khalifa Haftar.

For the past nine months Haftar’s LNA have laid siege to the GNA in Tripoli in fighting that has killed hundreds of civilians, thousands of fighters and displaced thousands of people. Haftar’s advance, however, has been stalled on the outskirts of the capital for months.

Both Haftar and GNA leader Fayez Sarraj are expected to attend the conference in Berlin, according to the latest media reports.

The GNA is backed by Turkey and Qatar, while Haftar, who backs a rival administration in Libya’s east, has the support of neighboring Egypt, as well as Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

Libya has been locked in a civil war between rival armed groups since the 2011 overthrow of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi by US- and EU-supported Islamic extremists.

Also at Friday's press briefing, Dujarric called for the immediate release of Siham Sergewa, an elected member of the House of Representatives, who was seized from her home in Benghazi at night six months ago. Since Sergewa’s violent abduction, her fate remains unknown, Dujarric said.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/2...e---spokesman/

This is Putin’s world now.

"Here is what Vladimir Putin’s 2020 has looked like so far.

The Russian leader went to Damascus, Syria, to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a week ago and then flew to Istanbul the next day for the inauguration of a strategic pipeline that brings Russian natural gas to Turkey and Europe underneath the Black Sea, bypassing Ukraine. Standing next to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, Putin called for restraint in Iran-U.S. tensions and for a ceasefire in Libya. Over the weekend, he received German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Moscow and got on the phone to call the leaders of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, countries that support opposing sides in the war in Libya, to make them an offer they could not refuse. By Monday, the Russian leader was receiving the warring factions in Libya in Moscow to broker a cease-fire.

It’s a frenzied and broad agenda for any leader. And it also tells us something about the new world order that is emerging.

While President Trump spends his time tweeting insults and threatening to start Middle Eastern wars, Russia is filling the vacuum in international diplomacy. In the case of Libya, ending a bloody conflict at the doorstep of Europe in an oil-rich country is a major deal. It could bring Erdogan and Putin even closer and force Europeans to start thinking in pragmatic terms about working with Russia on energy and security. As Europe starts thinking of a post-American world, Russia is gaining the prestige it never had.

Russia was always considered a disruptive power while the United States had a track record of establishing “order” in various parts of the world. Post-World War II European unity, supporting democracies after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the equilibrium of military power in Asia or even the efforts to transform the Middle East regimes were, for better of for worse, attempts by Washington to create a friendly and stable order in its own image.

America used to try to design the world, Russia used to try to sabotage those plans. Now things almost look the other way around.

Sure, Russia seems to be punching above its weight in terms of economic and diplomatic capacity, but it is shaping events nonetheless. In Syria, Putin altered the course of a civil war that the United States was watching from afar. In Ukraine, Russian intervention has changed the map and dashed Ukraine’s European dreams. In Venezuela, Moscow’s support has been crucial to maintain Nicolás Maduro in power. In the Middle East, Putin is the leader you want a selfie with.

The decline of U.S. hegemony has been long discussed — the late Harvard professor Samuel Huntington documented five waves of post-World War II American “declinism” back in 1988. His view was that the constant fear of American decline was what led to America’s impressive capacity for constant renewal.

But Huntington never bargained for a President Trump. Trump doesn’t believe in the U.S.-led liberal order or in its institutions. He has eviscerated the U.S. diplomatic capacity and undermined the idea of a U.S. global role among a substantial portion of the American public. The United States may still have the capacity for renewal, but under Trump, it doesn’t seem to want to — it no longer seems to have faith in itself or its own ideas.

Right now, the future for Libyans is unclear. If Putin manages to broker a ceasefire over the next few days, political negotiations will take place in Berlin. If all succeeds, Libya will likely emerge as another divided country. There’s always a bargain. For Syrians, Russia’s footprint meant having to learn to live with their torturer. For Ukraine, it was the end of European integration.

Russia will continue pushing for a world order in which the strong rule the weak and take their territory if they object. It will be an unhappy and unstable world where critics and dissidents are discredited and persecuted. An order in which authoritarianism proudly asserts its legitimacy over democracy."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...ayworld&wpmm=1

Allegedly a copy of the draft "conclusion document.

Draft conclusions of Berlin conference on Libya call for formation of unified government

The document also underlines "the important role of neighboring countries in the Libyan stabilization process"

"The draft conclusions of the upcoming Berlin conference on Libya, a copy of which was made available to TASS on Friday, emphasize the need to form a unified government in the country.

"We [the participants] support the Libyan Political Agreement as viable framework for the political solution in Libya," the document reads. "We also call for the establishment of a functioning Presidency Council and the formation of a single, unified, inclusive and effective Libyan government approved by the House of Representatives," the document adds.

The participants also "urge all Libyan parties to resume the inclusive Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process under the auspices of the UNSMIL [the United Nations Support Mission in Libya], engaging in it constructively, paving the way to end the transitional period through free, fair, inclusive and credible parliamentary and presidential elections." The document underlines "the important role of neighboring countries in the Libyan stabilization process."

"We commit to using all bilateral contacts to urge all Libyan parties to enter into the ceasefire and engage in the intra-Libyan political process under UNSMIL auspices," the document adds.

The military movements

Participants in the Berlin conference on Libya call for the termination of all military movements in support of the parties of the conflict.
"We call for the termination of all military movements by, or in direct support of, the conflict parties, in and over the entire territory of Libya, starting from the beginning of the ceasefire process," the document reads.

Turkey announced earlier that it would send troops to Libya to support the Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez al-Sarraj. On January 16, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara had begun the deployment of troops to Libya.

Security reforms

The draft conclusions of the upcoming Berlin conference on Libya call for security reforms in the country.
"We [the participants] call for the restoration of the monopoly of the State to the legitimate use of force," the document reads, adding: "We support the establishment of unified Libyan national security, police and military forces under central, civilian authority, building upon the Cairo talks, and the documents produced there-in."

Sanctions on those breaching arms embargo

The draft conclusions of the upcoming Berlin conference on Libya call for sanctions on those who breach the United Nations Security Council arms embargo.

"We [participants in the conference] commit to unequivocally and fully respect the arms embargo established by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) and the Council’s subsequent Resolutions, including the proliferation of arms from Libya, and call on all international actors to do the same," the document reads.

"We call on all actors to apply and enforce UNSC sanctions, including through national implementation measures, against those who are found to be in breach of the UNSC arms embargo or the ceasefire."

A special Committee

A special Follow-up Committee will be set up under the United Nations aegis to implement the results of the Berlin conference on Libya.

The international committee will deal with the implementation of the six Libyan settlement "baskets" outlined in the document. They are the ceasefire, weapons embargo, resumption of the political process, reforms in the security sector, economic reforms, and humanitarian law and human rights.

"We herewith create an International Follow-Up Committee (IFC) in order to maintain coordination in the aftermath of the Berlin summit, under the aegis of the United Nations," the document says.
According to the document, the committee will meet on a monthly basis at different locations. "At the end of each session, a conclusion acknowledging specific achievements or compliance would be presented," it reads.

Apart from that, special working groups will meet in Libya or Tunisia twice a months.

A ceasefire agreement

The draft conclusions also call on the parties to the Libyan conflict to make a ceasefire agreement.
"We [the participants] welcome the marked reduction in violence since January 12 and the negotiations undertaken in Moscow on January 14 aimed at paving the way towards a ceasefire agreement," the document reads. "We call for credible, verifiable, sequenced and reciprocal steps, starting with a truce implemented by all parties concerned, including credible steps towards the dismantling of all armed groups and militias by all parties," the document says, emphasizing the need "for the redeployment of heavy weapons, artillery and aerial vehicles and their cantonment."

"We call upon the United Nations to facilitate ceasefire negotiations between the parties, including through the immediate establishment of technical committees to monitor and verify the implementation of the ceasefire," the document adds.

Economic reforms

Participants in the Berlin conference on Libya also call for economic reforms in the country, as can be seen from the draft conclusions of the conference.
"We support the Economic Dialogue with representatives of Libyan financial and economic institutions, and encourage the implementation of structural economic reforms. To facilitate this dialogue, we support the creation of an inclusive Libyan Expert Economic Commission composed of representatives of the key financial and economic institutions," the document reads.

The participants also "encourage the establishment of a reconstruction mechanism for Libya supporting development and reconstruction in all regions under the auspices of a new representative and unified government of national accord exercising its authority over all Libyan territory, to develop the severely affected areas."

Conference on Libya

An international conference on Libya will take place in the German capital on January 19. According to the German government, the event will involve a number of countries, namely Russia, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Egypt, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and the Arab League."

https://tass.com/world/1110249

Putin to take part in Berlin conference on Libya
Russian president to take part in talks aiming to stop conflict in Libya
Putin to take part in Berlin conference on Libya


Pompeo to join Libya conference in Berlin, Greece threatens to veto any solution after Tripoli-Ankara deal

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will take part in this weekend’s Libya peace conference in Germany and voice support for truce efforts, the State Department has said.

Pompeo will call for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from the war-ravaged nation, and a resumption of the UN-backed peace process, AFP quoted a US official as saying.
Pompeo to join Libya conference in Berlin, Greece threatens to veto any solution after Tripoli-Ankara deal — RT Newsline

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Klondyke

Pompeo will call for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from the war-ravaged nation, and a resumption of the UN-backed peace process,

---

Is that the same "peace process" that has singly failed to solve the "Libya Problems" for NINE years?

What messes the West [one faction in particular] consistently creates unnecessarily.
In the name of criminally expanding and manipulating the empire.

Most are easily fooled.
Expected.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HuangLao

What messes the West [one faction in particular] consistently creates unnecessarily.
In the name of criminally expanding and manipulating the empire.

Most are easily fooled.
Expected.

---

Don't be fucking stupid Jeff.

It was mess anyway because it had descended into a civil war you muppet.

It seems from his silly red that Jeff doesn't have a fucking clue what was going on in Libya prior to NATO-led intervention.

The muppet club has a new member.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

have a fucking clue what was going on in Libya

---

I've told you before to buy a more useful mirror 'arry.

The time to dump your existing one is well past.

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?...id=43918&stc=1

Waffling again HoHo?