Western war on Libya

[angelburst29]

Libya remains a dysfunctional state largely due to failed American policy. The 2011 Obama/Clinton support to Al Qaida affiliated groups in order to oust Muammar Gaddafi heavily backfired, with ISIS now profiting from the massive wave of immigration, which also destabilizes Europe.

Could Muammar Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam Solve the Libya Crisis?
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2017/02/10/could-muammar-gaddafis-son-saif-al-islam-solve-the-libya-crisis/

President Trump has a unique chance to fix this terrible mess by backing the appointment of the leader of the Libyan national reconciliation, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, as head of state, the only man able to reunite the tribal nightmare in Libya, and to form a proper democracy, exterminate ISIS, and solve the immigrant crisis.

Millions marched in Libya July 1st, 2011 in support of the government of Muammar Gaddafi, and pleaded for NATO to stop the destruction of the country. At that time, the massive support for Gaddafi was not reported in the mainstream media, yet it was well known that Gaddafi had many supporters. Libya was Africa’s richest country, a socialist, welfare state with lavish benefits, free education, and good living standards. Since 2003, Libya had opened up towards the West in a liberalization process largely led by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who was instrumental in resolving the Lockerbie-bombing issue and paying damages to the victim’s families, deescalated the military, removing its nuclear arms and privatized the economy.

It was Saif al-Islam who freed the Bulgarian nurses in Benghazi, led the large scale Benghazi housing projects, created the Charity Gaddafi Association which helped poor countries in Africa, as well as worked diligently to democratize Libya. He called for a free press and hoped to issue a Constitution of the state. It was also Saif al-Islam who led the Reconciliation Project in 2006 between the government and the opposition, and the peaceful release of political prisoners, like Abdelhakim Belhadj and Khaled Sharef, most of whom joined the rebels and are controlling Tripoli now.

Libya was, prior to 2011, closely cooperating with the CIA and Western intelligence in order to eradicate the Sunni terrorist groups in the region. Gaddafi was an enemy of Al Qaida, which had tried to kill him several times. Under this cooperation, the US and Libya created stability in the region and controlled the immigration flow towards Europe.

Yet, by 2011, mainstream US news outlets and partisan NGOs were responsible for massively presenting misleading information that later turned out to be wrong, which served as a pretext for NATO’s support for armed rebels to overthrow the Libyan government. The basis was that Gaddafi “bombed his own people” in what was described as “a genocide”. But already in early March, US secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that no such attacks could be confirmed. The Russian military monitoring the situation via satellite said that no planes had been in the air at the time in question. In the hands of the very few, any war may easily be ignited by using mainstream propaganda tools. As we know, 90% of the American media is owned by 6 corporations and only 62 individuals now own more than 50% of world assets.

Due to the diligent legal work of organizations such as Judicial Watch, we now know that the chosen Obama/Clinton allies in Syria were The Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafists and Al Qaida groups—Gaddafi’s long term enemies. A Judicial Watch retrieved USA Defense Intelligence Report, dated August 12th, 2012 reveals the axis of alliance: “The Salafists, Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaida in Iraq are the major forces driving the insurgency in Syria. The West, Gulf countries and Turkey support this opposition.”

US foreign secretary John Kerry further enlightened us in his leaked conversation with Syrian oppositional groups, first published by The Last Refuge January 1, 2017. The secret conversation took place September 22, 2016 and in it Kerry states that the US was heavily arming rebels in Syria and watching ISIS grow and that the reason for the intervention of Russia, which the US heavily opposed, was that “Daesh [ISIS] was threatening the possibility of going to Damascus”. He also states that the American goal is to remove the Assad government in Damascus—the same goal as Daesh—and that the Obama administration was hoping for ISIS to strengthen its position in Syria. Assad was “threatened” by ISIS, he says in the recording, and the administration thought it “could probably manage” the situation to force Assad to negotiate; but instead, Russia intervened to support Assad against the extremist group.

Thanks to Wikileaks, we also know that the authorization for the Libya war was Hillary Clinton’s achievement, which meant turning the state into an ISIS haven. Her notorious laughter when hearing about Gaddafi’s brutal death makes one realize what kind of ruthless gang of bandits that the US had as political leaders, people with no respect whatsoever for national sovereignty or international law.

This American cartel activity is now out in the open to the point that president Donald Trump openly states that Obama is the founder of ISIS, co-founded by Hillary Clinton. Which, by the way must be a great joy to many Muslims, who for years have had their religion thrown in the dirt since “Islam is barbarism, just watch ISIS”. As it turns out, ISIS is American geopolitical barbarism at its worst.

[...] [...] [...]

President Trump has a golden moment in history to breach some of the terrible reputation the US now have all over the globe, as US war-mongering and ruthless foreign policy has caused unspeakable damage to millions of innocent civilians, traumatized by loss and bitterness, outside the US’s own borders. It is obvious that the Trump administration aims to team up with more moderate forces in the Middle East. When Gaddafi was in the US, it was Trump property he placed his tent on. Repeatedly Trump admits that “getting rid of” Gaddafi was a big mistake, stating that Libya would be a 100 % better country if Gaddafi had not been killed, Sources now state that more than one million Gaddafi supporters live in Egypt, waiting to return to Libya, and around 300,000 in Tunisia.

Peace in Libya would for certain award the US President a great name as a peace broker in history. The solution to the Libyan crisis is to support the Green movement and The Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya, now nationally unified behind London School of Economics-educated Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. The push is for equality, prosperity and stability, away from division, exclusion and marginalization—the reunification of the Libyan people under one democratic, tribal-backed leader. The development will be most interesting to follow in the months to come.

 

[angelburst29]

Motorcade of Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj was shelled in Tripoli by "armed groups based in the (Rixos) Palaces", according to local media.

Libyan Prime Minister Survives Shelling of Convoy in Tripoli
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201702201050870370-libya-shelling-serraj/

Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj survived a Monday shelling of his motorcade in Tripoli, local media reported, citing governmental sources.

The motorcade with Serraj, head of the State Council Abdulrahman Sewehli and head of the Presidential Guard Najmi Nakoa came under fire as it drove through the country's capital this morning, the Libya Herald newspaper, citing the State Council's press service.

The shelling was reportedly carried out by "armed groups based in the (Rixos) Palaces."

An emergency meeting was convened in Tripoli, according to the newspaper.

Muammar Gaddafi’s cousin stated that NATO member states are controlling the conflict in Libya by supporting militant groups that fight each other, as the Alliance is not seeking to find a resolution to the confrontation.

Playing Both Sides: Gaddafi’s Cousin Accuses NATO of Fueling Conflict in Libya
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201702201050858261-nato-libya-conflict/

NATO member states are controlling the conflict in Libya by supporting militant groups that fight each other, as the Alliance is not seeking to find a resolution to the confrontation, Libya's deceased leader Muammar Gaddafi’s cousin Gaddaf al-Dam told Sputnik Monday.

"In 2011 the NATO alliance came to Libya as a united front, and then it started to support the warring parties in the east, west and south, supplying all these groups, raised on the February [2011] events, with arms. At the same time, NATO itself has not become divided, but it controls the conflict, not wanting for it to end," al-Dam said.

The alliance’s members have not yet completed their mission on Libya’s destruction, and continue to nurture the opposing groups to prologue the conflict, Al-Dam added.

The anniversary of the beginning of Arab spring, that became a continued bloody internal conflict for Libya, fell on February 17.

The civil war began in the country after Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011. In December 2015, Libya’s rival governments — the Council of Deputies based in Tobruk and the Tripoli-based General National Congress — agreed to create the GNA, to form the Presidency Council and to end the political impasse.

The intervention of the UN chief is needed to lift the unfair sanctions against the family of Muammar Gaddafi, Libyan leader overthrown and killed in 2011, Gaddaf Al-Dam said.

February 17 marked six years since the beginning of riots in Libya that grew into an armed conflict, which claimed thousands of lives.

"Saif al-Islam [the son of Gaddafi] is still incarcerated. Unfortunately, the unfair sanctions against him have not been lifted yet, as well as against his mother and siblings who did not even participate in the battles and had no ties to any political institutions… The intervention of the UN Secretary General is necessary to stop the unfairness," Gaddaf Al-Dam said.

Former leader's cousin said that Libya's armed forces, police and courts had to be restored, the prisoners should be freed and those who were forced into exile should be able to return.

According to Gaddaf, none of the government bodies currently operating in Libya represent the country in its entirety, so it was time to "build a new Libyan state for all Libyans without exception."

Gaddaf also stressed the importance of an impartial government that would not be made up of supporters of the events of February 2011 and noted that the reconstruction of the country could be managed without foreign political and military interference, which only aggravated the situation.

The creation of Libya's Presidency Council, following a 2015 agreement between two rival governments, brought some much needed stability, but the country still struggles with internal conflicts. It has also had to handle the influx of refugees which use Libya as a relay point on their journey to Europe.

 

[angelburst29]

Last week marked the sixth anniversary of the start of the civil unrest referred to in Western countries as the 'Libyan Revolution', which culminated in the murder of Muammar Gaddafi and the destruction of Libyan statehood. Speaking to RIA Novosti, Gaddafi's cousin Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam discussed the situation in Libya, and who was responsible.

Gaddafi's Cousin: Everything Muammar Predicted is Coming to Pass
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201702221050956119-gaddaf-interview-situation-in-libya/

Libya's descent into chaos began on February 17, 2011, when protests in the city of Benghazi escalated to a widespread rebellion, concentrated mostly in the eastern portion of the country. In March 2011, as government forces rallied and prepared to crush the revolt, French, British, US, Canadian and Italian forces and allies from Jordan, Qatar, the UAE and Sweden implemented a no-fly zone over Libyan airspace, and launched air strikes against Libyan Army forces.

The NATO operation ended in October 2011 following the capture, torture and execution of longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi; the country has since descended into a state of chaos, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, with several factions, including Daesh and other terrorist groups, vying for control over pieces of the country.

Speaking to RIA Novosti about the condition Libya is in today, Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam, Gaddafi's cousin and a former aide to the Libyan leader, said that he is convinced that the NATO mission to destroy his country has not yet been completed.

The alliance, he recalled, had intervened in the country as a united front, but then began supporting disparate armed groups which opposed one another all across the country. All the while, "NATO itself was never divided, and sought only to manage the conflict. They did not want it to end.
It became clear that the West's plan, which started off with coming to kill Gaddafi and to destroy Libya, has yet to be fully implemented. The West continues to nurture [various] groups to ensure that the conflict does not end for as long as possible."

Not long before his death, Gaddafi warned Western powers that Libya would disintegrate if he was removed from power. Six years on, his predictions have turned into a grim reality, Gaddaf al-Dam noted.

"If the problem lay in the need for Gaddafi or Saddam Hussein to give up power, as some have claimed, then why is all this senseless destruction and killing still going on [now that they are gone]? In this war, fueled by pro-Western forces, there are no winners."

As for Gaddafi's predictions, Gaddaf al-Dam pointed out that the Libyan leader "was a historian and a revolutionary, with his own life experience. He had information about the threats to the Middle East. He warned about it back in the 1980s –all of this is documented. And now, unfortunately, it's clear that he has successfully predicted exactly what has come to pass in the Middle East."

Responsibility for the current chaos in Libya lies squarely on the shoulders of the Security Council, which approved the no-fly zone, and NATO, which implemented it, Gaddaf al-Dam said.

They shoulder the responsibility "for the violations which were committed in Libya – for the tremendous destruction of the country's infrastructure, for the deaths, for the displacement of a third of the country's population, for the prisons, where tens of thousands languish, for the wounded, for the stolen billions, the stolen antiquities, gold, uranium, but most importantly – for the humiliation of the dignity of Libyans, who are living as beggars across the planet."

Gaddaf al-Dam recalled that in 2011, the Libyan state had approximately $600 billion worth of assets inside and outside the country, including $200 billion in bank accounts abroad, along with tons of gold and silver. Six years on, all of this has been plundered. "During these six years, not a single brick has been laid. The streets of the capital have no electricity, the water supply has been turned off, wages are not paid." Schools are not functioning. "This all a time bomb, and poses a threat to the future."

Obama, Gaddaf al-Dam recalled, has acknowledged his mistake. So too did the UK's Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Now, he said, "Libyans demand an apology. Those who make mistakes must fix them."

"First, the international community must apologize for the things they have done to Libyans, and then begin to correct the mistakes. Then we will extend our hands to one another to rebuild our homeland, and return our sons."

The current US and EU-supported Libyan government, which supported the February 2011 'revolution', and who present themselves as the representatives of the entire Libyan people, must give up, must leave, Gaddaf al-Dam insisted. "And we will build a new Libyan government for all Libyans, without exceptions – under a new flag, which unites everyone, or just under the white flag of peace. It is crucial to create an impartial and neutral government, not the cabinet of supporters of the events of February 2011, as is happening now."

"It is necessary to revive the army, about 70,000 of whom are now living in Tunisia and Egypt, as well as the police and the judicial system," he noted. "The internally displaced persons must return home, and prisoners should be released. We need a general amnesty, and free elections under the auspices of the international community. All of this can be solved; we have the necessary knowledge and traditions."

Just as importantly, Gaddaf al-Dam stressed, "all of this can be done without external political and military intervention, which only exacerbates confrontation."

Asked whether he, as a politician, and the supporters of the old Gaddafi government could find support in Libya today, Gaddaf al-Dam said that the answer was 'yes'. "This is our country. Besides, we are not the ruling political party which collapsed, as happened in in Tunisia or Egypt. We are the social, political and military foundation of the Libyan state."

For now though, he added, "we are looking at the situation from the outside, because we do not want to be implicated in this catastrophe. We do not want to be puppets, implementing the plans of the imperialists, who want to turn Libya into a dumping ground for its waste, to appropriate our wealth and build their military bases here. We want peace for Libya – we want to heal the wounds of Libyans."

"No one can participate in the construction of a state if he does not take part in dialogue and the search for solutions," Gaddaf al-Dam noted. "We are an important component when it comes to the Libyan settlement. It's not possible to continue to ignore over 60% of Libyans. These people simply have not yet taken up arms, even though they were the real army, the police, the real political leaders, the lawyers and representatives of tribes who refused to betray themselves," he concluded.

 

[angelburst29]

Meet "Gaddafi #2" who wants Russia's support in Libya
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/03/meet-gaddafi-2-who-wants-russias.html

Libyan politicians have been frequenting Moscow. According to media reports, the Libyan Prime Minister, Fayez al-Sarraj, is supposed to hold a number of meetings in the Russian capital. The aim of the negotiations is attempting to, under the Kremlin’s mediation, regulate the conflict between the Libyan government, army, and parliament which has split the country into two.

As the British newspaper The Times writes, the government of Italy appealed to Moscow to play the role of mediator. Rome is extremely interested in solving the migration crisis in Libya, from where a wave of refugees from North Africa goes through the Apennine Peninsula. In autumn of last year, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi even threatened to block the adoption of the EU budget if the refugee problem was not resolved.

Rome has decided to appeal to Moscow for help even despite the frustration of its NATO allies. The point is that al-Sarraj’s government does not control the entire territory of the country, and Russia wields influence among his political opponents. Al-Sarraj represents western Libya, where in Tripoli the so-called transitional government resides. In the east, power is wielded by the parliament, the House of Representatives of Libya, which is opposed to the council of ministers. The parliament’s deputies don’t recognize the ministers, and vice versa. As for the position of Supreme Commander in Chief of the army, the parliament has appointed Khalif Haftar, after which they awarded him the title of Lieutenant-General and then, after the successful capture of oil fields, Field Marshall. The name of the 74-year-old Haftar, who enjoys enormous prestige in the army, is associated with the liberation of significant
swathes of Libyan territory from ISIS militants.

Recently, Field Marshall Haftar has been in Moscow at least twice. In June 2016, he met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev. In November, he held talks with the head of the foreign ministry, Sergey Lavrov, alongside senior military officials and representatives of the military-industrial complex.

Haftar has allegedly even requested arms deliveries from President Putin and Defense Minister Shoigu. Yet Russia’s foreign ministry has hastened to disavow this report since the UN bans weapons supplies to Libya.

Moscow has been regularly visited by Haftar’s special envoy, Abdel Basset al-Badri, and in December 2016 the head of the House of Representatives, Akila Saleh, came and directly confirmed to journalists that the Libyan army and parliament are really counting on Russian weapons. In January 2017, Haftar demonstratively visited the Russian heavy aircraft cruiser, the Admiral Kuznetsov, when it was in the Mediterranean Sea. Haftar was arranged a video conference with Shoigu directly from the cruiser. They officially discussed the “fight against terrorism.” At the same time, however, a number of European journals citing sources in the Field Marshall’s entourage have written that from the ship Haftar had once again discussed with Russian officers the possibility of arms deliveries to the Libyan army.

Haftar was a close, like-minded friend and ally of the leader of the Libyan Revolution, Muammar Gaddafi, and stood alongside him in the Free Officers underground socialist group. In 1969, he participated in the overthrow of King Idris I alongside Gaddafi. Subsequently, he became the direct overseer of the majority of Libya’s military operations. In those years, he repeatedly visited the USSR, studied at one Soviet military academy, and learned Russian. He has not needed a translator at the talks in Moscow.

Gaddafi greatly appreciated Haftar, even calling him his “spiritual son”, and conferred the rank of Chief of the General Staff upon him. All of this dramatically changed, however, in 1987 during the Chadian-Libyan War. Under unclear circumstances, Haftar ended up captured. Gaddafi believed that his general did not have the right to surrender alive, and therefore publicly disowned him. Haftar saw this as betrayal.

The general soon afterwards escaped to Kenya, and in the early 1990’s moved to the United States. For 20 years, he lived quietly and peacefully in the state of Virginia, the same state where the CIA headquarters is located. There exist a number of conspiracy theories that this former friend of Gaddafi cooperated with American intelligence. Obviously, relevant US authorities could have and should have been “looking after” this pensioner with such a troubled past.

After the civil war in Libya began, his leisurely life in retirement ended, and in March 2011 Haftar arrived in Benghazi and joined the rebels. Even though he had parted ways with Gaddafi, the general had secular, military and left-socialist baggage which immediately brought him into conflict with the Islamists, who tried to assassinate him several times. Haftar’s political choice in favor of the House of Representatives is probably tied to this, since the transitional government itself is partially controlled by “moderate” Islamists.

Contact between Moscow and Haftar have reached such an intensity by the beginning of 2017 that Europe is starting to seriously fear the construction of a Russian naval base in Benghazi. “We all know that the Russians always dreamed of having a base in the Mediterranean Sea,” Malta’s foreign minister, George Vella, said following Haftar’s visit to the Admiral Kuznetsov cruiser.

Haftar himself is called the “second Gaddafi”, a comparison which obviously flatters him. He is also called the “Libyan Bashar al-Assad” because of his pro-Moscow positions.

Yet the field marshall’s main problem is that the international community, first and foremost Washington and Brussels, recognize and support not him, but the transitional government of Sarraj. From the point of view of the formalities of the law, Haftar’s status is unclear. According to the Skhirat peace agreement signed in 2015 under the UN’s mediation, the House of Representatives was supposed to recognize the government in Tripoli, but it never did.

The validity of Haftar’s appointment as commander of the army is also raising questions. Nevertheless, it is absolutely indisputable that in eastern Libya he has concentrated real power in his hands - real power that is really opposed to the jihadists. This is perfectly understood by Libyan Prime Minister Sarraj, the EU, and the US.

Russia is ready to work with all parties in Libya in order to find solutions for the crisis in the country, according to official statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Russia Ready to Work Closely With All Parties in Libya to Resolve Crisis
https://sputniknews.com/world/201703031051231384-russia-libya-foreign-ministry/

Moscow is ready to work closely with all parties in Libya in search for mutually acceptable solutions toward ensuring the establishment of conditions for sustainable development and resolution of the crisis in the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Prime Minister of the Libyan Government of National Accord Fayez Sarraj.

"The main focus of the frank exchange of opinion has been given to the development of the situation in Libya with emphasis on the efforts to promote the advancement of the process of national reconciliation in that country made under the auspices of the UN," the statement read.

The Russian side stressed the importance of establishing an inclusive intra-Libyan dialogue to create a unified government with the army and police force capable of ensuring security and the rule of law, to effectively counter the terrorist threat.

Following a NATO-led intervention and forced "democratization," Libya has become one of Europe's worst nightmares, degenerating into a hotbed of terrorism and a source of mass migration. However, Russia may utilize the West's failures to strengthen its position in the Mediterranean, while also promoting a solution for the war-ravaged country.

Russia About to Mend What West Left Broken in Libya
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702211050897619-russia-libya-europe/

Six years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Russia is steering towards a new foreign policy triumph over the West, Danish columnist Jacob Svendsen wrote in the newspaper Politiken.

Of late, Russia has strengthened its cooperation with Libyan marshal Khalifa Haftar, a powerful warlord who controls not only the eastern part of the war-torn country, but also most of its vast oil deposits. According to Svendsen, Khalifa Haftar may become part of a sustainable political solution in Libya, and Russia may establish a stronghold in the Mediterranean.

In recent weeks, the 73-year-old North African marshal's favor has become the goal of a fast-paced diplomatic race, Svendsven wrote. The EU's goal is to get Haftar, who has admittedly accumulated great powers, to come to terms with the weak UN-backed provisional government in Tripoli (GNA), which currently only controls a minor part of the country. Unlike Haftar, who speaks from a position of power, the rickety GNA is entirely dependent on a complex web of militias in western Libya for support.

All the countries involved have recognized that Haftar must somehow be integrated in the power in Libya. Haftar, however, believes himself to stand a fair chance and sees no point in power-sharing," Mattia Toaldo, an expert on Libya from the European Council on Foreign Affairs, told Politiken. "There are fears that he will become a new strongman, which are based on his repeated statements that Libya's military must be independent of the political leadership. At the same time, he is quite popular among many Libyans who hope that his army succeeds in stopping the warring militias and the chaos they have created," he added.

Last week, EU leaders met in Malta, where they affirmed support for the Tripoli-based Libyan government, and approved the Italy-led plans to build refugee camps in Libya. But the US may have its own project for resolving the Libyan crisis, and could work to try and implement it together with Russia, says Israeli-Russian journalist Avigdor Eskin.

Putin and Trump Working Together in Libya? There's a Very Good Chance
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201702061050396291-russia-us-cooperation-libya-analysis/

Friday's informal EU meeting in Malta focused on how to stem the flow of migrants from Libya and other African countries into Southern Europe. Ever since the French, UK and US-led military campaign to help militants oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, hundreds of thousands of migrants have made the perilous journey from the North African country to Italy, with 181,000 people arriving in the Southern European country in 2016 alone. Thousands have also died along the way.

Following their meeting, EU leaders signed the 'Malta Declaration', in which they agreed to "step up cooperation with the Libyan authorities," (i.e. the Tripoli-based government) to "significantly reduce migratory flows." Brussels' priorities include providing training, equipment and other support for Libyan coast guard and border control agencies. They've also prioritized efforts to improve the economic situation in the country, particularly in coastal areas, and the creation of refugee camps inside Libya itself to prevent would-be migrants from crossing the Mediterranean. Recently, the EU allocated another $215 million for the Italian-led effort to keep migrants from coming to Europe.

However, according to Israeli-Russian journalist and political analyst Avigdor Eskin, there are sources indicating that "the US President is preparing his own solution to the problems plaguing Italy and other European nations" through the migrant crisis.

In a recent analysis for Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, Eskin wrote that "unofficial but reliable sources have revealed" that as soon as this week, "the first steps will be made to launch a new project on Libya's reconstruction."

Washington, the journalist noted, "is looking forward to working with Russia on this project on a partnership basis," with Italy and Egypt also expected to be involved.

Progress on a Russian-US agreement over Syria has helped serve to reinforce the idea of improving relations between the two countries "specifically via the reconstruction of Libya and its liberation from the Daesh terrorists," Eskin added.

The outlines of a US plan for Libya were first proposed last year by a collective of security and intelligence experts known as Jellyfish Inc., some of whom, including newly-named National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, have become key officials in Trump's White House, the journalist explained.

This mysterious intelligence firm, charged with working out a Libya plan, can help provide a framework for US government departments and private sector agencies which would be charged with implementing US policy. Jellyfish Inc's plans, Eskin noted, involve the creation of micro-cities, set up in coastal zones adjacent to already-existing settlements, consisting of between 20,000 and 50,000 people. "These areas would see the construction of oil refineries, and infrastructure providing for a decent life," the journalist explained.

Eskin stressed that these cities would have "little in common with refugee camps" of the kind proposed by the EU.

"We're talking about small towns, conforming with European standards. One of their main objectives would be to prevent Libyans' continuing exodus to Europe, and in the future, to see refugees come back home."

Eskin suggested that the idea been approved by General Flynn, and "fully corresponds with the administration's policies." Furthermore, a more detailed planned has been presented and approved, according to the analyst.

The main question now, Eskin wrote, is whether "Russia will want to work with the Americans in Libya." After all, he noted, "whereas the funding plans have already been elaborated, an agreement with Russia has yet to be reached."

According to Eskin, Russia's interest in Libya is "above all connected to its historical ties with the country, together with its recent successes in promoting its interests in the international arena. The Libyan disaster resulted in considerable losses for Russia. The new administration in Washington believes that the desire to regain influence and to offset its losses may persuade Russia to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation with Washington in the devastated country."

Washington's desire for cooperation is also understandable, Eskin added, given "the need to protect against Daesh and other radicals, and Russia's unique and successful experience in this regard," particularly in Syria.

The plan for Libya's reconstruction does not imply the introduction of an American or Russian military contingent," the journalist stressed, but rather the creation of "private entities, which will be present to defend the micro-city communities. It can also be assumed that Washington is dismayed over seeing part of Libya's oil [industry] in the hands of extremists. This reminds it of the previous administration's participation in the destruction of Libyan statehood."

"Incidentally, Eskin noted, "before the start of the civil war, Libya produced over 1.6 million barrels of oil a day. Now it produces barely 700,000 barrels, even though the country remains an oil giant, and has the largest proven oil reserves in Africa."

With all this in mind, the analyst concluded that the question now is "whether Libya can become the catalyst for the beginning of a Russian-US thaw?"

Commenting and expanding on Eskin's piece, Bloomberg international relations commentator Leonid Bershidsky wrote that prospects for cooperation exist, but would require Trump to break from Europe in its support for the Tripoli-backed Government of National Accord in favor of the other major power in the country, the Tobruk-based government supported by Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar.

Libya could very well become the scene of a rivalry between Brussels and Moscow, the journalist argued, adding that "Russia could suddenly turn [to] Trump, who could turn to Putin." Moscow, the analyst suggested, prefers Haftar to the Tripoli-based government, in part because the former does not rely on the support of Islamist groups. Haftar, he added, had "chased Islamist fighters out of Benghazi and the surrounding areas and took over Libya's key oil terminals from [Western-backed] forces last September, boosting the country's output."

The Kremlin has been cultivating a relationship with Haftar," Bershidsky added, pointing to the general's visit to Moscow late last year, and his visit to Russia's Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier in January, "where he held a teleconference with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu" regarding the fight against international terrorism.

Bershidsky noted that if Russia provides more support for Haftar, including weapons and maybe even sets up military bases, the EU's agreements with the Tripoli government would be under threat. Eskin, for his part, believes that any such deals are probably out of the question, given Moscow's long-standing suspicions that Haftar is a CIA asset. Furthermore, Moscow abides by the UN agreement prohibiting the provision of weapons to the war-torn country.

Nevertheless, Trump, according to Bershidsky, has "major reasons" to support Haftar over the Tripoli government, with his suspected CIA connection also playing a role.

Just as importantly, "Trump [was] highly skeptical of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's actions in Libya" (including US airstrikes against the Libyan army in support of anti-Gaddafi rebels). Moreover, "like Putin, [Trump] doesn't believe in imposing democracy on Middle Eastern nations where Islamist groups enjoy popular support."

Ultimately, Bershidsky suggested that while the plan outlined in Eskin's article may sound like wishful thinking, it is possible that Moscow may "approach the Trump administration with offers of pacifying Libya and thus weakening the Islamic State [Daesh]." Washington, Bershidsky argued, "wouldn't even need to do anything except turn a blind eye to Russian support of Haftar."

"If Trump's isolationist team is willing to cut its risks and outsource at least part of its promised fight against Islamist terrorism to Russia, an understanding on Libya is a possible first step down that road," Bershidsky concluded.

 

[angelburst29]

Armed forces based in Libya’s East have deployed extra troops in preparation for a counterattack to regain control of the oil-rich areas recently lost to militias.

Armed Groups Fighting over Libya’s ‘Oil-Rich Region’
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13951215001428

Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s forces, known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), lost control of the “oil crescent” in central Libya to militias on Friday, presstv reported.

Haftar’s forces had gained control of oil-rich region, where the four terminals of Zuitina, Brega, Ras Lanuf and Sidra are located, six months ago.

A spokesman for the LNA, Colonel Ahmed Mosmary, said they had carried out airstrikes against the militias, known as the Benghazi Defense Brigade (BDB), on Saturday.

“This is a war against a whole region,” he said, referring to the attacks earlier by the militia on Libya’s Eastern region, which is controlled by the government in Tobruk. “They will not win.”

The occupation of the terminals by the militia has stoked fears of a stoppage of oil production, which would paralyze the already-ailing Libyan economy; and the facilities could sustain serious damage if clashes escalate.

Libya has been split between opposing forces since a NATO military intervention that followed the 2011 uprising and that led to the overthrow and death of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Rival governments, set up in Tripoli in the West and the Eastern city of Tobruk back in 2014, have been competing ever since.

The LNA is linked to the government based in the east.

Each of the governments is backed by a set of armed forces, militias, tribes, and political factions. Haftar has refused to profess allegiance to the government in Tripoli, which has been recognized by the United Nations (UN).

Mosmary, the spokesman for the LNA, accused the rival government in the West of having launched the attack on the oil facilities. The Tripoli government, however, has condemned the fighting and said it had no role in it.

The Benghazi-based militants, linked to ISIL and opposed to both the Tripoli and Tobruk governments, could be behind the attack on the oil facilities.

 

[angelburst29]

On Tuesday, the Libyan parliament situated in the country's eastern city of Tobruk voted to withdraw from a unity government agreement following the attacks on the country's main oil-production area in the east. Parliamentarian Tarik al-Jarushi told Sputnik Arabic which European countries were behind these attacks and why.

Libyan Parliamentarian Blames UK, Italy for Attacks on Oil Fields in the East
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201703091051414712-uk-italy-libya-attacks/

The legislative body denounced the UN-brokered deal signed in the Moroccan city of Skhirat on December 17, 2015, which stipulated the creation of the State Council and the Government of National Accord (GNA).

The move came in response to attacks on the country's main oil-production area in the east spearheaded by the Benghazi Defense Brigades, a coalition of mostly Islamist militias and armed groups.

Libya's oil-exporting region is bitterly contested between the country's UN-backed Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and the rival Tobruk-based House of Representatives parliament. It used to be under the control of General Khalifa Haftar, who leads the Libyan National Army (LNA) in the east of the country and is a close ally of the Tobruk-based administration.

Sputnik Arabic spoke to Tarik al-Jarushi the head of the Tobruk-based parliament's National Security Council who commented on the move.

"How can we be in a dialogue with those who are fighting against Libyans, destroying wells, terminals and ports? So we made a decision to halt this political dialogue," he explained to Sputnik.

He further noted that the militants from the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda and Benghazi Defense Brigades have united their efforts to attack the oil-rich region of the country.

"We urged the Presidential Council of Libya to stop these attacks but they told us that this is none of their business. However it clearly contradicts their actions at the very start of the attacks when the GNA appointed Brigadier General Idris Buhmada the head of the Guards of the defense of the oil facilities. And after the capture of Ras Lanuf (export terminal), the terrorists held a press-conference where they transferred the management of the terminal to Buhmada. It is a very strange contradiction," he told Sputnik.

The parliamentarian further said that after the capture of Ras Lanuf terminal, the Presidential Council is urging a no-fly-zone above the terminal and the bombing of the militants. It was voiced even more loudly after the UK put forward its project to close the sky over Libya to the UN Security Council, he said.

Thus, he said, the UK wants to fully compel the Libyans and the eastern parliament into exchanging oil for food and to repeat the tragic fate of Iraq.

"The play is going on and the plot is clear. Italy supports a hospital in the city of Misurata for the rehabilitation of terrorists, where well-known leaders of al-Qaeda undergo treatment," he said.

"It is Italy and the UK who are behind these recent attacks. All they want is to take these oil terminals under their control," he finally concluded.

US Africa Command commander Gen. Thomas Waldhauser stated that the Daesh terrorists are trying to regroup its forces in Libya.

Daesh Attempting Regrouping in Libya - US African Command Head
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201703091051421841-us-libya-daesh/

The Islamic State [Daesh] terror group (outlawed in Russia) is scattered in Libya, but it is trying to regroup its forces, US Africa Command commander Gen. Thomas Waldhauser said on Thursday.

"They’ve scattered again now. They are in small groups trying to regroup," Waldhauser told the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

On December 19, the US Africa Command ended its operation Odyssey Lightning against the Islamic State in the Libyan city of Sirte and said it had driven the militants out from the area.

 

[angelburst29]

Libyan government troops have gained control over Ras Lanuf Airport in Libya as part of a campaign to retake oil fields, Arab media reported Tuesday.

Libyan Army Gains Control Over Ras Lanuf Airport - Reports
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703141051561998-libya-army-airport/

Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh told Sputnik in an interview earlier in the day that the Libyan army would "soon expel terrorist groups, return the fields under the control of the armed forces."

The so-called Benghazi Defense Brigades attacked and gained control of Sidra and Ras Lanuf oil fields this month, pushing out Libyan National Army Gen. Khalifa Haftar's forces handing control to the Tripoli-based authorities.

Libya has the largest oil reserves in Africa and the tenth largest globally.

Russia favors an authority in Libya who would combat terrorism, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

Moscow Wants Authority in Libya Who Could Combat Terrorism - Kremlin
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703141051560118-kremlin-russia-libya-terrorism/

Russia would like to see an authority in Libya who would combat terrorism, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday, noting that it relies on eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar to contribute in the settlement process.

On December contacts with Haftar, he said that "Russia is betting on him in the matter of settling the situation in Libya" and underscored the "highly controversial and complex" state of affairs there.

"Certainly, excessive intervention by Russia in Libyan affairs is hardly possible and is hardly advisable. but nevertheless, this does not mean that Russia does not contact those with whom it considers it necessary," Peskov stressed.

The Libyan government in the country’s east is ready to implement the contracts with Russia on arms supplies reached under former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s House of Representatives Chairman Aguila Saleh Issa told Sputnik.

Libya Ready to Implement Arms Contracts With Russia Reached Under Gaddafi
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703141051560252-libya-gaddafi-arms-russia/

Russia promised to assist the local authorities in the east of Libya in combating terrorism, he said.

We asked the Russian government to help us in training of the armed forces, repairing of military equipment by Russian experts, as most of our officers were trained in Russia and many speak Russian, and they know how to use Russian equipment. We were promised an assistance in the fight against terrorism," Issa said.

"Commissions which will have to check and monitor the implementation of defense contracts reached with Russia during the rule of Muammar Gaddafi will be established. They will be implemented with the two sides’ good will," Issa said.

During the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Libya in April 2008, Moscow and Tripoli signed a number of intergovernmental and commercial agreements, including the one to write off the Libyan debt amounting to $4.5 billion in exchange for contracts for Russian defense industry, though no details on the deals were made public.

Russia ready to take in new groups of Libyan wounded military men from the eastern part of the country for treatment, he said.

In early February, about 70 soldiers from the Libyan national army under command of Khalifa Haftar were sent to Russia for medical treatment.

"The friendly Russian government expressed its willingness to accept the wounded for treatment, and eventually it fulfilled the promise. If we need to send another group of wounded to Russia, they are ready to provide this humanitarian assistance," Isa said.

Libya’s House of Representatives has sent an invitation to members of the defense and foreign affairs committees of the Russian State Duma to visit the country’s east, Saleh said.

We have sent a letter to the Russian State Duma with an invitation of a range of members of the defense and foreign affairs committees to visit Libya (the government troop-controlled eastern part. We await their visit," Issa said.

According to the politician, Libyan lawmakers will soon visit Moscow.

Libya has been in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a civil war began in the country and its longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown. In December 2015, Libya’s rival governments — the Council of Deputies based in Tobruk and the Tripoli-based General National Congress — agreed to create the Government of National Accord, to form the Presidency Council and to end the political impasse.

 

[angelburst29]

Libyan military aircraft crashed on Saturday in the country's northeastern city of Benghazi, Libyan National Army spokesman Ahmed Mismari told Sputnik.

Libya's Military Aircraft Crashes in Country's Northeast
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201703181051728363-libya-mig-21-crash/

According to the spokesman, the pilot of the MiG-21 fighter jet managed to eject from the plane.

Mismari suggested that the aircraft could be shot down by enemy forces.

The Libyan National Army led by Gen. Khalifa Haftar is currently fighting against terrorist groups in Benghazi. The groups attacked and gained control of Sidr and Ras Lanuf oil fields, pushing out Haftar's forces, earlier in March. On Tuesday, reports emerged that Libyan government troops drove the militants from the area.

 

[angelburst29]

London appears to be making preparations to radically shift its Libya policy. Following Moscow's lead, British officials are trying to broach a rapprochement with Khalifa Haftar, the Tobruk-based Marshal whose forces stand to counter the Western-backed Government of National Accord. Analysts say Moscow will have no choice but to respond.

Keep Calm & Follow Moscow's Lead: UK Setting Up Ties With Libya's Tobruk Gov't
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703271052014478-haftar-uk-report-support/

Last week, the Conservative Middle East Council (CMEC), a UK Conservative Party organization charged with helping lawmakers understand Middle Eastern Affairs, issued a 16-page report on the situation in Libya, based on a recent visit to the war-torn country by CMEC director Leo Docherty and Conservative Party lawmaker Kwasi Kwarten.

While the story has seen little coverage in UK and world media, the CMEC's surprising recommendations were certainly newsworthy. The report urged London to immediately "engage" with Haftar, his Libyan National Army, and the Tobruk-based House of Representatives, and to "reconsider" its position toward the Government of National Accord, which the UK has traditionally supported.

The report stressed that Marshal Haftar and the Tobruk-based government were solidly anti-jihadists, and that they had established order and governance in eastern Libya particularly when compared with the western part of the country, which, in the report's words, was "dominated by warlords and criminal gangs").

The report emphasized that Haftar was also waging a war against ordinary criminal gangs, including smugglers, something the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) has failed to do effectively.

The paper pointed out that during their trip to the Tobruk-controlled territories, Docherty and Kwarten observed functioning traffic rules, well-organized police and military forces, and signs of life in urban centers, including functioning shops, restaurants, a bank system. The report also took note of the fact that 32 of the House of Representative's deputies were women, and that parliamentary discussion was open and lively.

Meeting with Haftar during their trip, Docherty and Kwarteng characterized him as a 'soldier's soldier', and praised him for his secular worldview. The Marshal, they said, had appealed for British help to end the Libyan crisis.

Russian observers were surprised by the CMEC's frank conclusions, recalling that Haftar, who has made repeated overtures to Russia in recent months, is normally seen in the West as a figure which does not merit official recognition.

Analysts pointed to Moscow's own recent efforts to cultivate ties with the Marshal, and even suggested that Russia's position is to support him over the GNA. The Russian logic stems, analysts say, stems from Haftar's effectiveness, and his strict refusal to use Islamist groups as a support base.

Haftar paid a visit to Moscow late last year, with officials remaining hush-hush about the content of the negotiations. In January, the Marshal demonstratively boarded Russia's Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier as it was sailing along Libya's coast, discussing the fight against terrorism with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in a video conference call.

London, the CMEC report hinted, must do more to establish its own ties with the military leader.

Asked to comment on the report, London-based Libyan political analyst Abdelaziz Egnia told Russia's Izvestia newspaper that the report may be an indication that London has finally come to recognize the GNA is a hopeless structure, whose only remaining advantage is its international recognition.

The [GNA] cabinet does not have the support of the majority of Libyans," the expert stressed. "Exactly the opposite can be said about the parliament in Tobruk, and the National Army led by Haftar, which controls much of the country. Several Arab governments, including Libya's neighbors, provide it with political and military support."

British officials, Egnia explained, "are seriously agitated by the visible convergence between Haftar and Moscow."

"The recent visit by the Mashal aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov is a case in point," the analyst added. "Now, London is playing catchup, beginning a rapprochement with Haftar and engaging in consultations with him to try to push Russia out."

In this light, Izvestia suggested that it was quite indicative that Peter Millett, the UK's ambassador to Libya, met with Haftar in Benghazi just a few days following Docherty and Kwarteng's visit.

Last month, complaining about Russia's "interference" in Libya via its negotiations with Haftar, UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon warned Moscow to stay out of the region, saying "we don't need the bear sticking his paws in." Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu humorously responded, stressing that "there is an old saying: that every lion is a cat, but not every cat is a lion. Everyone should deal with their affairs. We do not think there is animal in [the UK's] zoo which can order a bear around."

For his part, Middle East Expert Vyacheslav Matuzov suggested that the CMEC report makes it perfectly obvious that the UK is actively trying to push Moscow into the background in order to undermine Russia's position in North Africa.

The winner in this situation will be the side that clearly articulates its approach to the Libyan situation, and provides its support to the side with the greatest chances to extend its control throughout the country," Matuzov said. "In official statements, Moscow expresses support for both the GNA and Haftar. But if Russia stops there, then it can lose the initiative, since the West is also starting to understand the actual alignment of forces in the country," he emphasized.

Ultimately, Izvestia suggested that "it's obvious that London is gradually withdrawing support for the GNA and leaning toward Marshal Haftar. For Moscow, this is a major challenge, and one which cannot be left unanswered."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui discussed on Monday issues regarding bilateral relations as well as the two states’ efforts toward the resolution of the Libyan conflict, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Senior Russian Diplomat, Tunisian Foreign Minister Discuss Libyan Settlement
https://sputniknews.com/world/201703281052019956-russia-tunisia-discuss-libyan-settlement/

The statement noted that Bogdanov and Jhinaoui had also discussed a number of aspects on the agenda of the upcoming 28th Arab League summit, which is will be held in Jordan’s capital city of Amman on Wednesday.

"During the confidential talks [the sides] discussed … the efforts of Moscow and Tunisia [taken] as part of promoting intra-Lybian reconciliation and ensuring the state’s stability and environment for sustainable social and economic development," the statement said.

Additionally, the two diplomats spoke about increasing Russian-Tunisian cooperation by way of maintaining a regular political dialogue on the on matters of mutual concern, among other approaches

On February 28, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was interested in the establishment of a stable government in Libya which would have the ability launch the rebuilding process.

 

[angelburst29]

Toubou and Awlad Suleiman ethnic groups living in the south of Libya agreed to sign a peace treaty as a result of secret 72-hour talks that ended on Friday evening and were mediated by Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti, according to media reports.

Libyan Tribes Sign Peace Treaty After Secret Talks in Italian Interior Ministry
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201704021052209194-libya-italy-talks-peace/

Representatives of tribes living in the south of Libya signed a peace agreement after hours of secret negotiations in the Italian Interior Ministry, media reported Sunday.

According to La Stampa newspaper, Toubou and Awlad Suleiman ethnic groups agreed to sign a peace treaty as a result of secret 72-hour talks that ended on Friday evening and were mediated by Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti. The meeting was attended by over 60 clan leaders, including the head of the largest Tuareg tribe in the Libyan region of Fezzan as well as Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Omar Maiteeq of Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

In addition to the cessation of hostilities that had led to at least 500 people being killed in recent years, the Libyan tribes made commitments to combat illegal migration on the most vulnerable part of the route from Africa to Europe – in the south Libyan border.

The Libyan border guard service will be active all along the 5,000 kilometers [3,106 miles] long south Libyan border. And in the north, migrant sea traffickers will be dealt with by the Libyan coast guard which was trained by Italian experts, and which will be equipped with 10 motor boats from April 30," Minniti said, as quoted by La Stampa.

Minniti added that "to seal the southern Libyan border means to seal the southern border of Europe."

Italy has been steadily increasing its cooperation with North African countries to tackle the problem of illegal migration. On Friday, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou signed in Rome an agreement on Italy allocating 50 million euros ($53 million) in order to ensure the borders of Niger are duly controlled.

In early February, Italy signed a memorandum of intent in the sphere of combating illegal migration in Lybia with the GNA. The document provides the development of cooperation in the fight against human trafficking and smuggling, strengthening border control and preventing illegal crossing.

 

[angelburst29]

Donald Trump said that that he does not see a role for the United States to play in Libya.

Trump Says He Does Not See Role for US in Libya
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201704201052828590-trump-not-role-libya/

US President Donald Trump said in a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni at the White House that he does not see a role for the United States to play in Libya.

I do not see a role in Libya," Trump stated on Thursday. "I think the United States has right now enough roles. We’re in a role everywhere. I do see a role in getting rid of ISIS [Daesh]."

Earlier on Thursday, Gentiloni said at an event that partitioning Libya would have dangerous consequences for Europe, Egypt and Tunisia.

Gentiloni suggested the United States and Italy should work together to back the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and stabilize the country to prevent the Islamic State and other terror groups from taking advantage of the situation.

The eastern part of Libya is currently governed by the country’s parliament in Tobruk, supported by the Libyan National Army under Gen. Khalifa Haftar. The Government of National Accord headquartered in Tripoli governs the western part of Libya.

Ahead of the upcoming G-7 summit, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni traveled to Washington and Ottawa to discuss the situation in Syria, Libya and Iraq.

US 'Can Barely Stand' Russia Taking Part in Ending Libyan War
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201704241052939817-us-syria-war/

In an interview with Sputnik, Andrea Cucco, editor-in-chief of Difesa Online news portal, said that Gentiloni’s meeting with US President Trump reminded her of 2015 when Italy congratulated the US on its airstrike against a Syrian military base following the alleged use of chemical weapons by President Assad’s forces.

He also said that Paolo Gentiloni’s main concern was the situation in Libya and that during an earlier meeting with US Defense Secretary James Mattis he pledged Italy’s across-the-board support for Washington, including in containing the imaginary “Russian threat.”

“The bottom line here is Libya which the United States wants to snap up as soon as possible,” Cucco said, adding that Washington was mostly worried by Russia’s intervention in Libya and its support for Libyan National Army General Khalifa Haftar.

“According to some sources in Libya, the US has long been trying to carve up the country, but with little success. That’s why it can barely stand the role Russia is playing in ending the crisis in Libya,” Cucco emphasized.

In March, Libya’s embattled Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj asked the UN, the EU and the League of Arab States to intervene and prevent a new flare-up in the civil war, which has ravaged the North African country since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

Fayez al-Sarraj’s UN-backed government, based in Tripoli, has been struggling to gain control against the Tobruk-based House of Representatives led by General Haftar, which controls the country’s east. General Haftar has been playing a key role in eastern Libya since his forces scored a series of victories against Islamist militants and seized several oil terminals in the north.

Getting back to the situation in Syria, Andrea Cucco mentioned the 1.5 million Syrians who have fallen victim to the ambitions of the Western and some Middle Eastern countries which financed, armed and trained thousands of jihadi militants and terrorists and sent them to fight in Syria.

“And now they pretend that nothing has happened and talk about a political solution to the crisis in Syria where, helped by Russia, the government forces have managed to win back most of the country’s territory,” he noted, adding that important as it was to reach a political solution to the crisis, destroying the terrorists with military force would still be a better way to avenge the death of their countless victims.

Meanwhile, representatives of Libya’s warring governments meeting in Rome on Monday, clinched an agreement to end months of fighting in a deal brokered by Italy.

The two delegations will resume their talks in Rome later this week.

Dividing Libya into two separate states would increase instability and threaten the region as well as Europe, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Thursday.

Dividing Libya to Cause 'Further Destabilization, External Intervention' - Rome
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201704201052820031-libya-dividing-italy-gentiloni/

The possible partition of Libya has been raised multiple times during the country’s current conflict, including by members of US President Donald Trump’s administration.

"I don’t think that the division of Libya in two different parts…is a good idea because this could bring further destabilization and further external intervention," Gentiloni stated in remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

On April 10, The Guardian reported that Sebastian Gorka, an assistant to the US president, suggested dividing Libya in the weeks leading to Trump's inauguration.

Gentiloni said partitioning the country would have dangerous consequences for Egypt and Tunisia as well as Europe.

He said the United States and Italy should work together to back the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and stabilize the country to prevent Daesh and other terror groups from taking advantage of the conflict.

(Comment: If I'm understanding the information in the reports, Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni is against "a division of Libya in two different parts"
but urges the U.S. (new Trump administration) to support Italy's position in backing Fayez al-Sarraj’s UN-backed government, based in Tripoli - to further reduce the traces of Gaddafi's influence, represented by General Haftar and backed by Russia? Under Obama, the U.S. and the Pentagon were the main power brokers in over throwing Libya's Gaddafi, so they could install their puppet Fayez al-Sarraj’s, who's first primary move was to secure Libya's oil fields for his handlers? Under General Haftar, the oil fields were reclaimed for Libya and what little legit government remaining under Gaddafi's previous rule. The media play of splitting Libya in two - might be to force Trump into backing Fayez al-Sarraj’s and increase military support to help remove Hafter?)

 

[angelburst29]

Five Russian sailors who were previously detained in Libya, have finally returned to Russia. The men were arrested by the Libyan coastal guard after their ship entered Libyan territorial waters on the 5th of March.

Libya: Detained Russian Sailors Finally Freed
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/04/libya-detained-russian-sailors-finally.html

"We managed to free five sailors who were working aboard the cargo ship Merle and who have since returned to Russia", the Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was heard saying.

He also said that Russian diplomats held meetings with Libyan politicians in Tripoli, but have not addressed the Parliament of the country, regarding the matter.

Yesterday, the Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met with Fayez Al Saraj, Libyan Prime minister and Chairman of the Presidential Council, in Tripoli. The two men discussed economic cooperation between the countries, and especially the return of the Russian companies to Libya after their presence was disrupted due to the ongoing situation in the country.

 

[Voyageur]

Donald Trump said that that he does not see a role for the United States to play in Libya.

Trump Says He Does Not See Role for US in Libya
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201704201052828590-trump-not-role-libya/

US President Donald Trump said in a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni at the White House that he does not see a role for the United States to play in Libya.

I do not see a role in Libya," Trump stated on Thursday. "I think the United States has right now enough roles. We’re in a role everywhere. I do see a role in getting rid of ISIS [Daesh]."

Earlier on Thursday, Gentiloni said at an event that partitioning Libya would have dangerous consequences for Europe, Egypt and Tunisia.

Gentiloni suggested the United States and Italy should work together to back the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and stabilize the country to prevent the Islamic State and other terror groups from taking advantage of the situation.

The eastern part of Libya is currently governed by the country’s parliament in Tobruk, supported by the Libyan National Army under Gen. Khalifa Haftar. The Government of National Accord headquartered in Tripoli governs the western part of Libya.

Ahead of the upcoming G-7 summit, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni traveled to Washington and Ottawa to discuss the situation in Syria, Libya and Iraq.

US 'Can Barely Stand' Russia Taking Part in Ending Libyan War
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201704241052939817-us-syria-war/

In an interview with Sputnik, Andrea Cucco, editor-in-chief of Difesa Online news portal, said that Gentiloni’s meeting with US President Trump reminded her of 2015 when Italy congratulated the US on its airstrike against a Syrian military base following the alleged use of chemical weapons by President Assad’s forces.

He also said that Paolo Gentiloni’s main concern was the situation in Libya and that during an earlier meeting with US Defense Secretary James Mattis he pledged Italy’s across-the-board support for Washington, including in containing the imaginary “Russian threat.”

“The bottom line here is Libya which the United States wants to snap up as soon as possible,” Cucco said, adding that Washington was mostly worried by Russia’s intervention in Libya and its support for Libyan National Army General Khalifa Haftar.

“According to some sources in Libya, the US has long been trying to carve up the country, but with little success. That’s why it can barely stand the role Russia is playing in ending the crisis in Libya,” Cucco emphasized.

In March, Libya’s embattled Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj asked the UN, the EU and the League of Arab States to intervene and prevent a new flare-up in the civil war, which has ravaged the North African country since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

Fayez al-Sarraj’s UN-backed government, based in Tripoli, has been struggling to gain control against the Tobruk-based House of Representatives led by General Haftar, which controls the country’s east. General Haftar has been playing a key role in eastern Libya since his forces scored a series of victories against Islamist militants and seized several oil terminals in the north.

Getting back to the situation in Syria, Andrea Cucco mentioned the 1.5 million Syrians who have fallen victim to the ambitions of the Western and some Middle Eastern countries which financed, armed and trained thousands of jihadi militants and terrorists and sent them to fight in Syria.

“And now they pretend that nothing has happened and talk about a political solution to the crisis in Syria where, helped by Russia, the government forces have managed to win back most of the country’s territory,” he noted, adding that important as it was to reach a political solution to the crisis, destroying the terrorists with military force would still be a better way to avenge the death of their countless victims.

Meanwhile, representatives of Libya’s warring governments meeting in Rome on Monday, clinched an agreement to end months of fighting in a deal brokered by Italy.

The two delegations will resume their talks in Rome later this week.

Dividing Libya into two separate states would increase instability and threaten the region as well as Europe, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Thursday.

Dividing Libya to Cause 'Further Destabilization, External Intervention' - Rome
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201704201052820031-libya-dividing-italy-gentiloni/

The possible partition of Libya has been raised multiple times during the country’s current conflict, including by members of US President Donald Trump’s administration.

"I don’t think that the division of Libya in two different parts…is a good idea because this could bring further destabilization and further external intervention," Gentiloni stated in remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

On April 10, The Guardian reported that Sebastian Gorka, an assistant to the US president, suggested dividing Libya in the weeks leading to Trump's inauguration.

Gentiloni said partitioning the country would have dangerous consequences for Egypt and Tunisia as well as Europe.

He said the United States and Italy should work together to back the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and stabilize the country to prevent Daesh and other terror groups from taking advantage of the conflict.

(Comment: If I'm understanding the information in the reports, Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni is against "a division of Libya in two different parts"
but urges the U.S. (new Trump administration) to support Italy's position in backing Fayez al-Sarraj’s UN-backed government, based in Tripoli - to further reduce the traces of Gaddafi's influence, represented by General Haftar and backed by Russia? Under Obama, the U.S. and the Pentagon were the main power brokers in over throwing Libya's Gaddafi, so they could install their puppet Fayez al-Sarraj’s, who's first primary move was to secure Libya's oil fields for his handlers? Under General Haftar, the oil fields were reclaimed for Libya and what little legit government remaining under Gaddafi's previous rule. The media play of splitting Libya in two - might be to force Trump into backing Fayez al-Sarraj’s and increase military support to help remove Hafter?)

According to the Moriarty's in a recent article 'Russia Supports the Great Libyan Tribes' cites the Libya Dawn militia changing their name to "One Libya" - archiving here:

http://libyanwarthetruth.com/russia-supports-great-libyan-tribes - Submitted by JoanneM on Fri, 04/21/2017

The Misurata militas are the most hated group in Libya. These militias residing in the city of Misurata in Libya are the criminals that joined hands with Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama to create the lies that started the false flag revolution that destroyed Libya. This group of terrorists (full of mercenaries) have changed their names a number of times, attempting to hide their criminal past and paint a new face to try and gain acceptance as leaders in Libya - they have failed miserably as all Libyans know these terrorists and have lived with their illegal acts for 6 years now. This group who originally named themselves "Libya Dawn", are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths by torture in their secret prisons where they still hold men, women and children to this day. They are the same group that used Sarin gas against the city of Bani Walid because this city would not capitulate to their criminal demands. They are the armed gangs that walk through the streets of Tripoli and Sirte, holding people at gun point, stealing and raping without conscience. They are the same group that destroyed the Tripoli International Airport. They are the same group that robbed all the banks in Libya to the tune of 600 million dollars and continue to do so to this day. The list of their crimes grows daily. The truth is they are slowing losing their hold on Libya because their benefactors (Clinton/Obama) are not in power any longer (they are still receiving support from Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia via Sudan and the Mitigia airport in Tripoli).

This brings up Misurata's latest dirty game in an attempt to maintain their waning presence in Libya. These criminals have renamed themselves again, their new name is "One Libya". The head of this group is named Abdelhamid Dabiba. This is the man that paid 70 million dollars to Al Arabia and Al Jazeera news agencies to LIE about Ghadafi and the so called "Libyan revolution" to support the illegal invasion and destruction of Libya. He is responsible for the exile of millions of Libyans, the deaths of thousands of others, the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars of Libyan money and assets. He is beyond a criminal psychopath, he is a butcher, a thief, a liar and a traitor to his own country. This man and his gang of despised crooks formed this "One Libya" and put out a press release to Russian journalists (and others) inviting the them to their conference of how to "fix" Libya.

The invitation is posted below...
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
"Dear colleagues!"
You are invited to attend the press conference of leaders of the movement of the Libyan "one libya", which will tell about the situation in the country and the prospects for the resolution of the crisis. It will be held in the media centre MIA "Russia today" on 18 April.

Press Conference
On 18 April 2017 13:00 glass room
Libya: how to get out of the crisis?
Multimedia Press Conference of leaders of the movement of the Libyan "one libya", bringing together representatives of the various segments of society from most of the regions of the country.

Participants:
- the leader of the movement "one Libya" Abdelhamid Dabiba;
- President of the Libyan Academy of higher education Muhammad Eshtevi;
- the head of the irrigation project "the great man-made river" (Misurata) Mohammed Khalil Issie.

The movement of the "one Libya" established in Misurata - the third largest city in Libya, which is perhaps the only island of relative stability and increasing the center of political and economic power in the destroyed covered by state violence. The movement expresses the interests of the representatives of the business, the Libyan intellectuals, government officials, the peasants of the army and the environment.

"one Libya" offers a programme of a peaceful solution to the crisis through the immediate solution to the economic problems, the reconciliation of the warring parties and reconstruction of civil society. Special emphasis is placed on the fight against the current in Libya by terrorist groups and to combat illegal migration.
In Moscow, members of the delegation would consult in the ministry of foreign affairs of Russia, the state duma of the Russian Federation and the council of the Federation, where will discuss prospects of cooperation in solving the Libyan crisis."
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Where to start? The lies and misrepresentations glaring in this release are enormous. Any Libyan person reading this will be screaming lie, lie, lie. Misurata is not anything like they describe it, it is not the center of anything in Libya except terrorism and trust me ALL Libyans know this. Why do you think these terrorists worship Hilary Clinton, they call her their sister. All other people reading the above invitation (having read my first paragraph), will understand the truth about Misurata (home of the Khazarian mafia in Libya). Now people can start to put the pieces together as to how the Zionist Bankers created "Arab Spring" and the false Libyan revolution. These Misurata criminals have no shame, they are the worst of humanity on this planet, they have no respect for men, women, children, animals or nature. They are evil personified.

The best part of this circus created by Misurata is the response from Russia. Oh, don't get me wrong, they had their meeting with the Russians and they put forward their so called proposal for them to run Libya. But never underestimate Mother Russia. Unlike the West, Russia does not follow the lies of the Zionists. Russia watches and listens to the Libyan people and the great tribes of Libya. Russia understands that Libya will only be at peace when the Libyan people /tribes are put back in control of their country. That means the Khazarian mafia / Zionists, CIA, MI5 and all EU countries get their noses, their military, their money, their mercenaries and their puppets out of Libya. And, with all perfect diplomacy, Mother Russia responded to this Misurata gang of thugs.

Below you will see Russia's response and a link to see in online. http://www.mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/...
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
"Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with a delegation from Misurata, Libya" - 783-19-04-2017

On April 18, Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov had a meeting with a socio-political delegation from Misurata, a city in western Libya, chaired by the leader of the United Libya movement, Abdul Hameed Al Dabeeba. (Abdelhamid Dabiba)

The meeting was attended by members of Russia’s Federal Assembly (parliament) and concerned Russian agencies. The parties exchanged opinions on the situation in Libya, primarily the UN-led efforts to promote national reconciliation.

The Libyan guests expressed their gratitude to Russia for its balanced policy on the settlement in Libya aimed at bringing together the positions of various Libyan parties on key issues on the internal agenda.

The Russian officials pointed out the importance of promoting an inclusive intra-Libyan dialogue with the main political forces, tribes and regions towards creating national bodies of authority, including an army and police to maintain security, law and order and effectively fight terrorism. The Russian officials reaffirmed Moscow’s resolve to continue to work together with all Libyan parties to find mutually acceptable solutions to restore the country’s unity and facilitate sustainable development as a sovereign and independent state that will maintain traditional relations of friendship with Russia.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

A beautiful response including dialogue with the tribes and all national bodies of authority in Libya. This is perfect because Libya is an ancient culture made up of many tribes and many tribal councils, with the general Secretariat being the main governing body, representing all tribes and therefore all Libyans. This was a huge slap in the face of the Misuratans because not one tribe supports them, this was the absolute worst response. In a nice way Russia told them that they were nothing and that Russia understood the dirty game being played by Misurata and the Zionists in Libya.

We send our great thanks to Mother Russia for her understanding and support of Libya; it is with help from countries like Russia who have true insight and respect for the great culture of the Libyan people that will bring peace and freedom again to Libya.

Will have to see if Trump holds true with his "I do not see a role in Libya" statement for the U.S. - will the other states or proxy's be another story one wonders?

 

[angelburst29]

According to the Moriarty's in a recent article 'Russia Supports the Great Libyan Tribes' cites the Libya Dawn militia changing their name to "One Libya" - archiving here:

http://libyanwarthetruth.com/russia-supports-great-libyan-tribes - Submitted by JoanneM on Fri, 04/21/2017

The Misurata militas are the most hated group in Libya. These militias residing in the city of Misurata in Libya are the criminals that joined hands with Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama to create the lies that started the false flag revolution that destroyed Libya. This group of terrorists (full of mercenaries) have changed their names a number of times, attempting to hide their criminal past and paint a new face to try and gain acceptance as leaders in Libya - they have failed miserably as all Libyans know these terrorists and have lived with their illegal acts for 6 years now. This group who originally named themselves "Libya Dawn", are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths by torture in their secret prisons where they still hold men, women and children to this day. They are the same group that used Sarin gas against the city of Bani Walid because this city would not capitulate to their criminal demands. They are the armed gangs that walk through the streets of Tripoli and Sirte, holding people at gun point, stealing and raping without conscience. They are the same group that destroyed the Tripoli International Airport. They are the same group that robbed all the banks in Libya to the tune of 600 million dollars and continue to do so to this day. The list of their crimes grows daily. The truth is they are slowing losing their hold on Libya because their benefactors (Clinton/Obama) are not in power any longer (they are still receiving support from Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia via Sudan and the Mitigia airport in Tripoli).

This brings up Misurata's latest dirty game in an attempt to maintain their waning presence in Libya. These criminals have renamed themselves again, their new name is "One Libya". The head of this group is named Abdelhamid Dabiba. This is the man that paid 70 million dollars to Al Arabia and Al Jazeera news agencies to LIE about Ghadafi and the so called "Libyan revolution" to support the illegal invasion and destruction of Libya. He is responsible for the exile of millions of Libyans, the deaths of thousands of others, the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars of Libyan money and assets. He is beyond a criminal psychopath, he is a butcher, a thief, a liar and a traitor to his own country. This man and his gang of despised crooks formed this "One Libya" and put out a press release to Russian journalists (and others) inviting the them to their conference of how to "fix" Libya.

The invitation is posted below... {...} {...} {...}

Below you will see Russia's response and a link to see in online. http://www.mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/...
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

A beautiful response including dialogue with the tribes and all national bodies of authority in Libya. This is perfect because Libya is an ancient culture made up of many tribes and many tribal councils, with the general Secretariat being the main governing body, representing all tribes and therefore all Libyans. This was a huge slap in the face of the Misuratans because not one tribe supports them, this was the absolute worst response. In a nice way Russia told them that they were nothing and that Russia understood the dirty game being played by Misurata and the Zionists in Libya.

We send our great thanks to Mother Russia for her understanding and support of Libya; it is with help from countries like Russia who have true insight and respect for the great culture of the Libyan people that will bring peace and freedom again to Libya.

Will have to see if Trump holds true with his "I do not see a role in Libya" statement for the U.S. - will the other states or proxy's be another story one wonders?

The Libya Dawn militia changing their name to "One Libya"

In a nice way Russia told them that they were nothing and that Russia understood the dirty game being played by Misurata and the Zionists in Libya.

This information on the Misurata militia changing their name is a great find, Voyageur! As is - Russia's response to their "invitation" trying to give them "creditability".

Reminds me of the deceptive tactics of the (fake) White Helmets? Might be a good idea - to open a new thread on the "One Libya" gang, so we can keep track of their antics?

 

[angelburst29]

New documents revealed for the first time that the United States military is allegedly running a network of secret military bases across Africa.

US 'Running Secret Network' of Military Bases across Africa
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960213001058

The anonymous Libyan military sources said the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) troops are currently located at the al-Wigh airbase in Southern Libya, New Arab reported.

The sources' testimony supports a top-secret document showing the location of 36 AFRICOM bases in 24 African countries that have not been previously disclosed in official reports.

One AFRICOM source said that these bases were used to launch rapid responses to security situations including "increased threats" such as the movement of extremist groups.

The US military base at al-Wigh, located in the Fezzan region of southwest Libya near the Niger border, lies in an area under the control of General Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA).

The Libyan military sources, who chose to remain anonymous for professional reasons, said the existence of al-Wigh airbase pointed towards the LNA's co-operation with the US military.

The LNA was formed in 1988 to overthrow Gaddafi without success and Haftar was forced into exile in North Virginia, allegedly under CIA's employment for the next 20 years, prior to his return to Libya in 2011.

The Washington Post reports he lived in two Virginian towns, Falls Church and Vienna, located only seven miles away from the CIA headquarters.

The documents, obtained by TomDispatch under the United States' Freedom of Information Act, contradict AFRICOM's official statements dating back a decade, showing the scale of American military bases around the world.

[Note for TomDispatch Readers: The next post will appear on Tuesday, May 2nd. Tom]

Tomgram: Nick Turse, The U.S. Military Moves Deeper into Africa
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/04/27/1656778/-Tomgram-Nick-Turse-The-U-S-Military-Moves-Deeper-into-Africa

If you’re a reader of TomDispatch, then you know something of real importance about this country that most Americans don’t. As an imperial power, there’s never been anything like the United States when it comes to garrisoning this planet. By comparison, the Romans and imperial Chinese were pikers; the Soviet Union in its prime was the poorest of runners-up; even the British, at the moment when the sun theoretically never set on their empire, didn’t compare. The U.S. has hundreds of military bases ranging in size from small American towns to tiny outposts across the planet, and yet you could spend weeks, months, years paying careful attention to the media here and still have no idea that this was so. Though we garrison the globe in a historically unprecedented way, that fact is not part of any discussion or debate in this country; Congress doesn’t hold hearings on global basing policy; reporters aren’t sent out to cover the subject; and presidents never mention it in speeches to the nation. Clearly, nothing is to be made of it.

It’s true that, if you're watching the news carefully, you will find references to a small number of these bases. In the present Korean crisis, for instance, there has been at least passing mention of Washington’s bases in South Korea (and the danger that the American troops on them might face), though often deep in articles on the subject. If, to pick another example, you were to read about the political situation in Bahrain, you might similarly find mentions of the U.S. base in that small Gulf kingdom that houses the Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Generally, though, despite the millions of Americans, military and civilian, who have cycled through American bases abroad in recent years, despite the vast network of them (the count is now approximately 800), and despite the fact that they undergird American military policy globally, they are, for all intents and purposes, a kind of black hole of non-news. Don't even think to ask just why the U.S. garrisons the planet in this fashion or what it might mean. It would be un-American of you to do so.

I must admit that, until I met Chalmers Johnson back at the turn of the century, I was a typical American on the subject. I never gave much thought to what he called our “empire of bases.” My own shock on grasping the nature of this country’s highly militarized presence across this planet led me to decide that, at least at TomDispatch, American basing policy would get some of the attention it obviously deserves. This initially happened thanks to Johnson himself; later to David Vine, author of a rare book, Base Nation, on the subject; and finally to this site’s own Nick Turse, who in recent years has been following the U.S. military’s global basing policy as it moved onto the rare continent that had largely lacked them: Africa. No longer. Today, he offers his latest update on the burgeoning set of bases and outposts that the U.S. military has been building or occupying and expanding there without notice, discussion, or debate, a network that will ensure we are plunged into the spreading terror wars on that continent for decades to come. Tom

America’s War-Fighting Footprint in Africa - Secret U.S. Military Documents Reveal a Constellation of American Military Bases Across That Continent

[...] So how many U.S. military bases are there in Africa? It’s a simple question with a simple answer. For years, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) gave a stock response: one. Camp Lemonnier in the tiny, sun-bleached nation of Djibouti was America’s only acknowledged “base” on the continent. It wasn’t true, of course, because there were camps, compounds, installations, and facilities elsewhere, but the military leaned hard on semantics.

Take a look at the Pentagon’s official list of bases, however, and the number grows. The 2015 report on the Department of Defense’s global property portfolio lists Camp Lemonnier and three other deep-rooted sites on or near the continent: U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, a medical research facility in Cairo, Egypt, that was established in 1946; Ascension Auxiliary Airfield, a spacecraft tracking station and airfield located 1,000 miles off the coast of West Africa that has been used by the U.S. since 1957; and warehouses at the airport and seaport in Mombasa, Kenya, that were built in the 1980s.

That’s only the beginning, not the end of the matter. For years, various reporters have shed light on hush-hush outposts -- most of them built, upgraded, or expanded since 9/11 -- dotting the continent, including so-called cooperative security locations (CSLs). Earlier this year, AFRICOM commander General David Rodriguez disclosed that there were actually 11 such sites. Again, devoted AFRICOM-watchers knew that this, too, was just the start of a larger story, but when I asked Africa Command for a list of bases, camps and other sites, as I periodically have done, I was treated like a sap.

“In all, AFRICOM has access to 11 CSLs across Africa. Of course, we have one major military facility on the continent: Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti,” Anthony Falvo, AFRICOM’s Public Affairs chief, told me. Falvo was peddling numbers that both he and I know perfectly well are, at best, misleading. “It’s one of the most troubling aspects of our military policy in Africa, and overseas generally, that the military can’t be, and seems totally resistant to being, honest and transparent about what it’s doing,” says David Vine, author of Base Nation: How U.S. Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World.

Research by TomDispatch indicates that in recent years the U.S. military has, in fact, developed a remarkably extensive network of more than 60 outposts and access points in Africa. Some are currently being utilized, some are held in reserve, and some may be shuttered. These bases, camps, compounds, port facilities, fuel bunkers, and other sites can be found in at least 34 countries -- more than 60% of the nations on the continent -- many of them corrupt, repressive states with poor human rights records. The U.S. also operates “Offices of Security Cooperation and Defense Attaché Offices in approximately 38 [African] nations,” according to Falvo, and has struck close to 30 agreements to use international airports in Africa as refueling centers.

There is no reason to believe that even this represents a complete accounting of America’s growing archipelago of African outposts. Although it’s possible that a few sites are being counted twice due to AFRICOM’s failure to provide basic information or clarification, the list TomDispatch has developed indicates that the U.S. military has created a network of bases that goes far beyond what AFRICOM has disclosed to the American public, let alone to Africans.

Click here to see a larger version (Map)

U.S. military outposts, port facilities, and other areas of access in Africa, 2002-2015 (Nick Turse/TomDispatch, 2015) ( Article continues.)

(Back-dated November 17, 2015.)

Tomgram: Nick Turse, America's Empire of African Bases (Map)
http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/176070/tomgram%253A_nick_turse,_america%2527s_empire_of_african_bases