Western war on Libya

The fighting around the vicinity of Tripoli’s Mitiga airport continues with the airport still closed, in flames.

Complex Power Play in Libya January 20, 2018
https://www.globalresearch.ca/complex-power-play-in-libya/5626629

As previously reported, seasoned US State Department man, Jeffery Feltman, now with the UN, recently visited Libya followed on the heels of the French Foreign Minister Le Drain, to persuade all parties to adhere the the LPA agreement – an impossibility.

The GNA Government and post of Prime Minister for Fayez Serraj was ‘created’ by the UN in December 2015, enough time, you would think, to get a grip on at least the capital.

But further information has come to light that the continuing attack on the Prison located in the grounds of Mitiga Airport, that started last week, has additional objectives. They were designed, not only to free Islamic extremists like AQ and ISIS members held in the prison run by Abder Raouf Kara’s RADA force. But also reports did not reveal that the attacking militias had belonged, until then, to the forces loyal to the government appointed by the UN, of Fayez Serraj but, and here is the real kicker, they were also, and still are, close allies of former ‘rogue’ Islamic extremist Prime Minister Khalifa al Ghwell and radical religious Grand Mufti al Ghariani based in Tripoli still (sometimes Misrata too!). These two gentlemen are seeking to destabilise the UN’s PM Fayez Serraj any way they can.

As a consequence, Serraj reached out to eastern Libya strong man, Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, which, if he agrees to become involved, could have the effect of isolating even destroying the Mitiga attacking militias and their radical allies both in Tripoli and in Misrata.

Initially the RADA militia force countered the attack with assistance from 10 or so other militias ‘loyal’ (paid mercenaries in effect) to the UN Libyan appointed government, including those led by a key militia player, Haitem Tajouri. They were assisted by an American reconnaissance aircraft based in Pantelleria, which flew over Tripoli while fighting started last Monday. Begs the question why they didn’t mobilise aircraft from Pantelleria when Ambassador Stevens was being attacked in Benghazi, but that’s another story.

Its worth for a moment to discuss this Base. Though the international airport in Malta is used by Italian, British, French and US aircraft of varying types to undertake surveillance operations in particularly in Libya’s Gulf of Sirte, the most mysterious position, used by mainly US intelligence forces to watch over the Tunisian and Libyan skies, remains at Pantelleria.

This small Italian island, under 60 km off the coast of Klibia in Tunisia, has become a busy airfield for ‘private’ air intelligence companies, who rent aircraft not only to the US but also to other countries like France, Italy and the EU.

Meanwhile Russian officials are rumoured to want to construct a military base near Tobruk, but Russia is anyhow at the moment increasingly active in its support for Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar. Russian military intelligence officers are in Tobruk and Benghazi and Russian Special Forces are said to be giving close support to some of Haftar’s elite units.

But Russia’s political involvement in Libya is even more important than its military one. The meeting in mid-December in Moscow between Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Bechir Saleh, Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s former chief of staff, purpose was to develop tribal contacts overall in Libya but, above all, in the southern Fezzan region, where Saleh still has especially good contacts with the tribes.

Moscow in turn also has contacts in Tripoli and Misrata via the very effective Chechen connection. Russian-Libyan contact group chairman Lev Dengov, who is also a special adviser to Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, keeps regular contact with Haftar’s opposition factions in Tripoli and Misrata.

The complex super power Libyan game between the West, in the form of the US, UN, EU & NATO, continues with opposing equal intrigue from the Russians.
 
More than 30 people were dead and dozens wounded after two car bombings outside a mosque frequented by terrorist opponents in Libya’s second city Benghazi, medical officials said Wednesday.

Over 30 Dead in Car Bombings at Benghazi Mosque: Latest Toll
http://english.almanar.com.lb/432518

The attack after evening prayers on Tuesday underlined the continued chaos in Libya, which has been wracked by violence and divisions since dictator Moamer Gaddafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising.

Benghazi has been relatively calm since military strongman Khalifa Haftar announced the eastern city’s “liberation” from terrorists in July last year after a three-year campaign, but sporadic violence has continued.

The bombers blew up two cars 30 minutes apart outside the mosque in the central neighborhood of Al-Sleimani, according to security officials.

Emergency and security workers who had rushed to the scene were among those killed in the second blast.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the mosque is known to be a base for Salafist groups which fought the terrorists alongside Haftar’s forces.

Mourners gathered outside the mosque on Wednesday, walking through puddles of water stained red with blood. Vehicles in a parking lot outside the mosque were burnt-out and mangled, their windows shattered.

The city’s Al-Jala hospital received 25 dead and 51 wounded, its spokeswoman Fadia al-Barghathi said. The Benghazi Medical Centre received nine dead and 36 wounded, spokesman Khalil Gider said.

Ahmad al-Fituri, a security official for Haftar’s forces, was among those killed, military spokesman Milud al-Zwei said.

Medical officials said many of the wounded were in critical condition and the death toll was likely to rise.
 
The forces of Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by the Libyan House of Representatives in Tobruk, have given Africans in the south of the country nine days to leave it.

Haftar gives African mercenaries 9 days to leave southern Libya March 9, 2018
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180309-haftar-gives-african-mercenaries-9-days-to-leave-southern-libya/

This ultimatum was issued on Thursday, and came in the context of armed clashes in the city of Sabha (750 km to the south of the capital, Tripoli). The statement stated that the conflict is between internationally-recognised Government of National Accord and the forces of Haftar insist that “foreign mercenaries” are involved.

The statement called on “Expatriates from neighbouring African countries must not be engaged with outlaw militias and their exploitation to destabilise the security and stability of the south.” The statement did not mentioned any specific country.

The statement demanded that “Africans should immediately leave Libyan territory and return to their countries.”

The statement informed them that 17 March is the deadline for their presence on Libyan territory.”

Haftar’s forces have threatened to use force to expel the African fighters “by all available military air and land means,” if they fail to meet the deadline.

The forces of Haftar and others affiliated to the Government of National Accord are spread in the region.

Last Saturday, the city council in Sabha (affiliated the Libyan Government of National Accord), announced that about 120 families from Al-Tayuri neighbourhood were displaced from their homes as a result of the clashes taking place in the city.

Last Sunday, Haftar announced the launch of “law enforcement” operations in the Libyan south and gave his “instructions to all military and security units in the Libyan south to start the operation.”

The mayor of Sabha, Hamed Rafa Al-Khayali, had told Anadolu News Agency earlier, “there is coordination on the ground at the brigade level between the forces of Haftar and the forces of the Government of National Accord. They will comb the area in order to determine the targets and places of concentration of foreign armed groups.”

Since 25 February, sporadic clashes have been taking place in Sabha between parties and there have been conflicting reports about them, as there are those who considered them to be tribal confrontations between “Toubou” and “Ouled Slimane” and those who deny this and assert that they are battles between the Libyan Army and foreign forces, in reference to armed Chadian groups.


The United Nations has released a report which details how Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar has been providing military support for Sudanese rebel groups since his armed forces took control of Al-Jufra and Brak Al-Shati in Libya.
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UN: Haftar using mercenaries and arming Sudan rebels March 2, 2018
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180302-un-haftar-using-mercenaries-and-arming-sudan-rebels/

Sudanese mercenaries are also believed to have been fighting alongside Haftar’s forces since 2015.

The report also revealed how “Salafist” groups loyal to Haftar are controlling security apparatuses in Libya as well as religious institutions where they are actively promoting anti-terrorism in order to obtain support from both Haftar and the GNA-backed government in Tripoli headed by Fayez Al-Sarraj.

The UN criticized the Tripoli-based Special Deterrent Force for carrying out “arbitrary detentions of Libyans and foreigners” and the deaths from torture and lack of healthcare inside SDF prisons.

“Dignity Operation forces of Haftar detain people arbitrarily including politicians and journalists using also clandestine locations like schools and farms for the detention. There are also rape cases registered in Kwifeya prsion in Benghazi,” the report added.

The UN also condemned Haftar’s forces for conducting extrajudicial killings in Benghazi, shelling the headquarters of deputy interior minister Faraj Egaiem and his house in Bersis, and displacing over 55,000 people from Benghazi.

The report also listed how there were “foreign air forces” involved in bombing Derna last October and who aided Haftar in bombing the Oil Crescent Region. The UN also highlighted how the UAE is developing work on the Al-Khadim airbase with Haftar regularly using private UAE jets for his own transportation.


A United Nations team of experts said they have documented operations at a base run by the United Arab Emirates in eastern Libya.
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UN team: UAE is developing its air base in eastern Libya March 2, 2018
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180302-un-team-uae-is-developing-its-air-base-in-eastern-libya/

According to the report the team of experts has issued, Al-Khadim military base which is managed by UAE forces, near the city of Marj in eastern Libya, has witnessed a remarkable development during the period from March 2017 to November of the same year, according to satellite images which have been annexed to the report.

The report confirmed that the size of the southern aircrafts’ apron has doubled, with the paving of the side ground of the airport between two maintenance hangars, in about eight months.

According to the report, the entrance of the airbase has witnessed an increase in the number of checkpoints and buildings which are believed to be part of the airbase’s checkpoints, as well as an increase in the number of fixed vehicles which are likely to be included in securing the entrance, according to Arabi21.

In late 2016, a British website specializing in military matters said the UAE had established an advanced military base in the city of Marj (100 km in east of Benghazi), from which light AT-802 attack aircrafts and drones take off.

The base, which was established during the rule of former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, has an approximate area of 10 square kilometres. It contains several aircrafts, including two Antonov aircrafts, spy aircrafts and marching aircrafts, which are believed to have taken part in the military operations against the city of Benghazi and its Revolutionary Council.

Earlier, the British website Middle East Eye revealed a series of leaked recordings confirming the involvement of the UAE Air Force in carrying out air strikes in Libya in support of Haftar against his rival armed groups in the East of the country.

On the other hand, the report referred to the visit of the retired Major General Khalifa Haftar to Tunisia on September 2017, saying that he went on a Falcon 900 airplane, owned by a UAE-based company, named Sonning International Group, which is operated by the Dubai-based company Golden Eagle, but registered in the Dutch Caribbean islands.

According to the report, the members of the protection of Haftar were heavily armed with a huge number of weapons during his visit to meet with the Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi. A team of specialists analysed the pictures and videos published by the information office of Operation Dignity and revealed the existence of about thirty self-loading rifles, two precise grenade launchers, more than 30 9-mm pistols and one hand-made anti-explosive device that were mounted on the roof of Haftar’s car, which is a major violation of the arms embargo imposed on Libya.

In April 2017, the UAE called for lifting the imposed arms embargo on Libya to facilitate the functions of what it described as “the army in the fight against terrorism”, asserting (Abu Dhabi) that “standing alongside Haftar is a right choice which goes in line with the international community’s goal in the war on terrorism.” This came during a meeting between a high-profile US figure with Khalifa Haftar, under a UAE mediation, in Abu Dhabi, during the latter’s visit to the UAE.

The UAE has emerged as a political and military supporter of Haftar in Libya since early 2015, despite the fact that it welcomed the peace agreement that the Libyan parties reached and that led to the formation of a national unity government.

Haftar, just like Mohammed bin Zayed, is known for his antagonism to political Islam. He is also known for his extensive history in coups, including the coup that brought Muammar Gaddafi to power in Libya in 1969, before later on trying to coup against him in more than one occasion.

Since a popular uprising overthrew Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, several armed factions have been fighting in Libya, and three governments are now competing on governance and legitimacy.

Two of these governments are in the capital Tripoli (West), namely the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord and the National Salvation Government, in addition to the interim government in the city of Bayda (East), emanating from the House of Representatives in Tobruk, affiliated with the forces of Khalifa Haftar.
 
angelburst29 said:
UN team: UAE is developing its air base in eastern Libya March 2, 2018
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180302-un-team-uae-is-developing-its-air-base-in-eastern-libya/

According to the report the team of experts has issued, Al-Khadim military base which is managed by UAE forces, near the city of Marj in eastern Libya, has witnessed a remarkable development during the period from March 2017 to November of the same year, according to satellite images which have been annexed to the report.

The report confirmed that the size of the southern aircrafts’ apron has doubled, with the paving of the side ground of the airport between two maintenance hangars, in about eight months.

According to the report, the entrance of the airbase has witnessed an increase in the number of checkpoints and buildings which are believed to be part of the airbase’s checkpoints, as well as an increase in the number of fixed vehicles which are likely to be included in securing the entrance, according to Arabi21.

In late 2016, a British website specializing in military matters said the UAE had established an advanced military base in the city of Marj (100 km in east of Benghazi), from which light AT-802 attack aircrafts and drones take off.

The base, which was established during the rule of former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, has an approximate area of 10 square kilometres. It contains several aircrafts, including two Antonov aircrafts, spy aircrafts and marching aircrafts, which are believed to have taken part in the military operations against the city of Benghazi and its Revolutionary Council.

Earlier, the British website Middle East Eye revealed a series of leaked recordings confirming the involvement of the UAE Air Force in carrying out air strikes in Libya in support of Haftar against his rival armed groups in the East of the country.

On the other hand, the report referred to the visit of the retired Major General Khalifa Haftar to Tunisia on September 2017, saying that he went on a Falcon 900 airplane, owned by a UAE-based company, named Sonning International Group, which is operated by the Dubai-based company Golden Eagle, but registered in the Dutch Caribbean islands.

According to the report, the members of the protection of Haftar were heavily armed with a huge number of weapons during his visit to meet with the Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi. A team of specialists analysed the pictures and videos published by the information office of Operation Dignity and revealed the existence of about thirty self-loading rifles, two precise grenade launchers, more than 30 9-mm pistols and one hand-made anti-explosive device that were mounted on the roof of Haftar’s car, which is a major violation of the arms embargo imposed on Libya.

In April 2017, the UAE called for lifting the imposed arms embargo on Libya to facilitate the functions of what it described as “the army in the fight against terrorism”, asserting (Abu Dhabi) that “standing alongside Haftar is a right choice which goes in line with the international community’s goal in the war on terrorism.” This came during a meeting between a high-profile US figure with Khalifa Haftar, under a UAE mediation, in Abu Dhabi, during the latter’s visit to the UAE.

The UAE has emerged as a political and military supporter of Haftar in Libya since early 2015, despite the fact that it welcomed the peace agreement that the Libyan parties reached and that led to the formation of a national unity government.

Haftar, just like Mohammed bin Zayed, is known for his antagonism to political Islam. He is also known for his extensive history in coups, including the coup that brought Muammar Gaddafi to power in Libya in 1969, before later on trying to coup against him in more than one occasion.

Since a popular uprising overthrew Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, several armed factions have been fighting in Libya, and three governments are now competing on governance and legitimacy.

Two of these governments are in the capital Tripoli (West), namely the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord and the National Salvation Government, in addition to the interim government in the city of Bayda (East), emanating from the House of Representatives in Tobruk, affiliated with the forces of Khalifa Haftar.
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Meanwhile JoanneM on Tue, 03/13/2018 provided;

Tripoli Libya March 2018

http://libyanwarthetruth.com/situation-update-tripoli-criminal-mercenary-gangs-militias-take-control

Situation Update Re: The Great Tribes of Libya.

A large number of gangs in Tripoli sometimes referred to as militias are now in control of the city.

The leaders of these gangs are as follows:

1. Haitham Al Tajouri - Complete mercenary for hire, leads largest criminal gang in Tripoli

2. Mohamed Al Amari Zayed - One of the leaders of LIFG (Libyan Islamic Fighting Group) founded by Abdulhakem Belhaj, a known international terrorist. Tied closely with Fayez al-Sarraj, (Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord in Tripoli). Mr. Zayed holds a governmental position in the Government of National Accord. The Government of National Accord is not an elected nor popular government. It was appointed by the United Nations.

3. Abd Raaouf Kara - Radical Salafist

4. Abd Algani Kekly

5. Besides these gangs there are pockets of radical Islamist members of the LIFG scattered around Tripoli

The names listed above are the leaders of the main gangs who have now joined together to control Tripoli. All gangs in Libya are MERCENARIES, if the money stops they stop.

Money to these gangs is currently supplied by the Tripoli UN Government of National Accord, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
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As for Khalifa Haftar, and its been brought up before, JoanneM on Tue, 03/13/2018 again provides (snip);

http://libyanwarthetruth.com/khalifa-haftar-cia-operative-continues-war-crimes-libya

Khalifa Haftar, CIA operative and traitor to Libya is one of these criminals inside Libya. Haftar disguises who he is by alleging that he is fighting the militias and mercenaries to help Libya. This is all a ruse, he is there by the grace of the CIA, he spent 35 years of his life in the US near Langley, VA, home of the CIA. He was taken out of Libya in the 70's by the CIA whom he had joined to fight against his own country of Libya during the Chad wars. When they lost, he was spirited to safety by the CIA to the US. In 2011, he was dropped back into Libya by the CIA to lead their proxy army of mercenaries brought into Libya to destroy the country. After the country was bombed to oblivion and handed to the mercenaries, Haftar pretended to change sides and fight against the invaders (no one in Libya believe this). Haftar was appointed to lead the so called "Libyan National Army" by the Tobruk Government. The Tobruk Government is partially infiltrated with rats that take orders from the same place as Haftar, so they managed this appointment, against the wishes of many in the Tobruk Government and the Libyan tribes. Consequently, Haftar has NO support in Libya but he does have CIA support, so he receives money and weapons to foment the continued destabilization of Libya. He has very few in his army maybe 300 at the most. He takes a few detours and actually does cleanse a few areas to look good, but he organizes acts of terror, lies about Libya, acts of aggression on sovereign citizens, illegal prisons and attacks on the Libyan Resistance (those fighting against the occupiers for their country).

This brings us to the attacks on the Toubou. Haftar, thinking he is king of Libya, has demanded that the Toubou tribes of Libya, leave Libya en-mass. He has threatened to attack and kill them if they do not leave. Haftar is claiming (he is beyond contempt) that the Toubou tribes assisted and brought in African mercenaries in 2011. This is the Zionist (Khazarian Mafia) continuing their false flag lies of 2011. Haftar's masters at the CIA cannot have the support of the Toubou for sovereign Libya. All of Libya, all the people/tribes now want their country and sovereignty back. There is no support for the phony revolution. The only ones hanging on are the criminal militias in Tripoli and Misurata and the CIA troll Haftar. Their biggest fear is of the upcoming election. The Libyan people and all the great tribes of Libya along with the African Union support the candidacy of Saif al Islam Ghadafi. He will be elected and at that point the occupiers are finished as all Libyans will stand with him as he brings freedom and sovereignty back to their beloved Libya.
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I think they will need some help, yet I hope the tribes can pull it off
 
Two ‘terrorists’ killed in US air strike in southern Libya, US military says Saturday 24 March 2018
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1273026/middle-east

US forces said they had killed “two terrorists” in an air strike in southwestern Libya on Saturday as part of efforts to deny militants a safe haven in the country’s vast desert.

The strike hit on the outskirts of the city of Ubari and was carried out in coordination with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli, the US Africa Command said in a statement.
“At this time, we assess no civilians were killed in this strike,” the statement said.

A witness in Ubari told Reuters by telephone that a large explosion had been heard around midday.

A house in the Fursan neighborhood was hit and two bodies were found there, he said. Residents from the neighborhood said the house was frequented by foreigners, according to the witness, who did not want to be identified for security reasons.

Pictures in local media showed a body on the ground with several limbs and its head missing, and a car with its windows blown out and dozens of holes in one side.

US forces have carried out occasional air strikes targeting militants in Libya over the past few years.

They also launched an air campaign against Daesh in the group’s former Libyan stronghold of Sirte in 2016, as local forces battled to oust militants from the city.

Last year, the United States said it had killed dozens of suspects in air strikes in desert areas south of Sirte as it tried to stop militants regrouping.

Saturday was the first time it had acknowledged a strike as far south as Ubari, which lies about 700 km (435 miles) south of Tripoli, on the road to Libya’s border with Algeria.

Libyan and Western officials have long warned about the risk of militants linked to Daesh and Al-Qaeda using southern Libya as a base. “We are committed to maintaining pressure on the terror network and preventing terrorists from establishing safe haven,” the US Africa Command statement said.

It gave no information about the identity of those targeted.

Libya slid into conflict after a 2011 Nato-backed uprising and has had rival governments based in Tripoli and the east for the past four years.

Competing factions have fought for influence in the country’s south, where the Libyan National Army (LNA), which is aligned with the eastern-based government, recently stepped up military activity.


Despite the remaining chaos in the war-torn country, Libya has been ramping up its oil exports over the past year, and is close to dislodging Saudi Arabia as the third-largest exporter of seaborne oil to Europe, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
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US Strikes Al-Qaeda in Libya for 1st Time, Op Expands Beyond Daesh - Reports 26.03.2018
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201803261062920819-us-strikes-al-qaeda-daesh-military-operation/

"The US military has launched its first airstrike against al-Qaida in Libya as operations expand beyond targeting the Islamic State [Daesh] group," Military.com reported on Monday, citing the US Africa Command.

Until recently, the US forces had been conducting counter-terror strikes in Libya almost exclusively against Daesh*. In 2016, the military carried out about 500 airstrikes in the country's coastal city of Sirte over several months to destroy Daesh's stronghold there.

What concerns the US military actions against al-Qaeda, the country has been concentrating its efforts in Iraq. The long-term US offensive against the terror group dubbed Operation Iraqi Freedom was launched in Iraq on March 20, 2003 under the pretext of Saddam Hussein's developing weapons of mass destruction and colluding with al-Qaeda. The operation resulted in the ouster of the Iraqi government and was followed by an eight-year-long military occupation of Iraq.

There are conflicting reports on Iraq's total losses in the war - from 100,000 to 300,000 people, including civilians. However, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) estimates, between 2003 and 2006 alone 150,000 to 223,000 Iraqis died in military clashes on the ground.
 
A Libyan appeals court has found Saadi Gaddafi, one of the sons of the country’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, not guilty in the case of the murder of a footballer prior to Libya’s 2011 uprising, according to the Libyan Justice Ministry.

04.04.2018 Muammar Gaddafi's Son Found Not Guilty of Murder of Libyan Footballer
Muammar Gaddafi's Son Found Not Guilty of Murder of Libyan Footballer

On Tuesday, the north Tripoli court cleared Gaddafi of charges related to the murder of former Libyan star football player and coach Bashir Rayani, the ministry said in a statement.

Rayani disappeared in March 2005 soon after he publicly criticized Saadi. His dead body was later found on the beach in Tripoli near a resort owned by Saadi.

Though found not guilty of "murder, deception, threats, enslavement and defamation" of Rayani, Gaddafi was fined 500 Libyan dinars ($377) and given a suspended one-year prison sentence for drinking and possession of alcohol in the 2006 case.

Gaddafi, who under his father was captain of Libya's national football team, has been held in the capital city of Tripoli since his extradition from Niger in 2014. He fled to Niger during the uprising in Libya in which his father was overthrown and killed.

He remains in jail and still faces other charges relating to issuing orders for a crackdown on the 2011 revolution.

One of Rayani's children told local media he would appeal the ruling, adding that his family wasn't allowed to attend the ruling pronouncement, which was not recorded.

"I think it is shocking that Al-Saadi was found not guilty in my father's murder despite the fact that all fingers point at him," Rayani's son said, as reported by the Libya Observer.

"My family and I won't be silent, no matter how long injustice lasts in this country," he wrote on his Facebook page.

The death sentence was previously issued against another of Gaddafi's sons, Saif al-Islam, who was held captive for years in the western town of Zintan. His current whereabouts are unclear.


The news was announced by Ayman Abu Ras, the spokesman for the Libyan Popular Front, at a conference in Tunisia.

19.03.2018 Gaddafi's Son Running for Libya’s Presidency
Gaddafi's Son Running for Libya’s Presidency

Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, has been nominated as a candidate for the Libyan presidency in the 2018 elections, Libyan Express reported on Monday.

Abu Ras said Saif is striving for national reconciliation as well as aiming to rebuild the war-torn nation.

"By running for presidency, Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi is seeking not power but the country’s rescue," Abu Ras said.

Gaddafi’s intention was first announced last December, when it came to light that he was plotting a comeback to Libyan politics after a six-year prison term. According to reports, Saif planned to establish a constructive dialogue between all the Libyan factions, as well as to boost the country’s defense "to impose more security and stability in accordance with the Libyan geography."

Some political experts believed Gaddafi’s comeback was complicated by the 2011 indictment issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity. The document purported that he had ordered the killing of protesters while defending his family members.

He was later sentenced to death by a court in Tripoli in 2015, though the trial in question took place in absentia and was widely denounced by the international community.

Under a state-initiated amnesty, Saif Gaddafi was released from prison six months ago having served his six-year term after a NATO-backed uprising ousted his father Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

An ongoing civil war has been tearing the country apart since then, with its western and eastern parts currently controlled by diverse rebel groups.
 
April 7, 2018 - Libyans called upon to participate in constitution referendum before elections
Libyans called upon to participate in constitution referendum before elections

A member of the Board of Trustees of the International Union of Muslim Scholars has called upon the people of Libya to participate in the referendum on a new constitution and work towards reconciliation with each other in order to get through the crisis affecting the country, Quds Press has reported.

“Libya today needs to accelerate the referendum on the constitution drafted by the 60-strong Committee elected by the Libyan people as a matter of urgency,” said writer and researcher Ali Al-Sallabi. “We then need to organize a national peace conference supported by the UN.”

He suggested that the next step after the constitution and the peace conference is to organize presidential and legislative elections. “The current political bodies, whether in Parliament, in the government or in the Presidential Council, do not have the popular or political legitimacy which qualifies them to lead the founding stage of the state institutions,” he explained.

Pointing out that there are no red lines regarding anyone wanting to lead Libya in the next stage, Al-Sallabi said that the Libyan people have the necessary awareness and vigilance to choose the true national leaders and not the fakes that some authoritarian countries are trying to impose on them.

“The will of the people will triumph against the tyrants’ will,” he added confidently. “Those who bet on imposing their positions with iron and fire have no future in Libya or in the region, even though they have raised their voices for some time. That is what history teaches us.”

In July, the Constitution Drafting Assembly voted in favour of the new document, but a number of its members appealed to Al-Bayda Court about the legality of the vote. When the appeal was rejected, a number of public figures from Benghazi filed another appeal in November to the Administrative Court. This court ruled that it does not have jurisdiction over the matter because the members of the assembly are elected directly by the people, and their decisions are outside the jurisdiction of the judiciary.
 
11.04.2018 - Libyan National Army Chief Hospitalized in France after having Stroke - Reports
Libyan National Army Chief Hospitalized in France After Having Stroke - Reports

Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar has supposedly been hospitalized in France after suffering a stroke, Le Monde reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Haftar was immediately transferred from the Jordanian capital of Amman to Paris for hospitalization after his alleged stroke, according to Le Monde newspaper.

However, sources close to the 74-year-old field marshal reportedly denied the reports, stating that Haftar was currently engaged in political negotiations in Amman and was in good health.

The French Foreign Ministry has refused to comment on the issue.

Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 civil war that resulted in the overturn of country’s longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.
 
Thursday 12 April 2018 - Libyan strongman Haftar in coma after suffering stroke, reports say
Libyan strongman Haftar in coma after suffering stroke, reports say

Haftar, 75, may run for president in Libya's upcoming election this year.

Military commander's spokesperson says he's in good health amid reports he is in coma after suffering stroke.

A spokesperson for the military leader of Libya's eastern government, Khalifa Haftar, has denied reports that he has suffered a stroke and is in a coma.

Al Jazeera network reported on Wednesday that Haftar is in a coma at a hospital in Paris after suffering a stroke, but the general's spokesperson dismissed the account as fake news, insisting that he is in good health and overseeing military operations in eastern Libya.

Haftar, 75, whose forces have taken most of eastern Libya from Islamist fighters and militants, may run for president in Libya's upcoming election this year.

French newspaper Le Monde said that Hafter was transferred from Jordan to receive medical care in France. Journalist Huguex Vincent, who writes for French weekly L'Express, tweeted on Tuesday that Haftar was admitted to a hospital in Paris for a "serious condition".

Several officials in Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) denied the reports.

"There's no truth to the news spreading around about field marshall; he's in excellent health," Haftar LNA spokesperson Ahmed al-Mismari said.

Still, two anonymous LNA sources told Reuters that Haftar was indeed experiencing health issues.

One high-ranking east Libyan military source told Reuters on Tuesday that Haftar had been flown to Jordan, and would travel on from there to a third country for treatment for a critical health condition.

A second source close to the east Libyan military command said on Wednesday that Haftar was in France, but gave no details on his condition.

Libya's 218 TV channel, which is supportive of the LNA, reported that Haftar "was undergoing a medical inspection in Paris and that there was no real danger to his health".

Haftar has for several years been the dominant figure in eastern Libya, and has widely been seen as seeking national power in the oil-rich nation of six million people.

He has presented himself as a scourge of terrorism and taken a hardline stance against the Muslim Brotherhood, mirroring the position of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Still, critics accuse Haftar of fuelling armed conflict and committing human rights violations.

Haftar is aligned with a parliament and government that moved to eastern Libya after a major escalation of fighting in the capital, Tripoli, in 2014.

He rejected the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), which arrived in Tripoli in 2016 as part of United Nations-led efforts to reunify the country.
 
angelburst29 said:
Thursday 12 April 2018 - Libyan strongman Haftar in coma after suffering stroke, reports say
Libyan strongman Haftar in coma after suffering stroke, reports say

Haftar, 75, may run for president in Libya's upcoming election this year.

Military commander's spokesperson says he's in good health amid reports he is in coma after suffering stroke.

A spokesperson for the military leader of Libya's eastern government, Khalifa Haftar, has denied reports that he has suffered a stroke and is in a coma.

Al Jazeera network reported on Wednesday that Haftar is in a coma at a hospital in Paris after suffering a stroke, but the general's spokesperson dismissed the account as fake news, insisting that he is in good health and overseeing military operations in eastern Libya.
Click to expand...

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13.04.2018 - Source in Tripoli says Top Libyan General Khalifa Haftar has Died in Paris
Libyan National Army's Representative Denies Reports of Marshal Haftar's Death

Reports about the commander's death have not been confirmed, and contradict earlier reports that he had returned to Libya after being treated in a Paris hospital.

Egyptian lawmaker Mustafa Bakri issued a tweet about Haftar's alleged death, writing that "The departure of Field Marshal Haftar, commander-in-chief of the Libyan Armed Forces, is a great loss. He was a common denominator among the honorable sons of Libya."

The Libya Observer has also reported that Haftar passed, citing diplomatic sources.

The Libyan Express newspaper has confirmed the reports of Haftar's death.

However, other reports have indicated that news of the general's death were "baseless," and started by a TV channel linked to the Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey. The Libyan National Army has also denied Haftar's death.

The Libyan Express newspaper has confirmed the reports of Haftar's death.

However, other reports have indicated that news of the general's death were "baseless," and started by a TV channel linked to the Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey. The Libyan National Army has also denied Haftar's death.

Earlier, Libyan National Army political administration head Hussein al-Obeidi said that Haftar had left France and returned to Benghazi on Friday, according to the EREM News portal. Al-Obeidi said that he had personally met Field Marshal Hafter upon his return to Libya, and said that the field marshal's health was "excellent" and that he was "in good physical shape."

The official also denied that Haftar had suffered a stroke, calling such information "rumors spread by media supported by political Islam."

This week, Le Monde reported that Haftar may ave been sent for urgent treatment at a Paris hospital. According to the newspaper, the 75-year-old military commander, presumably suffering a stroke, was taken by plane to Paris via Jordan. LNA officials said however that Haftar had gone to Jordan for political negotiations.

Earlier Friday, a source said to be close to the matter told Reuters that Haftar had indeed been treated in a Paris hospital. The source declined to comment on the general's condition.

Libya collapsed as a state following NATO's 2011 operation to topple long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, splitting into a series of militia-held territories, including territories controlled by the Daesh (ISIS)* terrorist group. The largest forces included the Haftar-backed House of Representatives in Tobruk, eastern Libya, and the Government of National Accord, based in Tripoli. A UN-brokered ceasefire between Tobruk and Tripoli broke down in late 2017.

Haftar and his Libyan National Army played the key role in defeating Islamist forces in Benghazi last summer. Egypt has supported Haftar's efforts against jihadist movements. Haftar's goals have included the complete destruction of the Libyan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood,* and any other Islamist terror groups operating in Libya.


Yury Barmin @russia_Mideast
https://twitter.com/russia_mideast/status/984850515371622405
This is huge: Head of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar dies in France. It can go either way for Tobruq now: Infighting for control of the army or consolidated push towards capital. In either case Russia lost the only guy in Libya willing to proactively engage with Moscow.
1:47 PM - Apr 13, 2018


Thursday 12 April 2018 - Libyan strongman Haftar in coma after suffering stroke, reports say
Libyan strongman Haftar in coma after suffering stroke, reports say

Military commander's spokesperson says he's in good health amid reports he is in coma after suffering stroke.

A spokesperson for the military leader of Libya's eastern government, Khalifa Haftar, has denied reports that he has suffered a stroke and is in a coma.

Al Jazeera network reported on Wednesday that Haftar is in a coma at a hospital in Paris after suffering a stroke, but the general's spokesperson dismissed the account as fake news, insisting that he is in good health and overseeing military operations in eastern Libya.

Haftar, 75, whose forces have taken most of eastern Libya from Islamist fighters and militants, may run for president in Libya's upcoming election this year.

French newspaper Le Monde said that Hafter was transferred from Jordan to receive medical care in France. Journalist Huguex Vincent, who writes for French weekly L'Express, tweeted on Tuesday that Haftar was admitted to a hospital in Paris for a "serious condition".

Several officials in Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) denied the reports.

"There's no truth to the news spreading around about field marshall; he's in excellent health," Haftar LNA spokesperson Ahmed al-Mismari said.

Still, two anonymous LNA sources told Reuters that Haftar was indeed experiencing health issues.

One high-ranking east Libyan military source told Reuters on Tuesday that Haftar had been flown to Jordan, and would travel on from there to a third country for treatment for a critical health condition.

A second source close to the east Libyan military command said on Wednesday that Haftar was in France, but gave no details on his condition.

Libya's 218 TV channel, which is supportive of the LNA, reported that Haftar "was undergoing a medical inspection in Paris and that there was no real danger to his health".

Haftar has for several years been the dominant figure in eastern Libya, and has widely been seen as seeking national power in the oil-rich nation of six million people.

He has presented himself as a scourge of terrorism and taken a hardline stance against the Muslim Brotherhood, mirroring the position of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Still, critics accuse Haftar of fuelling armed conflict and committing human rights violations.

Haftar is aligned with a parliament and government that moved to eastern Libya after a major escalation of fighting in the capital, Tripoli, in 2014.

He rejected the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), which arrived in Tripoli in 2016 as part of United Nations-led efforts to reunify the country.
 
Friday 13 April 2018 - UN says Libya envoy spoke with Haftar, quashing death rumors
UN says Libya envoy spoke with Haftar, quashing death rumours

Conflicting reports have been swirling around commander's health, sparking questions about future of Libya without him.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya appeared to quash rumours about military commander Khalifa Haftar's death, tweeting late Friday that envoy Ghassan Salame spoke to the self-styled field marshal over the phone.

Earlier Friday, news outlets and social media activists had conveyed reports of Haftar's demise, as officials in his Libyan National Army (LNA) denied the accounts.

Pro-LNA 218 TV reported that Haftar is in "stable condition" at Percy Hospital in Paris.

Haftar, 75, has captured most of eastern Libya from Islamist fighters and militants. He is also vying for power for power nationally, and he may run for president in Libya's upcoming elections later this year.

His forces are aligned with the east-based authorities against the Tripoli-based, internationally recognised government.


UNSMIL

✔ @UNSMILibya
https://twitter.com/UNSMILibya/status/984889919888936961
SRSG @GhassanSalame and Field Marshall Khalifa #Haftar communicated today via phone and discussed the general situation in #Libya and the latest political developments in the country
4:23 PM - Apr 13, 2018
 
Wednesday 25 April 2018 - East Libya commander Haftar returning after treatment in Paris
East Libya commander Haftar returning after treatment in Paris

Conflicting reports about Haftar sparked claims that he was gravely ill and that rivals were manoeuvring to replace him.

Khalifa Haftar, the military commander who dominates eastern Libya, will return to Benghazi on Thursday after having received medical treatment in Paris, a spokesman for his forces said on Wednesday.

Haftar had been in Paris for about two weeks, where his spokesman earlier said he had been treated after feeling unwell.

From Paris, Haftar flew to Cairo for talks with officials from Egypt, his main backer, several Libyan and Egyptian sources told Reuters.

Haftar, 75, has long been seen as a contender for national power, and reports about his health sparked a flurry of speculation inside Libya, including claims that he was gravely ill and that rivals were manoeuvring to replace him.

Al Jazeera reported on 11 April that he was in a coma at a hospital in Paris, after suffering a stroke.

MEE reported last week, citing a European diplomat, that the general was suffering from lung cancer that had spread to his brain.

"He is unable to talk or even fully comprehend. He cannot even sit or stand up," said the diplomat, who wished to remain anonymous.

"The doctor treating him says that even if he responds partially to treatment, it will be temporary and he will never be normal again."

Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) is aligned with a parliament and a largely powerless government that has been based in eastern Libya since 2014.

They control most of eastern Libya, including the majority of its oil fields and ports, as well as parts of the south.

Haftar and others in the east have opposed an internationally recognised government in the capital, Tripoli, frustrating UN-led efforts to reunify the country.

LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said that on his return, Haftar will take part in celebrations marking the anniversary of his "Dignity" campaign, the military operation he started in 2014 to drive Islamist militants and other opponents out of Benghazi.

Haftar declared victory in July 2017, though sporadic fighting continued until late last year.

Streets in Benghazi and the town of Rajma, where Haftar has his main base, were earlier cleaned and decorated with posters in preparation for his return.
 
27.04.2018 - Libyan Military Chief Haftar Returns to Benghaszi - Reports
Libyan Military Chief Haftar Returns to Benghazi – Reports

Libya’s National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar has returned to the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi after alleged treatment in France and reports on his death, local media reported on Thursday.

Haftar’s arrival to the Benghazi airport has been aired by the Libyan broadcasters.

Conflicting media reports emerged earlier in April about Haftar's health condition. French newspaper Le Monde said that the 74-year-old commander, whose forces control the east of the country, was admitted to a Paris hospital after suffering a stroke. Later, reports emerged that Haftar died. Ahmed Mesmari, an army spokesman, dismissed all speculations in the media as false.

Haftar was born in 1943. He was one of officers who helped Muammar Gaddafi to seize power in Libya in 1969. In the 1980s he was exiled to the United States.

In 2011, he returned to Libya to join the revolution, which toppled Gaddafi. Following the revolution, he was fighting against terrorism and radical Islamists in the crisis-torn country, and established control over a large part of Libya’s eastern regions.


Thursday 26 April 2018 - Haftar returns to Benghazi after reports of failing health (Video - Feed from #Libya al-Hadath TV)
Haftar returns to Benghazi after reports of failing health

'I want to reassure you that I am in good health,' the east Libya commander says after arriving in Benghazi from Cairo.

Veteran military commander Khalifa Haftar, the most powerful figure in eastern Libya, returned to Benghazi on Thursday after a two-week absence during which he received medical treatment in Paris.

Haftar, 75, smiled and joked as he greeted a delegation of senior officials after stepping off a late afternoon flight from Cairo.

"I want to reassure you that I am in good health," he told senior army commanders and local elders in a televised address from the airport shortly afterwards.

"I should be addressing you standing up. but I am obliged to do so sitting down," Haftar quipped, seated in front of a bank of microphones on an ornate table.

Authorities in eastern Libya did not issue any pictures or detailed information about his health during his stay in Paris, fuelling speculation over his condition and the possible impact on the balance of power in Libya.

"I won't respond to those promoting rumours about my health, and you are not responsible for them. But there are those who will answer for them in the appropriate way," Haftar said.

The United Nations has been leading an effort to stabilise and reunify the oil-rich nation of six million and has said it hopes to hold national elections by the end of the year.
 
29.04.2018 - Military Plane Crashes in Libya Killing Three Crew Members - Reports
Military Plane Crashes in Libya Killing Three Crew Members - Reports

A Libyan military aircraft exploded after it collided with the ground; the causes of the calamity are still unclear, but the investigation has already been launched.

A military aircraft has crashed in Libya, killing three crew members and injuring another one, the news portal "Al-Wasat" reported, citing sources in the country's military.

According to the media, the aircraft crashed during the take-off not far from one of the largest oil fields in the country, El Sharara, located south-west of Libyan capital Tripoli. After a collision with the ground, the vehicle exploded.

An investigation into the crash is underway, but the causes are still unclear.

The aircraft was used for delivering supplies to the remote oilfield.


11.04.2018 - Military Plane Crashes in Serbia: One Pilot Dead, Another Injured
Military Plane Crashes in Serbia: One Pilot Dead, Another Injured

The Serbian military aircraft Super Galeb (SOKO G-4 Super Galeb) crashed to the northeast of Belgrade near the town of Kovacice, the Serbian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. The two pilots ejected before the crash, but one of them died as a result of the incident.

"In today’s crash of the combat trainer aircraft SOKO G-4 Super Galeb, one pilot of the Technical Testing Center died after ejecting, the co-pilot sustained injuries. He is conscious and was transported to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade," the statement read.

The newspaper reports that the co-pilot was taken to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade. Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ljubisa Dikovic visited the co-pilot in hospital, the ministry added.

An investigation has been opened into the incident.
 
Wednesday 2 May 2018 - Libya election officials killed in Tripoli suicide blast claimed by Islamic State
Libya election officials killed in Tripoli suicide blast claimed by Islamic State

Twelve reported killed in a suicide attack and gun battle at Libyan electoral commission offices in capital.

At least 12 people have been reported killed on Wednesday as armed militants including at least one suicide bomber stormed the offices of the Libyan electoral commission in Tripoli in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

The attackers set the building ablaze, according to spokesman Khaled Amar, who fled with other staff following the attack. Reports said the gunmen then engaged security forces in a street battle.

The Islamic State claimed the attack through its Amaq propaganda wing but did not provide any evidence for its claim.

Images and video shared on social media showed pillars of thick smoke rising from the site.

The victims included three employees of the commission and four members of local security forces, said Amar.

"I saw two suicide bombers myself... they were shouting Allahu Akbar (God is greatest)," he said, adding that he had seen bombers' body parts strewn on the ground.

"A suicide bomber blew up himself inside the commission and the others set a part of the building on fire."

Security sources told the Libya Observer there were four gunmen.

The attack comes as the UN has put pressure on Libya to hold elections by the end of the year. UN envoys have repeatedly emphsised the need for elections this year.

While the country remains split between rival governments following a disputed vote in 2014, in which turnout was just 630,000 people, experts have speculated over the implications of an election.

"I personally believe that despite what the UN says we will not have elections in Libya before middle of 2019," a Libyan analyst told MEE in January.

UN mission condemns attack - The United Nations Support Mission in Libya condemned what it called a "terrorist attack".

"These terrorist attacks will not deter Libyans from moving forward with the process of establishing national unity and the rule of law and institutions," it said on Twitter.

The UN has pointed to the voter registration process as evidence of Libyans' enthusiasm for elections. Since December, more than 923,000 voters have registered, according to the electoral commission, and more than 2.4 million are now registered nationwide.

However, analysts say this does not necessarily presage a high turnout, given security challenges and a voting population of as many as 4.5 million.

Human Rights Watch warned last month against rushing the country into elections, saying that it is too violent and authorities cannot guarantee freedom of assembly or free speech essential for a vote.

Potential contenders on both sides of Libya's main political divide have called for a vote to resolve an impasse in which the government in the capital has limited authority and largely depends on armed groups for security.

The last parliamentary elections in 2014 led to rival governments being set up in Tripoli and the east, backed by competing armed alliances.

The 2014 vote was marred by violence, boycotts and low voter turnout, and only 188 out of the 200 new seats were filled. The 200-seat House of Representatives was supposed to replace the General National Congress (GNC).

However following the move of most of the newly elected members parialement to Tobruk in the east of the country, member of the GNC declared a seperate government in Tripoli as violence continued between armed groups that backed the different bodies.

The commission recently registered nearly one million new voters across Libya, though no date has been set for polls.
 
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