Western war on Libya

Re: Libya

angelburst29 said:
The Tripoli Court of Appeals announced today that they will defer prosecution of Al-Saadi Gaddafi until May 10. Their stated intent was to permit the defense team more time to prepare for the hearing.

Saadi Gaddafi’s Trial Postponed to May 10
https://vivalibya.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/saadi-gaddafis-trial-postponed-to-may-10/

However, as the Al Hadba prison and Court are in the midst of a transfer of power from the militias that support the deposed GNC, the former GNC and the new, yet illegitimate “government of accord”, it is legally impossible for any trials to proceed. Add to this the fact that the GNC (and the Tripoli Judiciary) were never acknowledged as legitimate either within Libya or within the international milieu.

Given that the prisoners held at Al Hadba have been tortured, subjected to inhumane treatment, denied choice of legal counsel, denied private consultations with their defense team, their legal counsel unable to obtain vital documents or attend most sessions due to ongoing fighting in Tripoli, and that many of the prisoners were extradited for bribe money, these mock tribunals must cease and all prisoners be released. Without exception, the trials are about exacting political revenge, not about justice.

If for the sake of peace, militias who have committed egregious war crimes and crimes against humanity, participated in human trafficking and other serious offenses, are to be granted immunity, then innocent men and women must be granted full amnesty.


John Jones QC calls for closure of al-Hadba detention facility following torture video of Saadi.

Letter from John Jones QC to UNSMIL Regarding Torture of Saadi Gaddafi
https://vivalibya.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/letter-from-john-jones-qc-to-unsmil-regarding-torture-of-saadi-gaddafi/

(Copy of letter and link to video) https://vivalibya.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/page-1.jpg


John Jones, Q.C., Defense Lawyer for Saif Gaddafi, Dies Under Mysterious Circumstances
https://vivalibya.wordpress.com/2016/04/18/john-jones-q-c-defense-lawyer-for-saif-gaddafi-dies-under-mysterious-circumstances/

Editorial Comment:

At the time of this posting, there has been no official mention of the passing of John Jones on either his Doughty Street Chambers profile or the ICC Defense Team twitter account @SGaddafi_ICCDEF.

He has demonstrated dedication and integrity as legal counsel for Saif Gaddafi and the Gaddafi family.

I am deeply saddened by this news.


French lawyer, Marcel Ceccaldi, was commissioned by Aisha Gaddafi to represent her brother, Saif al-Islam, a political prisoner who has been detained in the city of Zintan since 2011.

Marcel Ceccaldi is Saif Gaddafi’s New Defense Lawyer
https://vivalibya.wordpress.com/2016/04/30/french-lawyer-assigned-to-saif-gaddafis-case-will-meet-him-in-zintan/

Ceccaldi’s previous cases included defense for Bashir Saleh, former President of the Libyan Jamahiriya and former Prime Minister, Baghdadi Mahmoudi. He fought Baghdadi Mahmoudi’s illegal extradition from Tunisia to the Libya dawn in Tripoli.

Ceccaldi hopes to convince the UN Security Council to cancel the arrest warrant issued against Saif al-Islam, which will invalidate the investigation carried out by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. He will also seek the cancellation of the arrest warrant against Abdullah Senussi.

He plans to meet with Saif Gaddafi and notables of the city of Zintan and assist in mediation towards an authentic reconciliation between all conflicting parties.

Could not help but notice the reference to this John Jones, Q.C. - as stated before his death he was representing, Saif Gaddafi. Not a great deal of details concerning his death, yet a train was involved and possible suicide accusations; which makes no sense reading a little of his life. There is supposed to be an inquiry, will have to see. http://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/may/01/john-rwd-jones-obituary All very curious given his intentions with Saif and where the trial was taking place.
 
Re: Libya

US Likely to Send Small Arms, Anti-Tank Weapons to Libya

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160518/1039783976/uas-may-send-libya-small-arms.html

The United States could provide the Libyan government with small arms, anti-tank guns and other defensive weapons to help Tripoli in its fight against extremists, former US Under Secretary of Defense Dov Zakheim told Sputnik.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Monday, 22 state ministers issued a joint communique announcing that the international community was prepared to respond to requests for weapons from Libya’s new Government of National Accord (GNA) to train and equip vetted troops.

In 2011, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Libya amid the Arab Spring revolution, citing government violence against civilians.

"My guess is that we [the United States] would send defensive weapons — small arms, ammunition, command and control equipment, perhaps anti-tank weapons," Zakheim stated on Tuesday.

The US military, Zakheim noted, would provide other equipment along the lines of what Washington has been sending to opposition forces in Syria, albeit how weapons would be monitored was still an open question.

"In theory the United States could monitor requests, but as there will be other nations participating if there is a UN mandate, the responsibility for monitoring requests need not fall to Washington," he explained.

Zakheim noted that he was unsure how the United Nations will deal with the Libyan case, but the organization’s record of monitoring weapons in Iraq and Afghanistan "has been mixed."

The United States and Western powers, he warned, face "huge risks" by increasing support to Libya because they could get caught in the middle of yet another civil war.

"American voters are increasingly leery of such commitments… as the current election cycle clearly is demonstrating," he argued.

On Monday, US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said during a briefing that Washington has not seen any requests for arms supply from the GNA in Libya, but would look upon such requests favourably.

Libya has been in a state of civil war since the 2011 Arab Spring and the ouster of the nation’s long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi by Western-backed Islamic extremists. A UN-backed GNA unity government took charge of the country in late March.


Daesh Has Executed 49 in Sirte, Libya Since February 2015 - Rights Watchdog

http://sputniknews.com/africa/20160518/1039792592/libya-daesh-executions.html

According to an international human rights organization, at least 49 people have been executed by the Daesh militant group since February 2015 in the Libyan Mediterranean city of Sirte controlled by terrorists.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – At least 49 people have been executed by the Daesh militant group since February 2015 in the Libyan Mediterranean city of Sirte controlled by terrorists, an international human rights organization said in a report published on Wednesday.

"In late 2014, members of the extremist armed group Islamic State, also known as Daesh, began filtering into Sirte, a Mediterranean port city on the northern coast of Libya. By August 2015, the group had turned Sirte into its largest stronghold outside of Iraq and Syria… From mid-February 2015 to mid-February 2016, ISIS killed at least 49 people in the city of Sirte and outlying areas after largely secret proceedings that negate the most basic international fair-trial standards," Human Rights Watch (HRW) stressed.

The watchdog added that four of the executed were fighters from groups opposing Daesh, while 45 victims were accused of spying, sorcery and blasphemy.

Libya has been in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a civil war broke out in the country and long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown. The ensuing internal conflict and instability aided the advancement of the Daesh group, outlawed in a number of countries, including Russia, in the African nation.
 
Re: Libya

voyageur said:
angelburst29 said:
John Jones, Q.C., Defense Lawyer for Saif Gaddafi, Dies Under Mysterious Circumstances
https://vivalibya.wordpress.com/2016/04/18/john-jones-q-c-defense-lawyer-for-saif-gaddafi-dies-under-mysterious-circumstances/

Could not help but notice the reference to this John Jones, Q.C. - as stated before his death he was representing, Saif Gaddafi. Not a great deal of details concerning his death, yet a train was involved and possible suicide accusations; which makes no sense reading a little of his life. There is supposed to be an inquiry, will have to see. http://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/may/01/john-rwd-jones-obituary All very curious given his intentions with Saif and where the trial was taking place.

Appreciate the article on John Jones, Voyageur. Seems Jones was very prominent and successful as a human rights barrister including working full time at the Hague. And it stated, "he preached what he practiced in international criminal law, and earned praise from judges for the fairness of his approach." Interesting that his Wife Slovenian lawyer Miša Zgonec-Rožej, is also active in human right's and international law. I would imagine, both Jones and his wife have crossed paths professionally with Aisha Gaddafi, a prominent lawyer, in her own right. Considering Aisha's position and possible political aspirations, Jones would have been an added benefit and asset, especially representing her Brother, Saif. Jones untimely death does sound suspicious?

This is a back dated article (Aug. 2011) that basically "demonizes Gaddafi's children" but shows the oppositions stance on what they fear most - if Aisha and Saif were able to raise to their deceased Father's position? From what I have read so far, each of Gaddafi's children were highly educated and both Aisha and Saif were "groomed" to succeed in higher positions in the political arena, eventually following in their Father's footsteps. My guess, it might be one of the factor's that surround the circumstances of why Saif is in custody?

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/20006/World/Region/All-the-colonels-children-following-the-fate-of-Ga.aspx

The will-he-will-he-not question on everybody's mind is whether Gaddafi will give himself up or flee to a neighbouring African nation, Algeria or south of the Sahara. The other most pertinent question is whether any of his seven sons and one daughter will survive the storming of Tripoli by the Liberation Army of the National Transitional Council (NTC) and the demise of their father's regime.

At least one of Gaddafi's sons is officially considered dead: Seif Al-Arab. The whereabouts of the others is unknown. Seif Al-Islam, Gaddafi's second son and the most high-profile of his offspring is presumed still in Libya, perhaps not in Tripoli itself. Once the champion of political reform and democratisation, he had an about face and was parroting his father's rhetoric. He aroused the wrath of many Libyans when he arrogantly and pointedly accused them of treachery warning dissenters and wagging his index finder - much to the consternation of his own people.

But more of Seif Al-Islam later. Now let us turn to Aisha, Gaddafi's only daughter and a political animal in her own right. She was once tipped to lead Libya and as heir apparent that caused a sensation in a patriarchal and tribal country where strong men hold sway. Aisha is reported to have lost a son and her husband, who was a general in Gaddafi's army. As a widow on the run with two other orphaned children of her own and probably some of her brothers' sons and daughters she is rumoured to be suffering a nervous breakdown and health problems related to depression.

Aisha is reported to be in neighbouring Tunisia temporarily and is trying to find a safe haven for herself, her children and her nieces and nephews. Her mother Safiya is also in hiding in Tunisia temporarily. As she never held political office it is not likely that the NTC will demand her prosecution. Aisha is a lawyer by profession and she was a United Nations goodwill ambassador and was popular as a leader in Libya.

In sharp contrast to his sister, who speaks in measured tones and with the calculated deliberations of a seasoned lawyer, Seif Al-Islam probably does not write his own speeches long in advance. He is an engineering and as moody as a typical Cancerian man, born on 25 June. He obtained his MBA from Vienna's IMADEC University in 2000 and a BSc in Engineering Science from Tripoli's Al-Fateh University. He is also artistic and exhibited his The Desert Is Not Silent 2002-2005. Not a Picasso, he nevertheless displayed some talent. One would have wished that he had stuck to art rather than dabbling in politics.

The most controversial aspect of his educational credentials is his dubious PhD. His thesis revolved around the role of civil society in the democratisation of global governance institutions: from "soft power" to collective decision-making. How on earth he reconciled his thesis to his political ramblings towards the end of his father's rule is inexplicable. He will go down in history as a hypocrite and a liar.

Khamis is perhaps the most controversial of all of Gaddafi's spoiled brats. He graduated from Frunze Military Academy in Moscow and has a degree in military arts and science. He has never been interested in anything civilian; only military matters. Unlike Aisha's Wa Attassimou Charity Foundation and Seif Al-Islam's Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity Association, Khamis headed no such NGO and was not interested in anything that is not bellicose and warlike.

Khamis hated the West ever since he was injured in the April 1986 US bombings of Gaddafi's residence and was reported injured in the head. The incident obviously affected him and determined the course of his career. He was never academically-inclined and was perhaps the most blood-thirsty of Gaddafi's progeny.

His militaristic talents were displayed in full force during the Libyan civil war earlier this year. His ruthlessness and bloodymindedness was proverbial. He and the regiment he headed were feared and loathed by his adversaries. However, he failed at the Battle of Misrata and the Zleiten. Though he managed to hold the NTC's Liberation Army at bay he ultimately failed to enter either Misrata or to hold on to Zleiten.

Khamis was also reportedly involved in the bombing of a Berlin discotheque in 1986. He was thought to have been killed in the NATO airstrike that destroyed the house of his aunt's husband and Gaddafi's intelligence chief Abdalla Al-Senoussi. Both Khamis and his uncle were later reported to be alive and kicking. However, he has never been seen since and it is not known if he is in Libya or has fled the country.

Seif Al-Islam and Aisha are the most politically prominent of Gaddafi's offspring. Aisha was applauded in many Arab circles for defending Muntadar Al-Zaidi after the infamous shoe-hurling incident aimed at former US president George W Bush. She was also a victim of sexism when her father forcibly married her off to Idi Amin, the Ugandan dictator. She divorced the latter to pursue her legal studies.

Seif Al-Islam, too, exhibited some independence and single-mindedness when he defied his father and conceded that Bulgarian nurses were tortured during the HIV/AIDs scandal involving hundreds of Libyan children.

Seif Al-Islam, like his brother Hannibal, who is married to a model Aline Skaf, are notorious for their disgraceful fits at the Hotel in London and other European destinations. Seif Al-Islam, too, partied at St Tropez and Monaco and was hosted at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle by the British royal family. It obviously all got to his head and he became too big for his boots.

Of all Gaddafi's sons, the most gentle is his firstborn Mohamed who eschewed the dirty politics of his brethren. He remained aloof and humble and he was derided by his siblings as weak and apolitical.


Khamis Gaddafi, who is considered the bloodthirsty son of the Colonel and the head of the dreadful 32nd brigade, has been probably killed, Rebels said. NO confirmation of Khamis Gaddafi death has surfaced to date

Gaddafi's son Khamis killed in clash -rebel officer
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/0/20021/World/0/Gaddafis-son-Khamis-killed-in-clash-rebel-officer.aspx

Monday 29 Aug 2011 - Fallen Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi's's son Khamis has been killed in a clash near the capital Tripoli, a senior rebel officer said on Monday.

Colonel Al-Mahdi Al-Haragi, in charge of the Tripoli Brigade of the rebel army, said he had confirmation that Khamis was badly wounded in the clash near Ben Walid and Tarhoni.

He was taken to a hospital but died of his wounds and was buried in the area, Al-Haragi said, without giving the timing. No independent confirmation of the death was available.

He had been reported dead several times, but this time the news comes from the British network SkyNews. It seem that Khamis was killed when a British Apache helicopter hit with a missile the armoured Toyota Land Cruiser in which he was travelling, 60 kilometres south of Tripoli. . .
 
Re: Libya

sToRmR1dR said:
sToRmR1dR said:
sToRmR1dR said:
ISIS advances towards strategic coastal city in Libya

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-advances-towards-strategic-coastal-city-libya/


ISIS advancing towards strategic Libyan city

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-advancing-towards-strategic-libyan-city/


Mistrata Brigades recapture key village from ISIS in coastal Libya

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/mistrata-brigades-recapture-key-village-isis-coastal-libya/

The Mistrata Brigades (Liwaa Mistrata) launched a counter-attack against the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) on Tuesday in order to recapture the key town of Abu Qurein in northern Libya.

The counter-offensive proved successful, as the Mistrata Brigades recapture Abu Qurein and Al-Washakh near the strategic coastal city of Mistrata.

On Monday, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham launched a VBIED (vehicle borne improvised explosive device) attack at a government checkpoint inside the village of Abu Qurein; however, it was later repelled, along with the terrorist group’s attack.


International Policy On Libya: Arm *Someone* And Hope For The Best

http://www.moonofalabama.org/2016/05/international-policy-on-libya-arm-someone-and-hope-for-the-best.html

The decision on Monday in Vienna to provide 'arms' to a Libyan Government that exists in name only, the GNA, has taken the international communities stance from the sublime to the completely ridiculous.

Exactly what military kit is being supposed to be supplied? This is a critical question which needs a whole article devoted to it and cannot be dealt with herein because of space.

To keep it simple, the West has decided to supply 'arms' to a not yet in existence Government of National Accord (GNA) sometimes referred to as a Unity Government yet its core, the nine-man Presidential Council and its Prime Minister were not at all selected by any Libyan but by a combination of the UN, EU, US and UK. Within the EU the primary mover with the most commercial interests of that side being Italy.

The GNA/PC means seven men (as two dropped out) who are essentially two or three members sometimes available to be seen by visiting dignitaries at a heavily fortified Naval Base a couple of miles away from the Militia controlled Mitega Airport. The PC of seven, if you will can be considered as a quorum for a yet to be selected 90 member government comprising of 30 ministers and 60 deputy ministers. The PC/GNA control no territory, no area of either Tripoli or Libya except for the one naval 'bunker' they can meet people in to maintain the facade that they are legitimate. Its a ' Potemkin Village' lie of epic proportions.

But wait, the best I save till last. Their military component is an assortment of militias of varying shades of extremist mainly from Tripoli, Sabratha, Zuwaia and importantly Misrata. Not forgetting in addition the forces that represent the coalition between former LIFG (read for them an Al Qaeda affiliate) which has aligned itself squarely with the Muslim Brotherhood, best described as the Sinn Fein political wing to IRA terrorists of the 70s.

So as in Syria, the Americans are going to give 'arms' to the 'good' guys but not the 'bad' ones. Good luck with that one!


How will they - the Americans - determine where these weapons will end up. IS have friends amongst the GNA's militias. Can America guarantee such weapons will not end up on IS hands?

When considering the above also consider this; a democratically elected parliament in the East, in Tobruk, selected a Government and appointed a commander of the Libyan Army, General Khalifa Hafter.

In the last 14 days that Army has secured almost if not all oil ports in the East. Hariga; Zeutina, Brega, Ras Lanuf etc and its soldiers are fortifying and holding these positions.

So whatever the puppet GNA say to its oil company based in Tripoli to sign international contracts and sell oil from the east, its not physically possible without the cooperation of the actual Libyan Army who report to their masters in the East. Oh and I forgot to mention the Russians, Egyptians and Emiratis do not recognize the GNA but do recognize the powers that be in the East of Libya. A very revealing detail is that Russia is printing 4B Dinars for the Eastern government, giving Tobruk the option to finance a breakaway state if it chooses.

Yet America and their other puppets, the UN and EU, chose the Tripoli 'Dawn' mishmash leadership of extremists over the Army. Why?

Well one consequence is, for some yet unknown strategic reason, to provoke East Libya to secede and create their own country by a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI).

Another possibility is the newly armed extremist militias of the GNA will by pass fighting IS, who if they have any sense will lie low in Sirte city, and attack their enemy, the Libyan National Army (LNA).

The latter possibility is the most likely.

For this reason alone, it is right to describe the pre-agreed decision to 'arm' on Monday the GNA, literally insane.

The PC/GNA bring absolutely no unity whatsoever to Libya.

Now consider a further problem. There is an enclave, a small city set in a high impenetrable mountain to the West of Tripoli called Zintan. They are well known as fierce highland fighters; they hold Saif Gaddafi; they also control the gas and oil pipelines that flow through valves in their territory which is to the west of Tripoli that pipe to Zawia where the Italians, Norwegians and Spanish have huge oil and gas assets and a port.

The UN, in their wisdom, last week sent their military advisor, a serving Italian general, by plane to Zintan to supposedly negotiate. Barely had the plane touched down when he was almost chased back on to his aircraft to make a hasty retreat. Zintan are loyal to the Libyan National Army.

The final consideration and maybe the most important one is a pragmatic one; that loyalty has a price and eventually if the West conjures sufficient money - Libyan money frozen by the EU and UN - to be received by the PC/GNA and with that they may be able to 'buy', there is no other way to say it, the loyalty of any Libyans in the West or East but that would only be a temporary 'fix'; it wouldn't buy them indefinitely.

So in closing WHY is the International Community persisting with this charade of a GNA?

If as a reader you are expecting an answer, I must regretfully say I have none. It makes no sense whatsoever.

The West's strategy, if one can call it that, reminds me of an old Orwellian type adage that seems the only appropriate explanation:

"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it"

But to what end is beyond my comprehension.

The Libyan quagmire will inevitably continue.
(Copied with the author's permission from Times of Oman)

---

(b. adds)

Confirming the lunacy describe above, today's Washington Post reports that the U.S. military also has no idea who it is supposed to arm in the name of that (non-existing) UN assigned government:

Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez, the chief of U.S. Africa Command, told a handful of reporters here that Libya’s internal politics still make it difficult to determine which armed groups are aligning themselves with the Government of National Accord, an interim group that has backing from the United Nations.
...
Rodriguez, who was in Brussels to meet with senior European military officials and Marine Gen. Joseph F. DunfordJr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that “everybody” is waiting to see how the United Nations examines the Libyan request, which must include details about who will receive the weapons.
“The support for the GNA and how they need it and how they want it, we’ll just have to see how that develops over time,” Rodriguez said, speaking of the Libyan government.

I am marveling at who is in charge of such crazy policy.


Unreported: Libyans in Sirte Living 'Nothing Short of a Nightmare'

http://sputniknews.com/africa/20160518/1039841519/libya-sirte-daesh-nightmare.html

While Daesh activities in Iraq and Syria are relatively well-reported, the "catastrophic situation" in Libya does not receive the same attention, Ahmed Benchemsi of Human Rights Watch told Radio Sputnik.

Life under the Daesh terrorism group is a "nightmare" for Libyans, from which many have already fled, Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division at Human Rights Watch, told Radio Sputnik.

Libya's coastal town of Sirte has been under the control of the Daesh terrorist group for more than a year. Two-thirds of the city's 80,000 inhabitants have fled the city, and Daesh terrorists then take advantage of their absence by seizing and looting the property left behind.

"For those who stay behind, the situation is nothing short of a nightmare," Benchemsi said.

"We interviewed 45 people who described scenes of horror, including beheadings, corpses in orange jumpsuits hanging from scaffolding, what were described as crucifixions, ISIS (Daesh) patrols in schools quizzing kids about Sharia law, snatching men out of their bed in the middle of the night, flogging and punishing people for merely smoking or wearing the wrong clothes, so it is a catastrophic situation."

As well as the social stress of living under Daesh, the inhabitants of Sirte also face the scarcity of basic necessities such as food, medicine, fuel and cash, and the hardships they face are not necessarily reported by the media.

"There is way less information going out of Libya than there is going out of other strongholds of ISIS (Daesh) in Iraq and Syria, and that is probably because Libya is in such a state of chaos that journalists and human rights organizations can hardly set foot there."

"We sent our researchers to Misrata, which is 240 km away from Sirte, we have been able to interview a lot of people, and this enabled us to get information out."

"We only hope this information will shed the spotlight on the dramatic and catastrophic situation going on now in Sirte and there will be more international interest and concern over the situation in Libya."
 
Re: Libya

Security Expert: Saudi Nationals Join ISIL in Libya Disguising as Tourists

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950229000610

"The Arab nationals of the Persian Gulf littoral states, specially Saudi Arabia, join the ISIL in Libya with their ordinary passports and by travelling to Tunisia," Algerian Security Expert Ahmad Mizab Told FNA on Wednesday.

The Arab nationals stay in Tunisia's luxury hotels and then they contact the human trafficking gangs in order to take them to Libya by land.

In early May, media reports said that while most of the talk in Libya lately has been on efforts to expel ISIL from the oil shipping city of Sirte, or the prospect of western invasion to attack ISIL, the group is expanding well in its own right, capturing several villages along the coast between Sirte and Misrata.

Misrata hospital reported eight dead and 105 wounded in fighting around the Abu Grein crossroads, south of Misrata, and the city’s military council is calling on all its allies to meet at the crossroads for a fight, Antiwar reported.

During the anti-Gadhafi rebellion, the Misrata militia was the largest, most influential militia in western Libya. It remained an influential faction, and is one of the driving forces behind the Tripoli-based parliament, one of three extent “governments” in Libya, and the only one not backed by the UN.

The Abu Grein crossroads links two of the main roads in Libya, the Libyan Coastal Highway and the Fezzan Road. In addition to linking Misrata and Sirte on the coastal highway, the Fezzan Road would give whoever controls the crossroads access to a Southern route to Sabha.


Libyan troops overrun ISIS at several towns west of Sirte

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/libyan-troops-overrun-isis-several-towns-west-sirte/

On Wednesday, troops loyal to the new Tripoli-based unity government managed to push ISIS back from several towns west of Sirte, the Islamic State capital in Libya.

According to military spokesman Mohamed al-Gasri, Libyan forces took control of the town of Abu Grain along with several nearby villages.

ISIS otherwise overran this area on the 5th of May in a major offensive which looked to capture Misrata, Libya’s 3rd largest city.

With ISIS forces on the retreat, their fighters are meanwhile squeezed in a region between the Tripoli-based government and the Tobruk-based government, two factions both claiming to be sworn enemies of the terror group.

However, the Islamic State still controls a 100km buffer zone around the port city of Sirte while some 6,000 fighters are reportedly fighting for ISIS in Libya.
 
Re: Libya

A leading international rights group Wednesday released a report documenting atrocities committed by Libya's ISIL affiliate in the country's coastal city of Sirte, a stronghold of the militants.

Rights Group Documents ISIL Atrocities in Libyan City of Sirte
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950229001159

In the report, Human Rights Watch recounts "scenes of horror" described by witnesses, atrocities that date back to February 2015 and include beheadings of dozens of residents accused by ISIL militants of being spies, Daily Star reported.

ISIL has gained a foothold in Libya amid the chaos that engulfed the country over the past few years, torn between rival governments and a myriad of militias backing either side.

The report by the New York-based watchdog also recounts instances of "crucifixions" and floggings of men for acts such as smoking or listening to music.

The report is based on HRW interviews of 45 residents of Sirte conducted in March last year. The residents were among the two thirds of the city's 80,000-strong population that fled after ISIL overran Sirte.

"While the world's attention is focused on atrocities in Syria and Iraq, ISIL is also getting away with murder in Libya," said Letta Tayler, a senior terrorism and counter-terrorism researcher at HRW.

US military experts estimated in April that the ISIL group has up to 6,000 fighters in Libya. However, Libyan military intelligence officials have told HRW that the affiliate's numbers do not exceed 2,000, 70 percent of whom are foreigners. Estimates by other Libyan security analysts put the number of ISIL fighters in the country at 3,000.

In running Sirte, HRW said ISIL gave homes and all the goods seized from residents who fled to its fighters. Those who were accused of being spies or sorcerers were brutally killed, the right group said.

The report comes just days after the United States and other Western countries threw their support behind Libya's newly formed and U.N.-brokered government, saying they would supply the government with weapons to counter the ISIL group.

This has sparked concerns of more arms being poured into this North African country already awash in weapons.
 
Re: Libya

Mistrata Forces gaining ground against ISIS in northern Libya

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/mistrata-forces-gaining-ground-isis-northern-libya/

One week after repelling the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) terrorists at Abu Qurein, the Mistrata Forces are pushing east towards the terrorist group’s stronghold of Sirte.

So far, the Mistrata Forces have been able to recover the villages surrounding Abu Qurein, while also effectively eliminating the ISIS threat at the strategic coastal city of Mistrata in northern Libya.

Sirte is ISIS’ stronghold in Libya; if lost, they will no longer be able to launch organized military campaigns.


The European Union approves the decision to train Libyan border guards May 23

http://ria.ru/world/20160520/1437128748.html

BRUSSELS, May 20 -. RIA Novosti, Vladimir Dobrovolsky The foreign ministers of the EU member states on Monday is expected to approve the expansion of the migration of naval operations in the Mediterranean, so that she could do the training of the Libyan coast guard and collect information about the smuggling of weapons, he told reporters, a senior EU official, who requested anonymity.

"On Monday, the ministers will discuss the extension of the mandate of the operation" Sofia "The first part -. It is the training of the Coast Guard It will take place in international waters, we have no mandate to act in the national waters.", - Said the EU representative.

He noted that "it is also important to receive a request from the Libyan authorities." "We are in contact with them, we know that they have already expressed this request, but is not yet a formal request is filed, we will discuss the issue with them and we hope that by Monday we get a formal request," - said the EU representative.

According to him, "the second aspect of the extension of the mandate - a process that takes more time." "It is the role that our operation can play in the exchange of information on implementation of the UN arms embargo against Libya," - said the diplomat.

He noted that "Monday will be a political decision to extend the mandate of these two directions." "Then will require regulatory decision of the Council, which is discussed in the group on Foreign Relations (Relex) and the Committee for Policy and Security (the PSC). Regarding the timing of the start of the implementation of this (training border guards) can happen very quickly. We already have six vessels one of them can already start training, it is a matter of several weeks, "- said the representative of the European Union.

According to him, with regard to the implementation of the mandate of the resolution on combating smuggling weapons, "we are talking about the exchange of information about ships, which can carry a weapon."
 
Re: Libya

Libya Assured No Foreign Military Intervention Without Official Request

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160521/1040006777/libya-no-military-intervention.html

The international community has assured the Libyan Government of National Accord that it will not initiate military operations in the country unless requested.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The international community has assured the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) that it will not initiate military operations in the country unless requested by the GNA, Libyan Charge d’Affaires to the United States Wafa Bugaighis told Sputnik.

"I know that the international community said they would not intervene unless they have official requests. This is their position," Bugaighis said on Friday.

Bugaighis emphasized the importance of unified international support for the GNA so it can resist the numerous armed militias fighting for influence in Libya, some of which are supported by outside states.

Bugaighis also noted that GNA will be cautious that weapons it may import under the arms embargo exemption approved by the UN Security Council this week do not fall into the wrong hands.

"The government needs to make — and I am sure they will make —an assessment for what we have, for the needed arms, and also where those arms are going to go, so in the end, we make sure it falls in the right hands and we make sure that it’s used by the proper, legitimate forces," Bugaighis said on Friday.

"There are many armed forces in conflict with each other," Bugaighis said of the current state of affairs in Libya. "You should not support one armed faction against another. The idea is to… build a coalition of legitimate armed forces and then assess their needs."

In the past week, US military officials revealed that the United States has had special operations forces in Libya for at least the past year. The United Kingdom and Italy also sent special forces to Libya in late 2015, following the Islamic State takeover of the coastal city of Sirte.

In 2011, the UN Security Council secured a resolution for the international community to form a no-fly zone over Libya. The measure predicated the overthrow of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi by Western-backed Islamic extremists, throwing the country into chaos.


Libya's Haftar says won't work with unity govt until militias disbanded

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/217265/World/Region/Libyas-Haftar-says-wont-work-with-unity-govt-until.aspx

It would be "unthinkable" for eastern Libyan forces to join a U.N.-backed unity government until militias aligned to it have been disbanded, General Khalifa Haftar, who heads up troops in the east, said in an interview broadcast on Friday.

A December unity deal was meant to end the divide between rival governments in the capital Tripoli and the east who have vied for control over the country and its oil resources since 2014, backed by competing factions, who helped oust Muammar Gaddafi five years ago.

But in an ominous early sign of a possible new showdown, eastern and western factions have sent separate armoured columns towards Gaddafi's home town Sirte, now in the hands of fighters from Islamic State.

Western powers see Fayaz Seraj, the head of the Government of National Accord (GNA), as the best hope of unifying political and armed factions to take on IS. The government arrived in Tripoli in late March and is still trying to establish its authority.

He urged the east last week to join a unified military command centre to coordinate efforts against IS and asked major powers to ease a United Nations Security Council arms embargo for his administration.

"Firstly, We have no links with Mr Seraj and the Presidential Council which he leads is not recognised by the parliament (in the east)," Haftar told i-Tele news channel in an interview in Libya.

"Secondly, on this unified command centre, I would like to stress that Mr Seraj relies on militia and we refuse them. An army cannot unify with militias so they must be dismantled. It's unthinkable to work with these armed factions."

Haftar leads the Libyan National Army (LNA), but his role in any national military force as a possible defence minister or army chief has become one of the most divisive problems in unifying the two sides.

For two years Haftar has been waging a campaign, primarily in Benghazi, the biggest city of the east, against Islamist militants and other former rebels who view him as a relic of the old regime with presidential ambitions.

"Daesh does not have the capacity to face the Libyan armed forces, but the battle could take time," Haftar said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

"If the international community supports us, and I ask it to do so by lifting the embargo on weapons, then we could eliminate Daesh in Libya definitively and quickly," he said.

IS gained control over Sirte last year and has built up its most important base outside Syria and Iraq in the Libyan coastal city. However, it has struggled to hold on to territory elsewhere in Libya.
 
Re: Libya

A spokesman of a Libyan militia says two suicide bombings by the Islamic State (IS) group have killed 32 of the militia's fighters.

IS group suicide bombings kill 32 Libyan militiamen
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/0/217180/World/0/IS-group-suicide-bombings-kill--Libyan-militiamen.aspx

Mohammed Shamia of the Misrata militia, which is loyal to Libya's new UN-brokered unity government, told The Associated Press that the attack happened on Wednesday night.

He says two suicide bombers rammed their large vehicles packed with explosives into militia positions in the al-Washka and Bourayat al-Hassoun areas west of the coastal city of Sirte, an IS group stronghold. Fifty militiamen were wounded in the attacks.

The IS group claimed responsibility for the bombings in a statement posted by its supporters on Twitter.

The international community and Western powers have pledged to support Libya's UN-backed government and arm in order to fight IS group.


Human Rights Watch on Wednesday accused the Islamic State group of unlawfully executing dozens of people in its Libyan stronghold of Sirte, saying the killings amounted to war crimes.

IS group accused of executing dozens in Libya bastion: HRW
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/0/217058/World/0/IS-group-accused-of-executing-dozens-in-Libya-bast.aspx

The New York-based watchdog said IS, also known as ISIS, had inflicted "severe hardship" on the people of Sirte by diverting food, medicine, fuel and cash from the port city since February 2015.

At least 49 people had been killed by methods including decapitation and shooting for alleged crimes including blasphemy, sorcery and spying, HRW said in a report based on a series of interviews.

"The Sirte residents described scenes of horror -- public beheadings, corpses in orange jumpsuits hanging from scaffolding in what they termed 'crucifixions' and masked fighters snatching men from their beds in the night," it said.
 
Re: Libya

Five years after a US-NATO war shattered Libya, Washington is preparing to send troops into the oil-rich North African nation for a “long-term mission,” the Pentagon’s top uniformed commander said Thursday.

US Prepares Troop Deployment to Libya Amid Fight for Oil Fields
http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-prepares-troop-deployment-to-libya-amid-fight-for-oil-fields/5526654

Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters returning aboard his plane from a meeting of NATO commanders in Brussels that the new military deployment, which could involve thousands of US troops, could happen “any day.” It awaited only a formal agreement with the new government that the Western powers and the UN are attempting to set up in Tripoli, he indicated.

General Dunford told reporters that there had been “intense dialogue” and “activities under the surface” aimed at bringing about the Libya intervention. This apparently referred to efforts by the US ambassador to Libya, Peter Bodde, and the State Department’s special envoy for Libya, Jonathan Winer, to wrest a formal request for military intervention from Fayez al-Sarraj, the unelected head of the Western-backed Libyan Presidential Council.

Under UN and US tutelage, Sarraj and his allies established this council in exile in Tunisia, returning to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, at the end of March. It is obvious that this new puppet regime has been created for the sole purpose of providing a veneer of legality to another US-NATO military intervention in the devastated country.

Sarraj’s legitimacy, however, is by no means clear. His is now one of three competing regimes, including the Islamist-dominated General National Congress (GNC) in Tripoli and the House of Representatives (HoR) based in the eastern city of Tobruk, which was previously recognized by the West as the legitimate government of Libya. Neither the GNC nor the HoR have recognized the authority of Sarraj’s presidential council.

Nor is it clear what fighting force Sarraj can rely upon and the US and its allies can arm and train. It was revealed earlier this month that US Special Operations troops have been on the ground in Libya since last year attempting to contact and assess various rival militias to see which one could be employed in the service of Washington’s interests in the country. (Article continues.)


Libya's Prime Minister has officially asked the European Union for support in training the country's navy, coast guard and security services amid a surge in migrants trying to reach Europe by sea.

Summer Migrant Surge Is Coming as EU-Libya Discuss 'Friendship Pact 2.0'
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160523/1040108262/libya-italy-eu-refugees.html

Federica Mogherini, Italian politician and high representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security, released a statement saying that the request would be dealt with during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, "with a view to making this operational as soon as possible so as to support the Libyans with the many challenges that need facing."

Following the closure of the Western Balkan route and a deal stuck between the EU and Turkey to deport migrants arriving on the Greek shores of the Aegean Sea, refugees have been forced to re-route and in the past few days, the Libyan coastguard has intercepted 850 people in boats destined for European shores. The refugees, mainly from African countries were found in seven inflatable boats near Sabrathra, west of the capital Tripoli.

Italy's foreign ministry recently revealed that it was considering renewing a 2008 accord that was agreed between former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and ex-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in which Italy pledged billions of dollars in investment in return for energy contracts and control over illegal migration from North Africa.

The "friendship pact" was mooted by Mohammed Siyala, Libya's foreign minister in its new UN-backed unity government and Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni.
 
Re: Libya

Libya’s recognized government sitting in the city of Tobruk desperately needs money, and is aiming to get it by breaking Muammar Gaddafi’s vault, which has piles of gold and silver coins depicting his likeness.

Hunt for Treasures: Libya’s Gov’t Dying to Crack Gaddafi Golden Coins Vault
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160522/1040038086/libya-government-opens-gaddafi-vault.html

The problem is, they don’t know how to open it.

Located on the banks of the coastal city of Al Bayda, the vault is over 1,000 kilometers away from the people that have the key code for the safe’s door in Tripoli.

Those people, however, belong to a separate self-declared government.

According to estimates, the total value of the treasures hidden in Al Bayda reaches $184 million. But Tripoli authorities refuse to give out the code in fear that the money will be used to fund their rivals.The Tobruk government has tried to break the safe, but to no avail.

Edmund Ghareeb, a Professor of Middle East history and politics at the American University in Washington, pointed out that the central bank governor resorted to the help of professional safecrackers to open the 48-year old vault as he doesn’t have money to pay wages to his employees.

If they succeed, though, authorities will meet new challenges.

“I can’t sell them [coins] as they are,” Ali El Hibri, the central bank governor in eastern Libya told the Wall Street Journal. “I don’t want to cause any controversy in the street by advertising the face of Gaddafi.”

Ghareeb said that El Hibri was going to melt down coins because Gaddafi was depicted on them.

“If it wasn’t so tragic it would be comical,” Ghareeb said of the situation. “But because of the picture of Gaddafi on the coins, they don’t want to have the political implications of this.”

Ghareeb concluded by saying that Al Bayda residents believe the money belongs to them.


Jens Stoltenberg tells Al Jazeera that military alliance will help to build Libya's capacities to defend itself.

NATO chief: No plans for combat troops in Libya
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/05/nato-chief-combat-troops-libya-160521133154753.html

NATO is not planning combat operations inside Libya, which is facing an increased security threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said.

"We are looking into what we can do to support Libya, for instance by building defence institutions and helping them build their capacities to defend themselves," Stoltenberg told Al Jazeera.

He said that the transatlantic military alliance "stands ready to help assist the new Libyan Government of National Accord", but "will not do anything without request from that government".

A UN-backed Government of National Accord arrived in Tripoli on March 31 as part of an international effort to bring stability in the north African country, which descended into political chaos and conflict after an armed uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi five years ago.


The conflict in Libya is a scramble for power and wealth.

Libya: The story of the conflict explained
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/04/libya-story-conflict-explained-160426105007488.html

In 1951, Libya became a unified independent country within its current borders. Initially, it started as a federal monarchy made up of three distinct regions; Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan, each with its own regional government and legislative body alongside a main central government and parliament.

However, in 1963 the federal system was abolished giving way to a totally unified country with central political and sovereign institutions.

For almost 42 years, power and wealth were under the control of one absolute dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, and after his demise in 2011, it became a real challenge to adopt a new discourse based on free elections and power-sharing.

The past five years, however, have offered Libyans many challenges as well as opportunities. While this period provided an opportunity to rebuild a new unified state based on a democratic discourse encompassing transparent institutions and rule of law, it, nonetheless, put the whole notion of a Libyan united state under strain. The threat of disintegration became real.

Lack of political consensus among the various political actors, and their inability to resolve regional differences through peaceful national dialogue, resulted in two parallel civil wars raging in the east and west of Libya.

The civil war has been fuelled by detrimental foreign intervention, while the local actors have been justifying their conflicts under banners of fighting "terrorism" or standing up to a "counterrevolutionary forces".

However, the reality of the conflict in Libya is that it is a scramble for power and wealth, ignited by the inability to craft a new social contract determining a fair sharing of power.

The most serious manifestation of Libya's disintegration over the past two years has been the emergence of two separate conflicting parliaments and governments, one operating in the east and one in the west.

Consequently, attempts were made to split the three most important sovereign economic institutions; the Central Bank, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) and the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), by having two functioning central banks, National Oil Corporations and the Libyan Investment Authorities.

The two LIAs even went to the extent of filing court proceedings in London against each other over who is entitled to manage some $67bn of frozen LIA assets internationally.

The disintegration also ran across security institutions. Since the conflict began in 2014, there have been effectively two parallel army, police and security structures, leading many Libyans to believe that the country was in danger of splitting into two.

The lack of real political change on the ground, the feeling of marginalisation among certain groups and regions, and a weak central authority are factors that reinforced this conviction. As a result, demands to return to a federal political system of government became vocal.

A small minority went even further, demanding a separation of the east of Libya, and the right to self-determination, risking the total fragmentation of the country.

It is against this background of anarchy and fragmentation that the United Nations initiated a national dialogue back in September 2014. This resulted in a new Presidency Council, led by Fayez Sarraj, and the pending Government of National Accord (GNA) provides one of the last hopes of keeping the country united.

The GNA is an outcome of a broad national political dialogue that produced an agreement based on compromise and consensus between the main opposing political and military groups that divided Libya.

This agreement transferred most of the political powers to the new GNA's Presidency Council that has a clear mandate to reunite the country, steer it out of conflict and back on track to complete the post-revolution transitional period.

A month since peacefully arriving in Tripoli, the new GNA needs to move quickly to start reuniting the split sovereign institutions. These include the Libyan Central Bank, NOC, LIA as well as the army, police, intelligence and security bodies.

This, in effect, will put an end to the institutional disintegration and reverse the divisive trend since 2014.

Other vital steps, that can be undertaken by the GNA, include facilitating a process of political and social reconciliation inclusive of all Libyans. Consensus-building between opposing factions and continuation of the political process until a new constitutional draft is put to a referendum leading to permanent elections is also required to achieve a new beginning of a stable permanent era in Libya.

The GNA has built up momentum since it relocated in Tripoli, putting forward an action plan and a list of ministers for the new cabinet. However, it cannot afford to wait any longer for the House of Representative in Tobruk to provide its proposed cabinet with an official vote of confidence.

The GNA's main executive policies must focus in future on three main aspects: Security, socioeconomic conditions and institution-building.

Security needs must be addressed by bringing stability to the capital Tripoli, and ending the fighting and human suffering in Benghazi, as well as other cities and regions.

It also needs to gradually and firmly begin incorporating civilian armed groups, or militias, into the national army and tackle the expanding threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group.

The recent victory over ISIL (also known as ISIS) by the local population and armed groups in the eastern city of Derna can only serve as a boost to the GNA. However, the remnants of ISIL who escaped from Derna, may well relocate to Benghazi, and most likely Sirte, which is under the full control of ISIL.

The inevitable battle to regain Sirte is likely to represent the final show down with ISIL in Libya.

GNA's new socioeconomic policies should focus on increasing the production and export of oil, which, if resumed quickly, can bring in vital income for the country and top up central bank reserves. Strengthening the value and exchange price of the Libyan dinar against main foreign currencies, should be another priority.

The GNA will also need to ensure the availability of cash withdrawals for people at banks, the payment of salaries on time, and a reversal of the recently inflated prices of basic commodities such as bread.

The GNA has all the elements and ingredients to succeed and can only fail Libya through weak vision, resolve and leadership.
 
Re: Libya

angelburst29 said:
Jens Stoltenberg tells Al Jazeera that military alliance will help to build Libya's capacities to defend itself.

NATO chief: No plans for combat troops in Libya
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/05/nato-chief-combat-troops-libya-160521133154753.html


NATO said that they are ready to intervene in Libya, if necessary

http://ria.ru/world/20160524/1439180933.html

ROME, May 24 -. RIA Novosti, Sergei Startsev NATO is prepared to intervene in the situation in Libya at the request of a new government of national consensus, said Tuesday evening in Rome, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

"NATO is ready to intervene in Libya, to create a new defense structure at the request of the new government and as part of the expanded force, together with the European Union and the United States," - he said.

It is remarkable that in just a few hours before meeting with Stoltenberg Renzi, speaking in a live TV channel Repubblica the TV , said that Italy does not intend to send its troops to Libya and intends to contribute to the stabilization of the country through the diplomatic channel.

"We will not intervene in Libya with our armed forces, if only on the part of (chapters of national consensus government Fayez) al-Sarraj not follow a specific request about this. We are working at the diplomatic level in order to help al-Sarraj, who can Libya to stability ", - said the Italian prime minister.

He also stressed that any decisions related to the possibility of sending troops abroad must be approved by the national parliament.

In Libya, March 31 started to work the new government of national concord country headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. The government hopes to restore the integrity of the country, which since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi's regime was on the verge of collapse. Some areas of Libya still captured militants linked to a terrorist group "Islamic State" (banned in Russia).
 
Re: Libya

Understanding Libya
https://vivalibya.wordpress.com/2016/04/22/understanding-libya/

Introduction - In 2011 Libya, the most prosperous democracy in Africa, was targeted for destruction. Terrorist death squads were unleashed upon the nation. A NATO bombing campaign destroyed the country and plunged it into chaos. NATO’s death squads seized control of most of the oil-rich territory, although 5 years later, the Libyan people continue to resist. After the 2011 NATO assault, accurate information about what has been going on in the country is very rare.

Understanding Libya Part II:
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2016/05/24/understanding-libya-part-ii-interview-with-alexandra-valiente/

HT: I understand you have a correction to make to a comment made on our first interview.

AV: Yes. Recall that on April 12, Martin Kobler admitted that the Government of Accord (GoA) existed only on paper without the approval of the internationally recognized House of Representatives (HoR).

I said that April 19th the HoR had given a vote of confidence to the GoA, but that was only conditional. In addition to demands for amendments to legal documents, they required a meeting with the GoA in Tobruk. This frustrated foreign powers anxious to instate the regime, as the GoA were unable to travel beyond Tripoli, even under the protection of their militias – and inside Tripoli they required constant guard.

HT: So the HoR never acknowledged the legitimacy of the GoA?

AV: No.The President of the HoR, Ageela Saleh, continues to extend the invitation for dialog, but his requests are ignored.

Because the HoR never acknowledged the GoA, by the United Nations’ guidelines, in accord with international law, the unity government remains illegitimate, regardless of what occured in Vienna. Nonetheless, the day after the Vienna meeting, Fayez Serraj, head of the Presidential Council (PC), activated the GoA, declaring the Tobruk parliament and the Libyan National Army in its current form, obsolete.

HT: What happened in Vienna?

AV: The Vienna meeting was the catastrophic finale, a masterful propaganda event jointly chaired by US secretary of state, John Kerry and Italian foreign minister, Paolo Gentiloni. Twenty nations were co-conspirators in the coup d’état that declared an illegitimate government legitimate and formalized the permanent foreign occupation of Libya. They placed terrorists in power and committed arms and funds to terrorist militias (Presidential Guard) tasked to protect the regime.

HT: Who are the Presidential Guard and what does this mean in terms of legitimizing extremist militias?

AV: In our earlier interview I referred to concerns expressed by human rights organizations, lawyers and the Resistance regarding the Shirkat Agreement (December17,2015). They warned that the unity government would not end human rights abuses, but grant full immunity to violators.

The Libya Political Agreement (LPA – Skhirat) is also referred to in the Vienna communiqué. The LPA included the disarming and dismantling of militias. However, since the GoA arrived in Tripoli, extremist militias operating under the “Libya Dawn” umbrella, were assigned to guard the PC. Simultaneously, Martin Koebler met in Istanbul with commanders of these militias, including al Qaeda’s Abdel Hakim Belhadj, to finalize power-sharing arrangements that would define their function under the regime. The plan was to replace the Libyan National Army (LNA) with the Presidential and National Guard.

HT: What can you tell us about the assassination campaign against members of the Libyan National Army?

AV: Regarding the Istanbul meetings held under the auspices of Turkish intelligence, Arabs of London published a detailed exposé. Khaled al-Sharif of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) proposed the assassination campaign targeting officers of the Libyan National Army as a means of neutralizing opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood’s usurpation of Libya. Since then, many members of the army in Tripoli have been killed. It is no coincidence that da’esh are carrying out the same campaign in Sirte.

HT: How have the people responded?

AV: The Vienna meeting took place at a time when the country was in the midst of escalating crisis; the advance of da’esh on several fronts, a humanitarian disaster, hospitals and clinics closed due to lack of equipment, medicine and supplies, people impoverished, displaced and food scarce.

Military operations conducted by the Tribes and Libyan National Army were underway to liberate Sirte while the campaign to clear Benghazi of terrorist elements continued and battles for Derna and Misrata intensified. Bani Walid, under threat from da’esh, was on high alert, yet its people extended the warmest welcome to thousands of refugees fleeing Sirte who escaped before all routes in and out of Sirte were closed.

In the face of these and other enormous challenges, people from every region of the country have made their rejection of the unity government and the Muslim Brotherhood coup d’état known. There have been widespread demonstrations. The people stand behind the Libyan National Army, demand the dismantling of militias, support efforts to combat terrorism and reject foreign interference. The HoR continue to function. The Libyan National Army operate under the authority of the HoR. In the Sirte operation, they have refused to cooperate with the Presidential Guard. The Tribes have their own security arrangements with regards to territorial defense and the liberation of Sirte. They are working with the LNA’s “unified command center”, independent from the GoA and their terrorist militias.

HT: How do you think the Resistance will respond to the current situation?

AV: The Resistance stands with the Tribes and the people.

HT: What impact will installing a Muslim Brotherhood government in Libya have on the region?

AV: A massive expansion of the war theater, an escalation of terrorism, weapons smuggling and human trafficking throughout Africa and the Middle East. In my view, the various organizations working within the Muslim Brotherhood network differ in degree but not in kind. There can be no effective end to terror without dealing with the spectre of the Muslim Brotherhood in its entirety.

HT: Could you discuss the human rights situation in Libya?

AV: Advances in securing the release of some political prisoners came solely through the dedicated work of the Tribes. Neither the Tripoli nor Tobruk governments exerted any effort to improve the human rights situation or relieve civilian suffering. Now that the GoA have been placed in power, human rights will further deteriorate. The fact that terrorist militias in Tripoli have been granted immunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity and ongoing human rights violations is an indicator of what the future holds under the GoA.

HT: What do you think the future holds for Libya?

AV: Libya has been at war since the beginning of the NATO invasion of 2011. It is not a civil war as Stratfor-sourced reports would have people believe. It has always been a struggle for removal of occupation forces and foreign multinationals exploiting Libya’s resource wealth. It has been a war against terrorism; terrorism brought to Libya by NATO.

Now that struggle will become more focused and aggressive.

Because of the irrepressible spirit, courage, dignity and resilience of the Libyan people, I have no doubt that they will overcome all obstacles in their path and successfully liberate their country from terrorism and foreign occupation.
 
Re: Libya

UK Troops Carry Out Attack on Daesh Vehicles in Libya

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160526/1040264111/uk-daesh-attacks-libya.html

UK special forces have destroyed two Daesh vehicles with explosives in Libya, The Times reports.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Earlier this month, reports emerged that Italian and British special troops were ambushed by Daesh militants in Libya. The media reports came soon after UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that London had no plans to deploy ground combat forces to Libya, but could provide the country with training or technical support.

"My unit works just with English. I have met with them personally and they have destroyed two suicide vehicles that were targeting my fighters," commander of troops in Misrata Mohammed Durat told The Times on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, the attack helped stop Daesh advance on the city of Misrata and is the first evidence that UK soldiers are fighting against Daesh militants in Libya.

Libya has been in a political and security vacuum since the 2011 Arab Spring uprising and the ouster of the North African nation’s long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. Last December, a unity government was eventually mediated by the UN between the two rival governments, in Tripoli and Tobruk.

The instability in the country has created a political and security vacuum that was largely filled by Islamist militants.
 
Re: Libya

Imminent Intervention? Greece, Italy, & Malta Close Airspace For Aircraft From Libya
Via KeepTalkingGreece.com, (http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2016/05/25/imminent-intervention-greece-italy-malta-close-their-airspace-for-aircraft-departing-from-libya/)
Tyler Durden's
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-05-25/imminent-intervention-greece-italy-malta-close-airspace-aircraft-libya
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/26/2016 02:00 -0400
Weird things are happening in the Mediterranean Sea. Almost simultaneously three countries in the Mediterranean have closed their airspace and territories for aircraft departing from Libya. The exceptions are very few and involve the transport of military and evacuees. At the same time, three NATO exercises are taking place but the airspace closure and directly little to do with that.

The first country to close its airspace for aircraft departing from Libya” was Italy, followed by Malta. Today it was Greece’s turn. All three countries issued relevant NOTAMs:

Italy on May 11 and closes the airspace May 11 – August 8 2016, consequently at the same period Malta that issued the NOTAM on May 12.
libya%20italy%20notam.JPG


libya%20italy%20notam.JPG

Greece’s NOTAM was issued today, May 25th and the period for banning aircraft departed from Libya to overflight and land is given as May 25th – September 8, 2016

libya%20notam%202.JPG


The overlapping FIR closure period by the three countries is actually May 25 – August 8 2016.

What is interesting in the Greek NOTAM are aircraft like “military aircraft of other nations, state flights or other VIP flights, ambulance flights” are not affected by the ban. Italy records also some exceptions but not of “ambulance aircraft.”

Why do Greece, Italy and Malta need to close their airspace and territories to aircraft departing from Libya? Is there something the NATO allies have on their mind? Or the NATO itself? Something like an imminent intervention against Libya? It was beginning of April when US President Barack Obama and Secretary General Jens Stoltenrbg had declared that they could help Libya to face the Islamic Caliphate.

Defense news website OnAlert.gr that brought up this exclusive story, notes that there is already since May 17th the NATO exercise “Phoenix Express 2016” (Phoenix 2016) taking part off the island of Crete.

The exercise scenarios focus geographically in North Africa, The forces that participate in Phoenix 2016 are: Algeria, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States.

“The at-sea portion of the exercise will test North African, European, and U.S. forces’ abilities to combat illegal migration, illicit trafficking, and movement of materials for weapons of mass destruction. Additionally, participating forces will work together to practice procedures of search-and-rescue in cases where vessels are in distress. Participating Maritime Operations Centers (MOCs) will exercise information sharing practices.”

Exercise Phoenix Express is one of three U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet facilitated regional exercises.
(announcement by USA Navy)

Right after that date, two NATO Refueling Exercises will take place, south and west of the island of Crete (May 30-21/2016) and south and west of the island of Karpathos (May 31-June 1/2016)

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According to Greek NOTAMs refering to NATO Refueling exercises.

According to OnAlert,gr there has been increase of NATO exercises in the area recently.

So it looks as if Greece will play a significant role in a possible intervention against Libya and even be able to receive aircraft that have departed from Libya carrying evacuees, VIP and other…

Such in case that the scenario comes true and thus before summer is over.

Is not clear whether also Libya’s neighbors Egypt, Algeria and Tunesia have issued similar NOTAMs.
 
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