Government of National Accord (GNA) - Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

Russia playing with fire in Libya

Hakki Ocal — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 06:40:21 +0000

I was intending to put in my two cents’ worth on U.S.-Russian competition and its ill effects on TurkStream, a Russo-Turkish joint project that directly connects the large gas reserves in Russia to Turkish ports. It is not only going to benefit Turkish consumers but will also provide reliable energy supplies for south and southeast Europe. The TurkStream, as well as the Nord Stream 2 that connects the Russian natural gas pipelines to Germany, are going to be sanctioned by the U.S. government. I was going to show the “Rogue State” syndrome in such extraterritorial sanctions the U.S. tries to impose at will.

But the rogue states can wait. We have a rogue ambassador at hand. Ambassador Aleksei Erkhov is a prolific responder to the Daily Sabah. That is not bad. For many years ambassadors representing the USSR were unbearably reticent on political issues, the whole world used to think that only the Politburo members have a tongue in their mouths.

I tweeted Ambassador’s Erkhov’s response to my piece on the internal strife in Libya and a follower simplified his response as follows: Mr. Ambassador says Russia will wait to see who is going to win in Libya and it will support them; the rest is diplomatic gobbledygook.

I wouldn’t say that for an ambassador who has such a winning smile; but before he does question my reasoning, he has to review his take on Libya.

Mr. Erkhov accepts that Russia simply watched the U.S. and EU topple the legitimate government and lawful ruler of Libya topped and atrociously killed. He uses three arguments in defending Russia’s inaction on Libya, past and present; let me paraphrase them:

1. Some countries believed that they were the grandmasters of the world’s destinies. Russia didn’t.

2. The situation is getting worse; we cannot get involved anymore.

3. We don’t know which side to support.

For the ambassador (I hope not for the Russian government) despite the fact that it is called the Government of National Accord (GNA), the Tripoli government is neither nationally nor internationally recognized and Mr. Haftar controls a significant part of the country:

“Claiming that the majority of the country supports the GNA would also be wishful thinking, they say. It is not that I share such opinions but analyzing the situation as a whole I definitely have to take them into account. Who is better – Mr. Haftar or Mr. Sarraj – it’s up to the Libyans to decide.”

Imagine it is the day after the Gülenist Terror Group’s (FETÖ) coup bid, and the country had been divided into two, as some say that was the plan all along. The Russian ambassador cables to Moscow saying that “I share not, but the FETÖ-ists have a sizeable part of the country in their control; we have to take it into consideration. Besides, the U.S., the EU, Egypt, Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriots all are supporting the FETÖ coup. Could the majority of these nations be wrong? Oh, между прочим, we saw some black banners with Arabic scribbles in the Erdoğan-held areas.”

No Mr. Ambassador; the just side is never determined by the size of its adherents. The Vietnamese were the just side despite the atrocities of the Viet Kong; and Iraq was the just side despite the number of nations in the U.S. coalition.

If you diminish the GNA to the status of Haftar’s rebellion, you are declaring the maritime cooperation agreement it signed with Turkey as “null and void.” That agreement is bringing closer the possible dispatch of Turkish advisory troops to help defend Tripoli from an attack by forces supported by the United Arab Emirates and the Saudis. In that case, the vital question should be whether the force Turkey might send to Libya engages with Russian contingency, the Wagner Group, has in the country. Those countries that support Gen. Haftar say the Wagner Group is a Russian paramilitary organization waging secret wars on the Kremlin’s behalf from Ukraine to Syria to the Central African Republic.

Source: https://www.dailysabah.com/columns/hakki-ocal/2019/12/23/russia-playing-with-fire-in-libya

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Libyan PM warns 800,000 migrants could arrive in Europe if instability in the country continues

Danyal Hussain — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 06:03:50 +0000

Libya’s government is asking for help to stop a rival group’s offensive on Tripoli
The government is warning that the offensive could displace 800,000 Libyans
These refugees, and 400 ISIS prisoners, could then flee to Europe in the carnage

Libya Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj has called on Europe to aid his government

Libya’s government has warned 800,000 migrants could arrive in Europe if instability in the country continues.

The UN-backed administration in Tripoli issued the warning as it begged Europe to help stop General Khalifa Haftar and his rebel forces from marching on the Libyan capital.

Haftar has previously declared he was going to clear the city of ‘terrorists’ sparking fears civil war could trigger a mass displacement of civilians.

The country’s Prime Minister warned that as many as 800,000 refugees could flee to the West.

The GNA claim that helping Libya is in Europe’s ‘best interests’, warning that the fighting and instability could also displace 400 ISIS prisoners if Haftar reaches Tripoli.

The International Criminal Court has been gathering evidence following reports of war crimes being committed on the capital by Haftar’s men.

There have been attacks on schools, homes and offices, with the buildings hit by rockets and bombs.

Prime Minister Fayyaz al Serraj told Sky News: ‘We still want peace. But if we are forced to fight, we are up for the fight.

‘The international community must pressurize these forces and call it by its name and pressurize them to go back to where they came from.’

He added that he wants the fighters carrying out the attacks on behalf of the General to be tried for crimes against humanity.

GNA deputy prime minister Ahmad Maitig added: ‘It interests the whole of Europe to see a peaceful and democratic Libya. 800,000 people can easily reach Europe.

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (right) meeting Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar (left) at the Ittihadia presidential Palace in the capital Cairo. Haftar has launched an offensive on Libyan capital Tripoli

The Libyan government is warning that the ongoing stability could lead to another migrant crisis (Libyan refugees pictured in 2016)

A Libyan displaced family, who fled their house because of the fighting between the Eastern forces commanded by Khalifa Haftar and the internationally recognized government

Members of Libyan National Army (LNA) commanded by Khalifa Haftar, get ready before heading out of Benghazi to reinforce the troops advancing to Tripoli

‘These [ISIS] prisoners are terrorists and we were working with the international community to keep them and hold them. At the same time we see some international partners, our international team players, supporting the attack and supporting Haftar.

‘This is something not understandable for the GNA.’

His words came following rumours that France and other European nations may support Haftar and his forces in the conflict.

Maitig brushed off reports France favoured Haftar, saying ‘the position of the French government is to support the national accord government’.

He also added that Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini ‘shows big support for the peace process’.

However, he repeated warnings that the offensive by Haftar’s forces could spark an exodus of displaced Libyans and migrants, as well as ISIS fighters.

There were ‘more than 400 prisoners’ in Libya whose whereabouts could not be secured should Haftar push on to take the capital, he said.

He also dismissed the idea that the government would intervene to prevent Libyans and migrants fleeing for Europe under an EU-approved deal signed between Italy and Libya in 2017.

‘There is no agreement on keeping the migrants in Libya at all. Zero. The agreement was to prepare the Libyan coastguard… that is it.’

The accord for Italy to train Libya’s coastguard – signed in a bid to end Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War – saw a significant drop in the flow of African migrants across the central Mediterranean.

Some 265 migrants have landed in Italy so far this year, compared to 7,500 last year in the same period and over 30,000 the year before, according to the interior ministry.

Libya has long been a major transit country for migrants desperate to reach Europe via the Mediterranean.

International aid groups have warned migrants could be used as human shields or forcibly recruited to fight.

Libya has been in turmoil since NATO-backed forces overthrew former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Haftar’s offensive began shortly before a conference set for this month to discuss Libya’s future – an event the UN cancelled as the forces closed in on the capital.

Haftar, who leads the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), has pushed out from his power base in the country’s east towards the Libyan capital in the west, the seat of the UN-backed unity government.

GNA deputy prime minister Ahmad Maitig warned that as many as 800,000 refugees could flee to Europe

Last week, the only functional airport in the Libyan capital was hit by an airstrike amid clashes between rival armed groups for control of Tripoli.

The official Facebook page of the Mitiga airport said it had been attacked by a fighter jet.

There were no further details and no casualties were immediately reported.

A video circulated online shows a fighter jet firing and allegedly targeting the airport.

The airport, located five miles east of the city centre originally functioned as a military base.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6928407/Libyan-PM-warns-800-000-migrants-arrive-Europe-instability-country-continues.html

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