CIA-Linked Libya Commander General Khalifa Haftar is untouchable

There is ample evidence to show that General Khalifa Haftar is untouchable no matter what he does to directly snub his nose at the UN-supported peace talks promoted by the U.S. and other countries.

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Haftar first initiated a failed coup in February 2014. An arrest warrant was issued to apprehend him for attempting a coup. In May he started his Operation Dignity to purge Libya of Islamists, including not only an attack on Islamic militias in Benghazi but also burning down the parliament buildings. He was still not arrested even though the then prime minister of the interim government Abdullah al-Thinni called his actions illegal and noted there was a warrant out for his arrest. He was never arrested. He was untouchable.

Now in April 2015 the same Abdullah al-Thinni is prime minister of the internationally recognized government in Tobruk. Instead of arresting Haftar, Thinni is such a strong supporter of Haftar that he made him commander of the armed forces. Haftar has said that he is going to recapture Benghazi which, until Haftar's recent offensive, was mostly held by the Council of Shura Revolutionaries. He has also vowed to retake Tripoli. He has had the full support of Al Thinni and his government in his actions and announcements.

Until recently, he has completely rejected the peace talks calling them discussions with terrorists. Even though he does not now reject them outright, he says there will be no ceasefire with militias. This position completely rejects a key feature of the negotiations, which would involve a ceasefire and complete cessation of hostilities between the militia of the two competing governments. The UN has continually warned the parties not to take military or other actions that would jeopardize the peace process on pain of facing sanctions. Consider what Haftar has done.

Haftar bombed the Mitiga airport before a recent series of talks began. During the talks he started an offensive against Tripoli. There was a pause in the talks and just when they were to resume again Haftar bombed the Mitiga airport near Tripoli just before Tripoli representatives were to leave for the talks. The talks had to be delayed until the next day. Again there were denunciations by the UN and a warning that parties who are responsible for taking actions that disrupted the peace process could face sanctions. Did Haftar get the message? The message that Haftar had been getting for some time is that no one would stop him if he continued what he had intended to do, and that is defeat the Islamists, including the alternative government and its militia.

Just as the new supposedly final and most important rounds of talks were to begin, Haftar's forces bombed Mitiga airport again at least according to a spokesperson for the Libyan National Army(LNA) of which he is commander. There are other reports that indicate that a military base ten kilometres away was the target. The attack happened just as the Tripoli representatives' plane was about to take off. The UN envoy in charge of the peace talks, Bernardino Leon, complained that “we have never seen air strikes at the moment when one of the delegations is taking off on its way to the talks.” Leon demanded an investigation.

This will certainly ensure that Haftar will stop all his nasty ways. Haftar has never tried to cover up the fact that he was behind the other bombings and his spokesperson has acknowledged the LNA is behind the present bombings. I await the announcement that Khalifa Haftar has been sanctioned. The idea that Haftar would accept any unity government with any Islamists in it is risible. He has often said that he would not. There will be no political solution or peace as long as Haftar is commander of the Tobruk government armed forces. Western supporters of the peace process must know this. The west has been outmanoeuvred by Egypt, Russia, the UAE, and the Saudis. Russia is now a big friend and military supplier to Egypt with the US now deciding all of a sudden that it should release military funds to Egypt to the tune of $1.3 billion to help fight terrorism. Egypt may well use some of this military weapons bonanza to help their fellow anti-Islamist warrior Khalifa Haftar in Libya. No one dare touch Haftar.

Internationally recognized Libyan government refuses UN demand to stop bombing.

Abdullah al-Thinni, prime minister of the internationally and UN recognized government, told the UN envoy Bernardino Leon that Tripoli is held by extremists and bombing will stop only if they surrender.

There were several earlier attacks on Mitiga airport, the sole functioning airport in Tripoli. Prime Minister Al-Thinni refused to call a halt to the strikes even when asked to do so by the UN envoy trying to arrange talks and an end to the fighting. He refused to halt the attacks saying that Tripoli was held by extremists and attacks would halt only when they surrendered. Far from stopping actions that clearly prevent dialogue he added conditions to participating in any talks:Thinni laid down new conditions for talks with the rival government, asking the Tripoli administration to recognize the elected parliament first, the website said. Armed groups such as Dawn also had to withdraw from the capital. Neither, the Reuters article that reports on Thinni's conditions, nor recent UN statements, nor a recent statement by a number of nations on the situation in Libya dare mention the fact that the Libyan Supreme Court decided on November 6 that that June elections were unconstitutional, and that the Tobruk government should be dissolved.
Now the Tobruk government not only wants the rival government to recognize it but also to withdraw the militia from Tripoli that protects it from the attacks of CIA-linked Khalifa Haftar. Don't expect the international community or the UN to do anything about Tobruk's defiance of the UN demands or its clear rejection of dialogue.
The UN statement is as if from another planet: There is agreement among the various Libyan actors that the way forward is to hold an inclusive political dialogue to tackle the crisis with a view to end the fighting and alleviate the suffering of the civilian population, ensure the political transition process is back on track and safeguard Libya's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. In this regard and after consultation with the Libyan parties, UNSMIL will call a new round of political dialogue to be held on 09 December 2014. Apparently, the UN did not notice Al-Thinni's rejection of the demand to stop bombing or the impossible conditions put on joining any dialogue. Nor did they notice that the rival Tripoli government of Omar al-Hasi also now rejects dialogue and said that it might not even allow Leon to enter territory it controls: "We were open for dialogue, but are forced into a confrontation and war and we will be victorious,"
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, the U.S. Secretary of State, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs issued a statement that mimics the bizarre claims of the UN statement that the parties are all for dialogue: They also welcomed the positive reactions of the parties and urged them to participate constructively and without any conditions in this process, which represents the most viable path for Libya to chart its own future. They strongly endorsed the UN's efforts to work with key stakeholders to build a national unity government for Libya, and committed themselves to support such a government. They strongly condemned recent violence, including air strikes, which undermines the prospects for a negotiated settlement, and highlighted the terrible suffering for all in Libya caused by the continued violence. What positive reactions of the parties? The bombings, which have been condemned, the demand that Tripoli recognize a government that the Supreme Court has demanded be dissolved, the continued fighting in Benghazi and other areas? The threat that Leon cannot even set foot in Tripoli? Of course all this is part of the rhetorical anodyne nonsense that is a specialty of whomever writes this stuff for the UN.
 The reality appears in a final sentence giving the appropriate warning: If key stakeholders fail to participate in the UN-led process, to consider additional measures to protect Libya's unity, stability and prosperity, and to counter expanding terrorist threats to Libya and the region. So Haftar is home free. If he does not enter the dialogue nor the other key players the Tripoli government or the Libya Dawn militias then a whole host of western countries are ready to take further measures to counter "expanding terrorist threats to Libya and the region." This is the whole purpose of Haftar and his Operation Dignity. The UN dialogue is a non-starter and simply a smoke screen to mask the real agenda, a new front on the war against terrorism. As part of this there will be renewed news about the Islamic State which now replaces Al Qaeda as the new threat to world peace. There are numerous reports of groups swearing allegiance to the IS and even having training camps More reports are here or here or here. Meanwhile Haftar bombs his own people and claims that they are Islamic terrorists. This was the narrative of Gadaffi. There is more sense in the appended discussion on a bus going to Tripoli than you will find anywhere in the mainstream press.

Even UN expresses concern about Tripoli bombings by General Haftar

UN special envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon has been trying his best to persuade the parties in conflict to stop fighting and engage in dialogue. He has stressed that there can only be a political solution to the Libyan conflict.

While the groups of militia opposed to the government still are in conflict in some areas, the capital Tripoli is free of fighting for the most part and Benghazi was also under control of anti-Tobruk government forces until recently. In spite of the UN's pleading to stop fighting CIA-linked General Haftar and his militia launched an operation that is intended to retake Benghazi. This operation was apparently aided by planes that probably came from Egypt . Some claim they were piloted by Libyans allowing Egypt to deny that they were involved.
 On November 6th the Libyan Supreme Court ruled that the June elections were unconstitutional and that the Tobruk government should be dissolved. The UN said it was studying the decision. Apparently it is still studying the decision. It makes no reference to it that I have seen in recent statements including the one made about a phone call to Al Thinni who still is called the "prime minister". The UN statement reports on a phone conversation of Special Representative(SRSG) for Libya, Bernardino Leon with "PM Abdullah al-Thinni": 25 November 2014 -Against the backdrop of the dangerous escalation in military operations in Libya and on-going UN mediation efforts to contain the situation, on 25 November SRSG Leon spoke by phone to Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni, Head of Libya’s interim government. The two discussed possible options for ending armed hostilities, including a cessation of aerial attacks against Mitiga Airport in Tripoli, and other areas in western Libya. Leon said that the latest military developments would complicate the overall situation in Libya and undermine efforts to resolve the conflict through peaceful means. Given the actions of General Haftar with the blessing of the Tobruk government, it is clear that the Tobruk government is simply thumbing its nose at the UN.
 The UN has no power to force Haftar to stop fighting those opposed to the government and he has no intention of doing so. Leon stressed to al-Thinni that he intended to press ahead with mediation efforts and hold a new round of talks in Ghadames. Earlier talks were only with elected members of the Tobruk House of Representatives who had boycotted the parliament. Leon stressed then that the Tobruk government was the only legitimate one. Since the Supreme Court ruling Leon has met with people associated with the competing government. The UN, even though it names some of the figures, refuses to give them any official title. Even since the Supreme Court announcement the language of the UN gives legitimacy only to the Tobruk government calling al-Thinni the prime minister of Libya.
 Leon insisted: " Building on the dialogue initiative launched in Ghadames on 29 September, the new round would bring together all the major stakeholders with the aim of forging consensus on ending the current state of polarisation and division affecting the State and its institutions." The Ghadames dialogue got nowhere and did nothing to stop the fighting. The one positive move that worked was the negotiation of a twelve hour cease fire in Benghazi. Leon briefed al-Thinni on his meeting with other parties. Al-Thinni outlined conditions for the success of any dialogue. The UN statement says nothing about what those are.
The final paragraph well expresses the complete divorce between what the UN-recognized government is doing and what it claims to be doing: SRSG Leon welcomed the Interim Government’s commitment to dialogue and to work on ensuring conducive conditions for a new round of talks to convene at the earliest opportunity. Both agreed to remain in close touch and to remain closely engaged on this issue. This is the same government that supports the Haftar campaign in Benghazi and gave him the green light to liberate Tripoli. The UN refuses to address issues such as this.
 Meanwhile, a court in Tripoli issued an arrest warrant for General Haftar as a response to his bombing attacks on the Mitiga airport. Even Ban Ki-Moon called for the air strikes to stop and as indicated in the UN statement urged all sides to talk: "The only way to resolve the current crisis is through dialogue." The Tobruk government claims it was forced to strike Mitiga airport because it is controlled by a rival administration. Imagine the response if the al-Hassi government in Tripoli bombed Tobruk giving the same reason.
 The prime minister of the Tripoli government Omar al-Hassi said: "The national salvation government has always adopted the policy of peace, acceptance and dialogue. Yet now, we are forced by what's happened in Benghazi, Kalkla and Tripoli to embrace the policy of war and armed confrontation." The Tripoli government has urged a referendum on a new constitution being drafted and then elections. Both sides accept the committee drafting the constitution. The UN has yet to suggest elections and as some have suggested an interim unity government as a solution. The reason I think is clear. This is not acceptable to the Tobruk government.
 A local resident told Al Jazeera: "We woke up to find airplanes striking three times. They hit houses where families and women were staying. They had nothing to do with the airbase." That sounds as if the government is bombing its own people. Clear evidence of the destruction of homes is given in the appended video. Since the bombing is not done by Gadaffi but by a UN and internationally recognized government don't expect the west to intervene.
Haftar is out to rid Libya of Islamists and that is a popular theme next door in Egypt, and no doubt the US and many European countries would be happy to see Haftar be successful. However, many may be starting to doubt his abilities to rout his opposition.
 Haftar is no doubt amused by the arrest warrant. An arrest warrant was issued ages ago against him after his first attempt at a coup early this year. The warrant was in effect when Al-Thinni the prime minister of the Tobruk government was also prime minister of Libya then. Now Al-Thinni is in Tobruk urging Haftar on.

Unidentified jets attack Tripoli airport in Libya twice in two days

If an unidentified jet bombed an international airport in Jerusalem or even Kiev it would be headline news. In Tripoli, the capital of Libya, however unidentified bombings have happened several times. No one even expresses surprise let alone outrage.

Back in August there were a series of bombings by unidentified planes on Islamist positions in Tripoli. The planes were of a type that were not among the few planes that remain in Libya's air force after the west bombed Gadaffi's air force. Destruction of Gadaffi's air force was designed to avoid having any interference with the extensive bombing, that was supposed to protect the people from Gadaffi's forces. The recent Tripoli bombings were claimed to be a joint venture of CIA-linked General Khalifa Haftar and the international community according to the general himself. The rebels blamed Egypt and the UAE with the latter providing the planes and Egypt the air bases for the attacks. The silence of the international community was deafening until finally on August 25 2014 a New York Times article made a sort of unofficial statement: Twice in the last seven days, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have secretly launched airstrikes against Islamist-allied militias battling for control of Tripoli, Libya, four senior American officials said, in a major escalation of a regional power struggle set off by Arab Spring revolts. The UAE and Egypt denied the charges. The US officials also claimed that they were not informed about the raids and that they regarded them as unproductive. The Islamist militias were not deterred from driving the Zintan brigades, allies of Haftar, out of Tripoli. Now it seems that someone is attempting the same game.
No doubt it is Haftar who was given the "green light" by the Libyan government to liberate both Benghazi in the east and the capital Tripoli from the control of rival groups, who have also set up their own rival government in Tripoli with their own prime minister Omar al-Hassi. The internationally recognized government is meeting in the far eastern city of Tobruk. It was supposed to move to Benghazi the beginning of August but met in Tobruk since Benghazi by that time was in control of an umbrella group of Islamists. The government now supports Haftar's Operation Dignity, directed against Islamists even though as part of that operation an earlier parliament was burned and ransacked. Hafter was then described as leading a coup and a warrant was out for his arrest. The present prime minister Al Thinni was prime minister then but listen to his change of tune: Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani’s cabinet said in statement posted on Facebook that the armed forces have the green light to “liberate” Tripoli “and state institutions from the grip of armed groups.” The cabinet also urged Tripoli residents to launch “a civil disobedience campaign until the arrival of the army.”
 Egyptian planes were also reported to have been involved in attacks by Haftar on Benghazi beginning in October. The government at the time also reported that it supported Operation Dignity. Again Eygpt denies any involvement. However Egyptian president al-Sisi who led a coup that ousted former Muslim Brotherhood-supported President Morsi and declared the Islamists group terrorists has asked for foreign intervention: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged the United States and Europe on Thursday to help the Libyan army in its fight against Islamist militants now to save the country from requiring intervention on the scale of Iraq and Syria.
 The Libyan army is now hardly to be distinguished from Haftar's militia which he always called the new Libyan army. There are so far two separate attacks that targeted the Mitiga International airport, the only functioning airport in the capital. The airport is under control of the alternative government and protected by the Libya Dawn militia. The Libyan National Army declared airports at Tripoli and Misrata as "military zones". The first strike is reported by Al Jazeera. The second report of an attack today comes from Reuters: An armed group loyal to Libya's internationally-recognized government, which has transferred to the east of the country, claimed responsibility for the air strikes."We bombed the airport a second time," said Saqer al-Joroushi, head of the air force for the group, which is controlled by former general Khalifa Haftar.
The main international airport in Tripoli has been closed since July after battles between Haftar-allied Zintan brigades and Libya Dawn with the latter winning the battle. Somehow in recent reports on these conflicts there is no mention of the Libyan Suprerme Court ruling November 6, that declared the June elections unconstitutional and ordered the Tobruk government dissolved.
 The UN has been studying the decision and has asked that the parties not do anything to exacerbate the situation. The UN envoy is also meeting with parties on both sides to reach a political solution. The alternative government has suggested elections after a referendum on a new constitution. Western powers have been silent on the legitimacy issue since they are acting as if the Court had never made a ruling at all. Most international media narratives are following suit for some reason. The UN has asked that both sides refrain from any violence that would exacerbate the situation and make a political solution more difficult. The Tobruk government and Haftar have paid no attention to this demand in its attacks in Benghazi and now Tripoli.