Islamic State sets oil storage tanks onf fire at Ras Lanuf Libya

The Islamic State(IS) has launched more attacks on oil terminals, this time at the Ras Lanauf — sometimes spelled Ras Lanuf or Ras Lanouf — export terminal. Four more oil tanks have been set on fire.

The chair of the Tripoli-based National Oil Company, Mustafa Sanalla, described the resulting fires as a disaster. As many as three million barrels of oil could be set on fire. Obviously, IS is not seeking to use the oil facilities as a source of revenue. They are seeking to deprive the Libyan new UN-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA), or the two rivals, the internationally-recognized House of Representatives (HoR) based in Tobruk or the western-based General National Congress (GNC) of any revenue from oil.

Sanalla claimed firemen had been unable to reach the fires because of battles between the Islamic State fighters and the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) militia led by Ibrahim Jadhran. The Libyan National Army commanded by Khalifa Haftar appear not to be involved as Jadhran is at odds with Haftar. Mustafa claimed that for much of the day tanks 5, 9, 10 and 12 had burned unchecked. Sanalla was angry at this further loss, as the NOC had hired a Greek tanker to remove the 490,000 barrels of oil that remained at the tank farm.

Jadhran refused to allow the tanker to load the oil. Jadrahn has shut down Ras Lanauf, along with other export terminals he controls at Sidra, Brega, and Zuetina for most of the last two years. He insists only tankers registered with the rival eastern-based National Oil Company be allowed to load oil. So far the international community has refused to deal with the break-away company. However, recently Egypt signed a contract with the eastern company even as the new GNA comes into being which will insist on having a monopoly of oil exports, I expect. The NOC said that the situation in Ras Lanauf was catastrophic for the environment.

Reports about the situation do not yet give a clear picture of what happened. It is unclear whether the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) were able to repel the attackers. After the January 4 attack on Sidra's main checkpoint the PFG claimed to have regained control of the port. However, IS published a photo, that showed a heavily-armed terrorist standing behind what they claimed was an undamaged tank at the Sidra tank complex.

Bloomberg reports Sanalla as saying that up to three million barrels of crude oil are at risk of being burnt and that the attacks had destroyed electricity towers and cables supporting industrial areas and residencies. This may include oil at sites other than Ras Lanauf. Another source claims there are 13 storage tanks at Ras Lanauf with a capacity of 6.5 million barrels. Bloomberg reports on Libyan oil production: It’s now the smallest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, producing 362,000 barrels a day.The Wall Street journal claims that Libya’s contribution to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was just 0.06 percent in 2015. While loss of production from Libya may not have all that much effect on the global oil market the loss of revenue could be disastrous for an already suffering Libyan economy. The Islamic State attacks will generate even more pressure from the international community for Libyans to support the new UN-brokered Government of National Accord.

UNSMIL head Kobler politicizes IS attacks in Libya while ignoring other issues

The Islamic State or Daesh has carried out a number of operations in the last few days that have set a number of oil storage tanks on fire as well as a suicide attack on a police training academy that killed many recruits.

The mayor of the town of Zliten where the attack on the police academy took place claimed at least 50 people that were killed in the blast from a truck bomb after it plowed into the facility where about 400 had gathered for a morning assembly. A suicide attack at a checkpoint at the entrance to the oil port town of Ras Lanuf killed six people including a child. Earlier in the week, on Monday and Tuesday, IS launched several attacks on oil ports of Es Sidra and Ras Lanuf. Kobler in condemning these attacks also used them to press for acceptance of the Government of National Accord(GNA) being pushed by the UN and international community.

The last three news releases by Kobler from the UN site are condemnations of the attacks and the theme in them all is that the attacks show the need to press forward with the GNA. The latest is a good example: The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Martin Kobler, strongly condemns the deadly terrorist attack today on a security training centre in Zliten. SRSG Kobler said:“... This heinous act once again shows that urgent progress is required towards the formation of the Government of National Accord and the activation and rebuilding of Libyan security forces. The Special Representative urges Libyans to put their differences aside and unite to confront the scourge of terrorism. “This attack comes at a time when fighting is still going on at oil facilities in Sidra. Libya cannot afford to remain divided in the face of such serious terrorist threat.”

There is no mention of the progress of forming the GNA. The GNA does not yet exist. The HoR needs to provide a vote of confidence before its term can begin but the HoR has now met four times with no quorum and no vote.The vote needs to take place before January 27. There are serious splits in the GNA presidential council over the role of General Haftar. The eastern representatives threaten to resign if General Khalifa Haftar does not remain as the commander in chief of the Libyan National Army. If he does, the members of the GNA from the rival Tripoli-based General National Congress will be outraged and will no doubt quit. None of these issues are mentioned by Kobler. The present GNA rules give senior officials of the GNA the role of commander in chief of the Libyan National Army once the HoR approves the GNA.

Nor does Kobler mention that it was GNC planes that helped the Ibrahim Jodran-led guards who defended the oil ports of Es Sidra and Ras Lanauf, while the Libyan National Army air forces and troops were not involved. This is because Jodran and Haftar are at odds with Jodran saying that Haftar is no better than the Islamic State or Daesh. Apparently, these issues are not to be addressed and are not part of all the news that is fit to print as far as Kobler is concerned. Kobler engages in constant hectoring and lecturing on the need to unite. However, there is to be no further dialogue that might lead to an agreement, just more pressure to accept an agreement that both sides want changed but Kobler claims he will not change. We are given no clue as to what is happening behind the scenes. No word as to when the HoR will meet again to approve the GNA. No word as to what the status of Khalifa Haftar will be.

UN envoy to Libya uses attacks on oil terminals to plead for accepting GNA

Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Martin Kobler, in his most recent press release, condemns the recent attacks by the Islamic State on the Es Sidra and Ras Lanuf oil terminal.

Kobler said:

“These oil resources are property of the Libyan people and future generations, Libyan parties must spare no effort to block any attempt by Daesh to finance its terrorist agenda through seizure of Libyan oil. This attack serves as a strong reminder to all Libyans of the need to immediately implement the Libyan Political Agreement and form the Government of National Accord.”Kobler claimed that every day wasted in not implementing the GNA is a day that the Islamic State, or Daesh as he now calls IS, gains. He welcomed the statement issued by the new presidency council of the GNA that condemned the attack.

The ports have actually been closed since December 2014. At least four terminals were set ablaze according to one account. According to the Globe and Mail, five storage tanks were set afire. Four fires were in Es Sidra and one at Ras Lanuf. A spokesperson for the Petroluem Facilities Guards (PFG), Ali al-Hassi, said the PFG were still in control of both Es Sider or Sidra and Ras Lanuf ports. The state oil company has asked for help in extinguishing the fires.

On Monday and Tuesday at least nine guards were reported killed and more than 40 injured. Al-Hassi said the PFG had recovered bodies of 30 Islamic State fighters as well as two military tanks and other vehicles used by the militants. Note that the press reports speak of clashes between the Islamic State fighters and the PFG. There is no mention of the Libyan National Army commanded by Khalifa Haftar. Not only were they not present, they did not provide any air support. The commander of the PFG, Ibrahim Jodran, is at odds with Haftar and says Haftar and IS are two sides of the same coin. Indeed, there was bombing of the Islamic State but by the rival General National Council planes rather than Haftar's air force to stop the advance on the oil ports.

Kobler does not bother to mention the casualties or the work of the GNC and the PFG in repelling the IS attacks. However, the prime minister designate of the GNA Faiez Serraj did mention the work of the PFG in halting the attacks. The spokesperson for the GNC Air Force, Colonel Mustafa Al-Sharksi, was furious that no credit was given to the GNC forces. Ajdabia Municipality confirmed the airstrikes claiming they were coordinated between Jodran armed groups and the GNC Air Force. It's interesting that Jodran supports the rival HoR government as well as the GNA. This is all part of his fight with Haftar, I presume.

Al-Sharksi was not diplomatic: "Speaking on behalf of the faithful revolutionaries and soldiers, we say to this Sirraj, staring your political career with lies means that you do not want concord or peace." He also said the Sirraj government (GNA) would enter Tripoli "over our dead bodies."

Haftar apparently thought his inaction while the Islamic State advanced might not look too good, even though most media did not even notice what was happening. He ordered fighter planes from Benghazi to move to Ras Lanuf to protect the oil terminals and oil fields from Islamic State attacks. This is happening after two days during which he did nothing and after Jodran complained Haftar gave his fighters no air support at all.

The Islamic State fighters retreated to their base in the town of Ben Jawad 30 kilometres to the west of the two oil ports The chair of the Tripoli-based National Oil Company said he does not think the Islamic State intended to seize the ports so as to gain oil revenue but to destroy the stored oil to deny the state revenue. The aim could also be to hasten foreign intervention in Libya to create even greater disarray and convince Islamists to join with them. Libya-analysis has recently published some material that gives useful information about some of the events happening in Libya at present

Fires being contained in oil tanks at Libya's largest export port

There have been fires at Es Sider the main oil export terminal for a week now. The fires have reportedly destroyed four days of Libya's oil production.

Conflict continues between forces of the internationally-recognized Tobruk government under prime minister Al-Thinni with the militias loyal to the Tripoli government whose prime minister is Omar al-Hassi. A fire was started when a rocket hit a storage tank at Es Sider last week during an attempt by the Tripoli forces to take the port. Each side blames the other for the rocket strike. Seven tanks are damaged and up to 1.8 million barrels of oil have been destroyed. The conflict has shut down the two ports of Es Sider and Ras Lanauf, the two largest export ports in Libya. Oil output in Libya has declined to around 380,000 barrels a day, about one fifth production levels before Gadaffi was overthrown. 

Last Monday, Business Insider reported production at the far eastern port of Hariga at just 128,000 barrels a day as the two main ports remained closed. The price of Brent crude rose briefly but there remains an oversupply putting more downward pressure on prices. The Central Bank has tried to stay out of the conflict between rival governments but neither of the two rival parliaments has agreed on a new budget. Of the seven oil tanks that were ablaze at one time, only two remain burning according to Mohamed El Harari of the NOC the state oil corporation. The Tobruk government contracted with a US company to help fight the fires. Government spokesperson Mohamed Bazaza said that the value of the contract was $6 million. The name of the company was not given. More recently Ali al-Hassi, a military spokesperson for the Tobruk government forces at Es Sider, said the US firefighters might not be needed any more. Two tanks have completely collapsed and cost to rebuild the tanks runs at around $105 million. The Es Sider terminal is run by Marathon, Hess, and ConocoPhilips in a partnership with a Libyan state-owned firm.

 UN-sponsored peace talks are scheduled for January 6 somewhere outside of LIbya. However, continued violence between government and anti-government forces may make any meaningful dialogue unlikely. The UN has recently condemned a terrorist attack on the hotel in Tobruk where the internationally-recognized Al-Thinni government meets. A suicide bomber detonated a car outside the hotel wounding at least 11. A United Nations Support Mission(UNSMIL) in Libya statement said: “This despicable act will only increase the determination of those Libyans seeking a political solution to forge ahead with their efforts to bring stability and security to Libya.”

 Al-Thinni was the prime minister of the Libyan government when CIA-linked General Khalifa Haftar's allies burned and sacked the Libyan parliament as part of his Operation Dignity. Then Al-Thinni condemned those attacks and there was an arrest warrant out for Haftar but now Haftar heads Al-Thinni's own armed forces. The Libyan Supreme Court on November 6 ruled that the June elections in Libya were unconstitutional and that the Tobruk House of Representatives should be dissolved. The Tobruk government rejected the ruling and the international community and most of the international press have ignored the decision.

Oil tanks set on fire during clashes between Libya government and anti-government forces

According to Mohamed Elharari, a spokesperson for the National Oil Co., five oil tanks are now on fire at Es Sider port, the largest oil terminal in Libya.

Libya's Ministry of Oil and Gas said on its website: “It is a disaster threatening the lives of thousands of people. The fire smoke covers the city’s residential area in Ras Lanuf.” Elharari noted that the wind was strong enough that the fires could spread. The total capacity of the tanks at the site is 6.2 million barrels, four times Libya's total daily production. International help is being sought to help put out the fires. Elharari said that 850,000 barrels of oil were lost because of the fires in five storage tanks on Saturday. On Sunday an oil official reported that seven of the 19 tanks at Es Sider were on fire. Fajr Libya has been attempting to take Es Sider (or Al-Sidra) and the nearby Ras Lanuf facility since last Thursday when a speedboat attack killed at least 22 soldiers loyal to the Tobruk government. Another attack was launched on Sunday by the Fajr Libya who are from the city of Misrata, the third largest in Libya and home of powerful anti-government militias.

 In retaliation for the raids, the Tobruk government launched air strikes against the city of Misrata. The government, and earlier CIA-linked General Haftar, launched numerous strikes on Tripoli to little effect, with anti-government militias still firmly in control of the city. Residents claim that strikes hit an aviation school near the Misrata airport, the port, and also a steel plant. Mohamed El Hejazi a spokesperson for forces loyal to the Tobruk government said that aircraft had attacked the port, an air force academy near the airport and Libya's largest steel plant.However, Ismail Shukri a spokesperson for forces allied to Libya Dawn said the strikes caused no damage. Al Jazeera has an interesting interview with Salah Badi, the leader of the Fajr Libya militia. He notes that there are radical Islamist militias in Libya that are a danger:There are some pockets of fundamentalists in Fajr Libya's orbit. But the majority are the moderate ones. For instance the Shura Council of Benghazi revolutionaries is split into two groups: one group supports the establishment of a national state while the other backs an Islamic order of things. The first group, however, represents the majority. They do not adhere to any Islamic ideology, they drink alcohol and smoke as all the revolutionaries in western Libya do. Only the town of Derna in Libya has notable presence of Islamists, although this is the result of Gaddafi's violent crackdown on the Islamists.

 General Khalifa Haftar launched Operation Dignity back in May, attacking Islamist bases in Benghazi and sacking and burning parliament while announcing it was replaced. The parliament continued to meet and his attempt to replace the government was called a coup. At the time, the prime minister Abdullah al-Thinni, who is now prime minister of the Tobruk government, denounced the operation calling it illegal and and an attempted coup. A warrant was issued earlier for Haftar's arrest. Now Haftar heads up Al-Thinni's armed forces and has been given the green light to retake Benghazi and Tripoli. On November 6th the Libyan Supreme Court declared the June elections were unconstitutional and that the Tobruk government should be dissolved. The Tobruk government rejected the ruling and the international community seemed not to pay any attention and continues to support the Al-Thinni government. Haftar did retake part of Benghazi but recently has been losing ground again there, and has achieved nothing by bombing Tripoli. Anti-government forces are now threatening the main Libyan oil ports in the east.

The UN has condemned the attacks on the oil facilities. Earlier they had asked Tobruk government to stop the bombings. The government paid no attention. No one punishes this government for bombing its own people because it has the support of powerful countries such as Egypt since it is fighting Islamist "terrorists" according to their narrative. The latest lecture by the UN on Libyan violence does not mention the continued bombing attacks by Tobruk. New UN-sponsored peace talks are scheduled for January 5th somewhere outside of Libya.

Libya clashes threaten operation of eastern oil ports

One Libyan oil export port is no longer functioning because of clashes between government forces and anti-government militia who are launching attacks nearby.

An official told Reuters that Ras Lanuf a large port east of Es Sider was still exporting oil but the al-Waha Oil Company that operates Es Sider had stopped work. Armed groups from Fajr Libya a coalition of militia opposed to the government had launched attacks on al-Hilal an important oil region but Brigadier-General Saqr Jarushi said they had been repelled by the air force:"Air force jets and helicopters struck the fighters as they advanced on Al-Sidra oil terminal," he said, adding that the air raids had caused "a large number of casualties". Libyan officials said. An aide to the Omar al-Hassi, the prime minister of the Tripoli government, said that the attack on Es Sider was part of a much larger offensive called "Sunrise".

The Tripoli government appears to be reacting to the Hafter offensive with its own counter offensive. The Es Sider terminal is held by the eastern separatist Ibrahim Jedran, who is loyal to the Tobruk government. Fajr Libya had earlier announced it had started an operation to "liberate oilfields and terminals". The group reported that two of its fighters had been killed and several wounded. The Al-Hilal region contains the Ras Lanuf and Brega terminals as well as Es Sider.

 Although the UN has demanded that fighting stop and a dialogue begin, the Tobruk UN-recognized government supports the CIA-linked general Khalifa Haftar who is now head of the Libyan armed forces and has given him the green light to liberate Benghazi and Tripoli. So far he has managed only to liberate part of Benghazi at considerable cost and may now face a united front of radical militias from Derna, where some groups have pledged allegiance to IS. The new Shura Council said: "Everybody saw what happened in Benghazi: disaster; institutions destroyed; houses demolished; mosques and universities burned by the criminal hands of Haftar's supporters." Certainly not everyone in the west saw this because it is reported only as a positive development that Haftar has retaken part of Benghazi.

 Egypt has been supporting the efforts of Khalifa Haftar. Some believe that Egyptian planes have been involved in the bombing of Benghazi by Haftar's forces and that Egypt provided support for planes from the UAE that bombed Tripoli earlier. There have been recent bombings of Tripoli as well including the one airport left functioning.

 The EU has recently banned all seven Libyan airlines from flying within the airspace of the group of 28 countries We can expect western countries and their Arab allies to continue to ignore the ruling on Nov. 6 of the Libyan Supreme Court that said the June elections were unconstitutional and the Tobruk House of Representatives should be dissolved. The international community will continue to recognize the Tobruk government even though it now has as head of the military CIA-linked Khalifa Haftar who was formerly called a "renegade general".

 Egypt is now taking diplomatic action which it hopes will eventually lead to foreign intervention as part of the "war on terror". No doubt we will hear more and more about radical Islamists in Libya and the threat they pose to the west in preparation for international action. Here is what Al-Monitor reports on the Egyptian diplomatic push: On the diplomatic front, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has held several meetings since the launch of the initiative to stabilize Libya and the formation of the Libyan neighbors group. The aim is to urge international action on Libya, with Egyptian diplomacy framing Cairo's policy as part of the global war on terror.