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Armed groups in south Libya abandon Dignity Operation
[Libya Observer] Former Qadaffy army officers in south Libya have agreed to set up their own military command after years of fighting for Khalifa Haftar... served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all... 's Dignity Operation. During a meeting in Qira town in Wadi Shati on Thursday, the officers selected General Ali Kannah as the commander of "Libyan Arab Armed Forces in South Libya," and to be separate from Khalifa Haftar’s so called "General Command of Libyan Armed Forces" in al-Marj. In a statement, the southern officers called all army personnel to join their barracks and confirmed that army units would be reconstructed. They also confirmed that their forces will only operate under a unified command for the Libyan army when the state is built. General Kannah claimed his forces won't intervene in politics, calling all western and eastern politicians to unify the Libyan army under one command. "We only intend to secure the people and strategic installations in the south in addition to backing police institution," he said. He confirmed they would stand at an equal distance from all Libyan rivals, saying the establishment of "Libyan Arab Armed Forces in South Libya" is an internal matter for the southern region. Posted by: Fred 2016-10-10 |
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