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Presidential Council, High Council of State Heads say Haftar won't be part of peace talks
[Libya Observer] The Head of the Presidential Council Fayez al-Sarraj said Khalifa Haftar ...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, 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...has not been a true peace partner, saying he used to think Haftar was part of the Libyan aspiration for stability. In a meeting on Tuesday with elders and shura councils' members of Sahil and Mountain districts in western Libya, al-Sarraj said the attacks of Haftar's forces, which coincided with UN Secretary General's first visit to Libya, wouldn't have taken place if Haftar had not received support from some countries. He also said that the fighting in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... is not a battle between east and west Libya but a battle between those who want a military rule and those who defend democracy and the civilian state. "I call on eastern Libya's residents to listen to wisdom and recognize that the war is led by a person for his own benefit using your sons as a fuel to this war." al-Sarraj added. Likewise, the Head of the High Council of State Khalid al-Mishri said they won't be part of any dialogue that involves Haftar, saying dialogue with Haftar is only through the Chief of Staff. "Haftar's attack is a war crime and a terrorist act and the evidence is his forces'  s on the airport and residential areas as well as the recruitment of underaged boys." al-Mishri said.He also said that Haftar's attack came as the UN envoy was giving assurances that there wouldn't be any military operations and that Haftar assured foreign countries that he would finish the battle in 24 hours. He also called on Cyrenaica people to take the side of the Presidential Council's government and end the attack on Tripoli. Al-Mishri said the UNSMIL is responsible for sending the right message to the international community about who the attackers and who the defenders are in this offensive, saying there hasn't been a clear stance by the international community or the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... regarding the attack. Posted by: Fred 2019-04-17 |
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