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| Africa North |
| In Libya, fears of all-out war as Islamist militias allied with parliament deploy in capital |
| 2014-05-23 |
| [Washington Post] Powerful militias aligned with the Islamist-dominated parliament deployed in the Libyan capital Thursday, raising the specter of an all-out war with forces loyal to a renegade former general who wants the legislative body disbanded. Known collectively as the Libya Central Shield, the militias from the western city of Misrata were heeding a call by the head of parliament, Nouri Abu Sahmein, to protect 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... after gunnies loyal to the ex-general, Khalifa Hifter, stormed it Sunday. It marked the first time the Libya Central Shield has deployed to Tripoli since November, when its fighters opened fire on peaceful protesters outside their base, sparking festivities that left more than 40 dead and hundreds maimed. The group's main rivals, the Qaqa and Sawaiq brigades from the western city of Zintan, have allied with Hifter, threatening a confrontation in Tripoli between two of the country's most powerful militia forces. The deployment is the latest development in a long-brewing crisis that ignited Friday when Hifter led a fierce assault on Islamist militias in the eastern city of Benghazi. More than 70 were killed in the fighting, the heaviest in the country since the 2011 revolt that deposed autocrat Muammar Qadaffy ...The late megalomaniac dictator of Libya, admired everywhere for his garish costumes, funny hats, harem of cutie bodyguards, and incoherent ravings. As far as is known, he is the only person who's ever declared jihad on Switzerland... Since then, Hifter has steadily picked up support from current and former military officers, political figures, civil society groups, and the militias that dominate many Libyan cities. He has called for parliament to be dissolved and an emergency government appointed to oversee the transition until parliamentary elections scheduled for June 25. The growing support for Hifter's self-declared Libyan National Army stands in contrast to deepening divisions between parliament and the interim government. On Thursday, the government criticized Abu Sahmein for ordering the Misrata militias into the capital, saying their presence "threatens the safety of citizens." It also accused parliament of "not bothering to reply" to a proposal earlier in the week calling for the body to suspend activities until the election. Libya's political transition has been unraveling over the past several months. Many point to the imposition in November of a draconian law that expelled many figures who once worked for the Qadaffy regime, even though they later became dissidents and participated in the 2011 revolt. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 One hopes George W. would have been clever enough to stay Libya altogether, simply continuing his original plan of removing WMD from the country. Certainly he wouldn't have surrounded himself with females whispering "Responsibility to Protect" in his ears, nor males like that either. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2014-05-23 20:51 |
| #5 Actually, we need a picture of George W with a "Miss me yet?" caption. Had this gone down on George's watch you could bet things would be different. The man learns from his mistakes (Paul Bremer and Iraq) and would have been more active in the new Libya. Champ just abandoned Libya. He dropped some bombs and sent in a few Special Ops guys to teach the rebels and then he left Libya swinging in the breeze. |
| Posted by: Bill Clinton 2014-05-23 15:45 |
| #4 Time for a pic of Kadaffy with a "Miss me yet?" caption. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2014-05-23 13:41 |
| #3 The end of Arab spring? Continuation of Arab Winter. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2014-05-23 12:56 |
| #2 The fruit of "smart diplomacy". |
| Posted by: AlanC 2014-05-23 07:40 |
| #1 The end of Arab spring? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2014-05-23 02:05 |