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| Africa North |
| Libyan army says has retaken main camp in Benghazi |
| 2015-02-10 |
| [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Libyan special forces said on Monday they had retaken the main military base in Benghazi from Islamist fighters that they have been battling since October, part of a wider struggle four years after the ousting of autocrat Moammer Qadaffy. Special forces commander Wanis Bukhamada told Rooters by telephone that his troops had seized the army camp, on a road to the airport outside Libya's second biggest city, as well as nearby offices belonging to state cellphone operator al-Madar. A video posted on social media websites appeared to show Bukhamada at the camp's gate. Backed by troops led by general 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... , special forces launched their offensive against Islamists in the city in mid-October aiming to retake the city seized by Islamists last summer. They have regained control of central parts of the city, the airport and several military camps. But there was no end to heavy fighting near Benghazi's port, residents said. The port, the main gateway for food imports, has had to close. Army forces in eastern Libya, including Benghazi, are loyal to the internationally recognised prime minister, Abdullah al-Thinni, who had to flee the capital 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... in August after a rival faction seized it. The new Tripoli rulers have reinstated the old parliament, which set up its own administration and appointed a chief of staff commanding forces also calling themselves the Libyan army. Libya has failed to build up a national army and efficient state institutions since the end of Qadaffy's one-man rule, and the country is now effectively controlled by former rebel brigades. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 So... so... you're saying (sniff) that Responsibility to Protect was just a... a... fraud? |
| Posted by: Pappy 2015-02-10 12:07 |
| #1 Libya has failed to build up a national army and efficient state institutions since the end of Qadaffy's one-man rule, and the country is now effectively controlled by former rebel brigades. That was never the issue. The issue was whether the various Libyan factions had enough common interests to set aside their differences and have them sorted out via democratic elections. When the differences are this stark, only decisive military victory, followed by intense political suppression of the losing side will settle them. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2015-02-10 07:37 |