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| Africa North |
| Islamist Militias Form New Coalition in Libya's Derna |
| 2014-12-14 |
| [AnNahar] Islamist militias in the eastern Libyan town of Derna say they have formed a new coalition ahead of an expected assault by pro-government forces. "Everybody saw what happened in Benghazi: disaster; institutions destroyed; houses demolished; mosques and universities burned by the criminal hands of Haftar's supporters," said the newly formed Mujahedeen Shura Council. Forces loyal to former 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... and Abdullah al-Thani, Libya's internationally recognized prime minister, are fighting to wrest full control of 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... and the eastern city of Benghazi from Islamist krazed killers. The jihadist Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... (IS) group that has seized chunks of Iraq and Syria is thought to have gained a foothold in Derna amid the chaos in Libya since the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Muammar Qadaffy ...a reminder that a single man with an idea can change an entire nation, usually for the worse... In its statement issued late on Friday, the Mujahedeen Shura Council called on everyone in Derna to join the new coalition. It also addressed Islamist fighters in Benghazi, saying: "We are with you in the war against the criminal Haftar and his soldiers". Ahead of the announcement, the Islamists staged a military parade in Derna, with tanks and combatants carrying black flags. Since the 2011 uprising, Libya has been sliding deeper into crisis, torn by rival governments, parliaments and powerful militias, despite U.N. efforts to broker talks on ending the violence. Western countries have been increasingly worried that the political turmoil could provide fertile ground for Islamic bully boys. A top U.S. military general said last week that the IS group has set up training camps in eastern Libya and that the American military is closely monitoring the situation. Analysts say a number of factions in Derna have pledged loyalty to the IS group, but it remains unclear how much support they enjoy. |
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