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Africa North
In Haftar, Analysts Sees 'Moscow's Man' in Libya
2019-04-10
[AnNahar] Russia has said it is not taking sides in the fighting in Libya but behind the scenes, experts say, Moscow is firmly backing strongman 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...
Haftar, whose forces launched a surprise assault on 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...
 last week, has visited Moscow, met with bigwigs and even speaks some Russian.
Posted by:trailing wife

#2  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.

One can hope he is capable of still loving America while loathing its overt and covert representation abroad.
Posted by: trailing wife   2019-04-10 12:20  

#1  Well, just another example of Foggy Bottom betting on the wrong horse. The GNA can't even clean out the militias in Tripoli. Haftar cleaned out Benghazi and Dernaa (no small feat).

I put Haftar in the same category as Savimbi in Angola. He was winning the civil war but the US chose to support this murderous thug instead. Savimbi had vast popular support and State and the CIA (are they the same?) wouldn't touch him. The only way to get supplies was from the Soviets.

The second Savimbi took one sou of aid from Russia, he was a communist. It was a set up.

Typical. Obviously our wonder boys in State want a bunch of incompetent Muslim Bruderbund sycophants in charge when there is an obvious solution to the mess that Hillary created.

Methinks that Haftar was pro-US but since we won't give him a dime of assistance, he follows the money.

The Russians were everywhere in Tripoli when I was there. You couldn't throw a rock at any of the coffee shops down town without hitting one. A lot of the locals thought I was Russian (blue eyes don't you know) and would talk to me in Russian...how the locals knew how to speak Russian is another story.

Haftar will fix the mess in Libya and if he's Putin's boy, that is our fault not his. We treated him like Typhoid Mary so what do you expect?
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2019-04-10 10:34  

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