Militants in Libya take main military base in Benghazi
Thursday, July 31st, 2014 8:47:42 by Khalil Khan
The main military base in Benghazi, in eastern Libya, fell into the hands of militant groups on Tuesday, after several days of fighting, as confirmed by military sources. A group of militants, including Ansar al Sharia, claimed the attack in a statement. ” The main basis of the special forces has fallen on Tuesday,” has secured a Special Forces officer.
On Monday, at least 38 people were killed in clashes between troops loyal to the Libyan government and the jihadi militias in Benghazi. Fighting in the city and its surroundings have already caused 60 dead in a week. The Libyan government has described the situation there as ” dramatic”.
Libya these days is reaching the highest levels of uncontrolled violence after the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in autumn 2011. On Monday, a rebel militia attacked a missile with an oil deposit of 6.6 million liters by the airport in the capital; what has added to political chaos and disputes between multiple armed groups.
The interim Libyan authorities, since the general elections of June 25, have asked for help from the international community to appease militias and trying to start another political period from 4 August in the new Parliament.
The situation in the country has led many states to evacuate its diplomatic staff. France is about to evacuate its citizens by sea, after the United States, Tunisia, Holland, Belgium, several Arab countries, the Philippines and Egypt out of the country decided to staff their embassies. UK has advised them to leave. Currently, Spain and the European Union maintain its offices in Tripoli.
Tags: Libya, libyan military base, oil tanker fireShort URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=46918
Posted by Khalil Khan
on Jul 31 2014. Filed under World.
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Ansar al-Sharia and other Islamist groups have the upper hand in Libya because ordinary Libyans would rather have a domestic group govern them than Khalifa Haftar, the CIA’s former mercenary in Chad, and current U.S. mercenary and designee for new post-Gaddafi dictator in Libya. News reports reveal that Haftar has moved his family to Egypt for their safety , and that means that his CIA mission in Libya is in shambles. Bloomberg News reported that his Saiqa Special Forces Brigade were ousted by Islamists from the Benghazi Airport, and his ally in the battle in Tripoli, the Zintan militia, has been battered by the more powerful militia of the Misrata Council. Worse yet for him, he told reporters about a month ago that the pro-U.S. Egyptian dictator, General SIssi, has promised him Egyptian military units to help him take over Libya. But given the strength of the Islamist militias in Libya, and the constant anti-Sissi turmoil in Egypt, Sissi got cold feet about meddling militarily in Libya to help install Haftar install himself as a new U.S.-stooge dictator in Libya.
The current military clashes in Libya are about whether Haftar, the CIA’s stooge, would take control of Libya and its oil on behalf of the U.S., or the nationalist Libyan militias would bust Haftar and his Zintan militia and keep Libya and its oil resources in Libyan hands, for the Libyan people. Nikos Retsos, retired professor, USA