• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

US Military

  • Branches
    • Army
    • Navy
    • Air Force
    • Marine Corps
    • Coast Guard
    • National Guard
    • Air National Guard
    • Find A Recruiter
  • Find A Recruiter
  • Military Benefits
    • GI Bill
    • VA Loans
    • Military Scholarships
    • Military Friendly Colleges
    • Money
  • Jobs
    • Military Pay Chart
    • Veteran Jobs
    • Civilian Jobs
  • VA Loan Rates
  • Military News
    • Top News
    • Benefits
    • Careers
    • Education
    • Featured Columnists
      • Larry Fowler
      • Scott Ostrow
      • Kim Lengling
      • Dr. Sasha Toperich
      • Rick Stewart
  • USM Shop
  • GI Bill
  • VA Loans
  • Military Scholarships
  • Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities in America

UN Mediation In Libya: Thumbs Up But No Applause Yet

March 7, 2015 By larryf

Written by: Dr. Sasha Toperich for USMilitary.com

Skeptics in North Africa are now convinced the Arab Spring was nothing but a Western conspiracy to divide and fragment the Middle East and give authority to the Muslim Brotherhood. There is some evidence to bolster that claim, made overtly clear by the British Permanent Representative to the UN?s recent declaration that the only group fighting ISIS in Libya is Fajr Libya. It should not be that difficult to remember that Fajr Libya is the name of the operation launched last May by the Misrata militia and their Muslim Brotherhood supporters, that lost in the general elections in Libya, resulting in the seizure of Tripoli by force, the destruction of Tripoli International Airport and most of the Libyan Airline. They forced the duly elected House of Representatives to flee to Tobruk in the east where they still meet. Meanwhile, the unpopular and defunct General National Congress returned to Tripoli with less than half its original membership and formed the so-called Salvation Government, resulting in a de facto division of the country into east and west, with parallel parliaments and governments. The Fajr Libya militias still rule the day, from Misrata all the way to the Tunisian border. Only pockets in the west of the country are under the control of Zintan such as Alwitia, a far western air – strip used by the Libyan Army as a base for occasional bombing missions. The Misrata militias unsuccessfully tried to overrun that base, and fighting continues to flare up in the west.

Security Council Should Approve Forming The Coalition to Fight ISIS in Libya

Statement by the British Permanent Representative to the UN drew sharp rebuke from the Libyan government(s) as interference in Libya?s domestic affairs. Soon after, the British government backed away from the statement, asserting the role of the Libyan army (as well as others, implicitly Fajr Libya) in fighting Islamist groups. Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libya’s Permanent Representative to the UN, recently spoke strongly at the Security Council against Britain’s role in supporting Fajr Libya and the Muslim Brotherhood and asking for an ease of sanctions against arming the Libyan military. The U.S. and British governments blocked that request made by Libya soon after the 21 Egyptian Copts were slaughtered by IS near Sirte. The UN Security Council also rejected Jordanian resolution calling for an international coalition to be led by Egypt in fight against ISIS in Libya, akin to the one formed for Syria and Iraq.

These actions, or better to say lack of actions, are what strengthens the arguments of many in the Middle East about sinister Western intentions (mainly by the UK and U.S.) to give major power to the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies who lost it in last May’s national parliamentary elections. Some even go further and accuse these powers of intending to divide Libya into two or three states.

Give A Chance For Possible Unity Government and Dialogue

Roughly two weeks ago, the former first GNC deputy wrote a well-publicized letter to the House of Representatives? Dr. Abubakr Buera, an influential figure, warning him of going down the UN unity government path and saying the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies cannot be trusted, from his personal experience in dealing with them during the GNC?s reign. The House of Representatives then announced the suspension of its participation in the UN-sponsored talks. After a visit by Bernardino Leon, the UN?s special envoy to Libya, to Tobruk, they agreed to return to the negotiations, just in motion in Morocco. It is not clear where this fourth session of talks will lead even when the follow up meetings are schedule to take place in Algeria and later in the Brussels. Insiders from HoR say UN?s Bernardino Leon promised to declare presence of the terrorist groups in some cities in Libya and need to fight them, to instruct armed militias to leave cities and not to return without the UN approval and that the ?coalition? rather then ?unity? government is to be formed. Or perhaps the fighting will continue, complicated now by the rise of ISIS in Libya, until both sides are worn down by the heavy toll of fighting as well as the rapidly worsening economic situation.

ISIS In Control Of Two Oil Fields In Central Libya

Meanwhile, the EU is watching events in Libya with concern, unwilling to challenge the U.S./UK for more robust intervention ? which Italy favors, increasingly worried about ISIS rising on the Mediterranean, close to their southern borders. Their concern is becoming more justified after the news of ISIS overrunning and controlling two oil fields in central Libya, after declaring the central coastal city of Sirte (the hometown of former dictator Gaddafi) as part of the Islamic State (IS), in addition to the previously declared one in Derna.

Libyans and others wonder why such a huge international coalition was assembled with U.S. leadership to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria after some Western correspondents were brutally slaughtered there, while calls for another coalition to fight the spread of ISIS to North Africa were all but blocked. Even efforts to bolster the Libyan Army in its eight-month bloody fight against Ansar Al Sharia, a group declared as terrorist by the U.S. government and group responsible for the assassination of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens on September 11, 2012 in Benghazi. The Libyan Army’s fight in that city has left parts of the city in shambles, forcing hundreds of families to flee. The city still suffers under major power cuts, shortages of gasoline and cooking gas, and scarcity of food and medicine. The hastily assembled army, under the leadership of Khalifa Haftar, has suffered great casualties and operates with very limited resources and ammos. The House of Representatives promoted Haftar to the rank of General and appointed him as chief of the armed forces. Just today, General Haftar has declared three days cease fire, to give the UN change to succeed. For the benefit of all Libyans, everyone should keep their fingers crossed.

Written by: Dr. Sasha Toperich, Senior Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations SAIS at Johns Hopkins University in Washington D.C.

Filed Under: Articles, mostpopular, Sasha

[related_posts_by_tax format="thumbnails" limit_posts="100" image_size="sidebar-thumbnail" public_only="true" posts_per_page="6"]

Primary Sidebar

USMilitary.com Career Guide

Sign up to receive USMilitary.com email updates and to hear what's going on with all military branches!

Featured Columnists

Larry Fowler

Larry Fowler is the publisher of USMilitary.com Network one of America's premier privately owned

Autobiography Compares Living Faithfully With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).

Scott Ostrow

Lt Col (Dr.) Scott A. Ostrow retired from the Air Force in September 2005 and has been teaching

Must Read: The Truth About The ASVAB Test Prep From The Man Who Wrote The Book

Kim Lengling

Kim Lengling is a Air Force Veteran whose passion is to help support veterans and their

The Moving Wall: Women Who Paid The Ultimate Price For Their Country

Dr. Sasha Toperich

Dr. Sasha Toperich is the Senior Executive Vice President at Transatlantic Leadership

Sarraj’s Dangerous Dance With Power

Rick Stewart

Rick Stewart is a former United States Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)

Announcing American Patriots Unsung Magazine

Nathan B. Nelson

Capt (ret) Nathan B. Nelson is the Director of Military Affairs for the 1st Congressional district

Three Critical Considerations for Every Veteran Prior to Leaving Active Duty

Laquan Daniels

Laquan Daniel is a military recruiting expert with over 17 years of specialized experience in the

Important News For Military Transitioning Veterans

Veteran Buzz

Hire Military Veterans

Which Companies Are Most Likely to Hire Military Veterans?

July 30, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

5 High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

July 2, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High Paying Jobs Not Requiring a Degree

June 28, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

Footer

  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write For US
  • Link to Us

Recent

  • A Few Benefits You May Not be Aware of As a Military Child
  • Experts Predict Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Warfare
  • Autobiography Compares Living Faithfully With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).
  • The Unraveled Pandemic Of Navy SEAL Posers
  • Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot: To Maintain a Watchful Eye, “Above the Best”

Search

© Copyright 2021 USMillitary
Web Design by Goebel Media Group


THIS IS A PRIVATE WEBSITE THAT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, U.S. ARMED FORCES, OR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE NOT REVIEWED THIS INFORMATION. THIS SITE IS NOT CONNECTED WITH ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

​Tips
Discounts
News

​

​

Join the USMilitary.com Newsletter Today!

By subscribing you agree to our terms & conditions

x