01-16-2017, 12:07 AM
*** 16-Jan-17 World View -- With Libya in chaos, migrant deal with Italy collapses
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Over 100 migrants drown in Mediterranean after their dinghy sinks
****
![[Image: g170115b.jpg]](http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g170115b.jpg)
Migrants in a dinghy rescued on Thursday of last week (AP)
Italy's Coast Guard was able to rescue only four people after a rubber
dinghy with 110 migrants sank in rough waters in the Mediterranean Sea
about 30 miles off the coast of Libya.
These situations are brought about by people smugglers. They charge
desperate migrants thousands of dollars each. Typically, the people
smugglers put hundreds of migrants into a single large rubber dinghy,
and give the migrants enough fuel to leave Libyan waters and a cell
phone to use to call the Italian coast guard.
The four who were rescued were among 550 who were rescued on one day,
Friday.
It's expected (or feared) that, like last year, hundreds of thousands
of migrants will attempt to cross from Libya to Italy this year.
According to Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"Come next spring, the number of people crossing over
> the Mediterranean will reach record levels. The choice is trying
> to do something now, or meeting urgently in April, May ... and try
> to do a deal then."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
It's also expected that there will be thousands of migrants departing
from Egypt, with the same objective. Libya Herald and Reuters and Telegraph (London) and AP
****
**** With Libya in chaos, migrant deal with Italy collapses
****
Italy reopened its embassy in Libya's capital city Tripoli last week,
the first Western country to do so since 2015. Italy had hoped that
doing so would lead to an agreement with the government of Libya to
slow the flow of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to
Italy.
Unfortunately, the agreement was never signed by the government of
Libya because the phrase "the government of Libya" is meaningless.
There are several governments in Libya:
None of these three governments recognizes either of the others, and
so there's no hope of getting any agreement.
In fact, the Beida government last week accused Italy's Coast Guard of
violating Libyan sovereignty with its rescue program. Italy had
received the approval of the Government of National Accord, but in a
note last week, the Beida government said,
> [indent]<QUOTE>"An Italian military vessel loaded with soldiers and
> ammunition has entered Libyan territorial waters. It is a clear
> violation of the UN charter and a form of repeated
> aggression."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
One other government could be mentioned -- the so-called National
Salvation Government, led by Khalifa Ghwell, who claimed several days
ago that his forces had seized several ministries in Tripoli, and that
the Government of National Accord (GNA) had been defeated. His claims
could not be confirmed. VOA and Libya Herald and North Africa Post and Libya Herald
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Libya, Italy, Mediterranean Sea,
Malta, Joseph Muscat, Egypt,
Libya Dawn, General National Congress, GNC,
Libya National Army, LNA, Khalifah Haftar,
Government of National Accord, GNA,
National Salvation Government, Khalifa Ghwell
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Over 100 migrants drown in Mediterranean after their dinghy sinks
- With Libya in chaos, migrant deal with Italy collapses
****
**** Over 100 migrants drown in Mediterranean after their dinghy sinks
****
Migrants in a dinghy rescued on Thursday of last week (AP)
Italy's Coast Guard was able to rescue only four people after a rubber
dinghy with 110 migrants sank in rough waters in the Mediterranean Sea
about 30 miles off the coast of Libya.
These situations are brought about by people smugglers. They charge
desperate migrants thousands of dollars each. Typically, the people
smugglers put hundreds of migrants into a single large rubber dinghy,
and give the migrants enough fuel to leave Libyan waters and a cell
phone to use to call the Italian coast guard.
The four who were rescued were among 550 who were rescued on one day,
Friday.
It's expected (or feared) that, like last year, hundreds of thousands
of migrants will attempt to cross from Libya to Italy this year.
According to Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"Come next spring, the number of people crossing over
> the Mediterranean will reach record levels. The choice is trying
> to do something now, or meeting urgently in April, May ... and try
> to do a deal then."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
It's also expected that there will be thousands of migrants departing
from Egypt, with the same objective. Libya Herald and Reuters and Telegraph (London) and AP
****
**** With Libya in chaos, migrant deal with Italy collapses
****
Italy reopened its embassy in Libya's capital city Tripoli last week,
the first Western country to do so since 2015. Italy had hoped that
doing so would lead to an agreement with the government of Libya to
slow the flow of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to
Italy.
Unfortunately, the agreement was never signed by the government of
Libya because the phrase "the government of Libya" is meaningless.
There are several governments in Libya:
- Libya Dawn or the General National Congress (GNC), seated in
Tripoli and western libya, composed of militias that seized Tripoli in
2014.
- The Libya National Army (LNA), headed by Maj-Gen Khalifah Haftar,
seated in Beida in eastern Libya. a secular government that fled from
Tripoli in 2014.
- The Government of National Accord (GNA), also in Tripoli, which
was created by the United Nations a year ago in the hope of unifying
the country behind it.
None of these three governments recognizes either of the others, and
so there's no hope of getting any agreement.
In fact, the Beida government last week accused Italy's Coast Guard of
violating Libyan sovereignty with its rescue program. Italy had
received the approval of the Government of National Accord, but in a
note last week, the Beida government said,
> [indent]<QUOTE>"An Italian military vessel loaded with soldiers and
> ammunition has entered Libyan territorial waters. It is a clear
> violation of the UN charter and a form of repeated
> aggression."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
One other government could be mentioned -- the so-called National
Salvation Government, led by Khalifa Ghwell, who claimed several days
ago that his forces had seized several ministries in Tripoli, and that
the Government of National Accord (GNA) had been defeated. His claims
could not be confirmed. VOA and Libya Herald and North Africa Post and Libya Herald
Related Articles
- A look back at Libya in 2011 as the West debates another military intervention (05-Mar-2016)
- Embassies in Tripoli evacuated, as Libya sinks into tribal war (28-Jul-2014)
- Massive refugee crisis in Libya increases international calls for intervention (02-Mar-2011)
- Bizarre monkey attack triggers tribal war in Jabha in southern Libya (21-Nov-2016)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Libya, Italy, Mediterranean Sea,
Malta, Joseph Muscat, Egypt,
Libya Dawn, General National Congress, GNC,
Libya National Army, LNA, Khalifah Haftar,
Government of National Accord, GNA,
National Salvation Government, Khalifa Ghwell
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
