04-19-2019, 06:05 PM
** 19-Apr-2019 World View: Trump appears to endorse Haftar's attack in Libya
A symbolic but possibly significant event occurred when the White
House announced on Friday that President Trump contacted Libya's rogue
general Khalifa Haftar on Monday.
As I reported in the past, Khalifa Haftar (Hiftar), head of the
government in eastern Libya, has led his Libyan National Army (LNA)
west to attack Libya's other government, the UN-recognised Government
of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Fayez
al-Serraj.
According to the White House statement:
Trump praised Haftar in the statement, but it's unclear whether
Trump wants Haftar to continue the assault on Tripoli. At the very
least, the phone call implies continued support for actions
by Haftar.
Haftar's actions have split the international community. If we
now put the United States on the side of Haftar, then
the scorecard is as follows:
Tsk, tsk. Apparently Trump is colluding with Russia again.
--- Sources:
-- White House says Trump spoke to Libyan commander Haftar on Monday
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya...SKCN1RV0WW
(Reuters)
-- Trump's call to Haftar shows U.S. believes in Libyan army role in
war on terrorism: spokesman
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya...SKCN1RV17Z
(Reuters)
-- Trump Spoke to Libyan Strongman Threatening Tripoli
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/...ftar-libya
(Bloomberg)
-- International rivalries driving Libya towards war, UN warns
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/af...-1.3866057
(Irish Times)
-- Trump praises Libyan general as his troops march on US backed
government in Tripoli
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/19/politics/...index.html
(CNN)
A symbolic but possibly significant event occurred when the White
House announced on Friday that President Trump contacted Libya's rogue
general Khalifa Haftar on Monday.
As I reported in the past, Khalifa Haftar (Hiftar), head of the
government in eastern Libya, has led his Libyan National Army (LNA)
west to attack Libya's other government, the UN-recognised Government
of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Fayez
al-Serraj.
According to the White House statement:
Quote: "[Trump and Haftar discussed] ongoing counterterrorism
efforts and the need to achieve peace and stability in Libya.
The President recognized Field Marshal Haftar’s significant role
in fighting terrorism and securing Libya’s oil resources, and the
two discussed a shared vision for Libya’s transition to a stable,
democratic political system."
Trump praised Haftar in the statement, but it's unclear whether
Trump wants Haftar to continue the assault on Tripoli. At the very
least, the phone call implies continued support for actions
by Haftar.
Haftar's actions have split the international community. If we
now put the United States on the side of Haftar, then
the scorecard is as follows:
- Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj supporters: Turkey, Qatar, Italy,
Britain, United Nations
- Khalifa Haftar supporters: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab
Emirates (UAE), Russia, United States
Tsk, tsk. Apparently Trump is colluding with Russia again.
--- Sources:
-- White House says Trump spoke to Libyan commander Haftar on Monday
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya...SKCN1RV0WW
(Reuters)
-- Trump's call to Haftar shows U.S. believes in Libyan army role in
war on terrorism: spokesman
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya...SKCN1RV17Z
(Reuters)
-- Trump Spoke to Libyan Strongman Threatening Tripoli
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/...ftar-libya
(Bloomberg)
-- International rivalries driving Libya towards war, UN warns
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/af...-1.3866057
(Irish Times)
-- Trump praises Libyan general as his troops march on US backed
government in Tripoli
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/19/politics/...index.html
(CNN)
