WAR Regional conflict brewing in the Mediterranean
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jward
passin' thru
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
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1h
Haftar ultimatum to Turks & GNA: "I give you 72hours to leave Tripoli, we will shoot down Erdogan's aircraft
@EndGameWW3
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1h
Haftar ultimatum to Turks & GNA: "I give you 72hours to leave Tripoli, we will shoot down Erdogan's aircraft
| EndGameWW3 @EndGameWW3 Haftar ultimatum to Turks & GNA: "I give you 72 hours to leave Tripoli, we will shoot down Erdogan's aircraft" Quote Tweet 
ΠΕΝΤΑΠΟΣΤΑΓΜΑ @pentapostagma · 1h Τελεσίγραφο Χαφτάρ σε Τούρκους & GNA: «Σας δίνω 72 ώρες για να εγκαταλείψετε την Τρίπολη, θα καταρρίψουμε τα αεροσκάφη του Ερντογάν» #EastMed #Turkey #Cyprus #Syria #Lebanon #Libya #Erdogan #Haftar #Egypt #Tripoli #pentapostagm 
1:32 AM · Dec 20, 2019·Twitter for iPhone 8 Retweets 17 L | Ajay Kumar @CaptAKJ · 48m Replying to @EndGameWW3 This war in Libya looks weird. Many traditional allies on opposing sides. LNA too has some stronger backing, some doing it openly & others from behind the scenes. |
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danielboon
TB Fanatic
Russia concerned by prospect of Turkey sending troops to Libya - Ifax
Reuters|
Updated: 12.20.19 , 12:46
Russia on Friday said it was very concerned by Turkey potentially sending troops to Libya and that a security deal between the two nations raised many questions, the Interfax news agency cited a source at Russia's foreign ministry.
Libya's internationally recognized government said on Thursday it had ratified a security and military cooperation deal with Turkey, in an effort to end a months-long offensive by rival forces.
Reuters|
Updated: 12.20.19 , 12:46
Russia on Friday said it was very concerned by Turkey potentially sending troops to Libya and that a security deal between the two nations raised many questions, the Interfax news agency cited a source at Russia's foreign ministry.
Libya's internationally recognized government said on Thursday it had ratified a security and military cooperation deal with Turkey, in an effort to end a months-long offensive by rival forces.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Misrata gunmen have 72 hours to withdraw from Tripoli, Sirte: Libyan army
20/12/2019 Al-Arabiya Press Articles
Gunmen from Misrata have 72 hours to withdraw from Libya’s Tripoli and Sirte, Ahmed al-Mismari, the spokesperson for the Libyan National Army (LNA), said on Friday.
Al-Mismari said the LNA would continue to bomb the militia’s posts in the country if they did not withdraw from the two cities.
“We will not target any forces that leave Tripoli and Sirte, [to go to] Sirte before the deadline,” al-Mismari said.
The Commander of the LNA, Khalifa Haftar, had earlier this month ordered his forces to begin advancing toward Tripoli, and said gunmen in the city would be provided with safety in exchange for laying down their arms.
“The Libyan National Army is inevitably victorious in the Battle of Tripoli. We call on the units that are advancing toward Tripoli to abide by the rules of engagement. We call on the militants who are fighting our army to remain in their homes and they will be safe,” Haftar said in a televised address on December 12.
Haftar has been leading an assault to take the capital from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
Libya has been riven by turmoil and division since a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
It has since been split between rival administrations vying for power in the east and the west.
www.marsad.ly
20/12/2019 Al-Arabiya Press Articles
Gunmen from Misrata have 72 hours to withdraw from Libya’s Tripoli and Sirte, Ahmed al-Mismari, the spokesperson for the Libyan National Army (LNA), said on Friday.
Al-Mismari said the LNA would continue to bomb the militia’s posts in the country if they did not withdraw from the two cities.
“We will not target any forces that leave Tripoli and Sirte, [to go to] Sirte before the deadline,” al-Mismari said.
The Commander of the LNA, Khalifa Haftar, had earlier this month ordered his forces to begin advancing toward Tripoli, and said gunmen in the city would be provided with safety in exchange for laying down their arms.
“The Libyan National Army is inevitably victorious in the Battle of Tripoli. We call on the units that are advancing toward Tripoli to abide by the rules of engagement. We call on the militants who are fighting our army to remain in their homes and they will be safe,” Haftar said in a televised address on December 12.
Haftar has been leading an assault to take the capital from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
Libya has been riven by turmoil and division since a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
It has since been split between rival administrations vying for power in the east and the west.
Misrata gunmen have 72 hours to withdraw from Tripoli, Sirte: Libyan army - Marsad Libya
Gunmen from Misrata have 72 hours to withdraw from Libya’s Tripoli and Sirte, Ahmed al-Mismari, the
www.marsad.ly
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Libyan force attacking Tripoli gives militias 3-day deadline
BY NOHA ELHENNAWY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted Dec 20, 2019 1:31 am PST
CAIRO — A Libyan force fighting to capture the country’s capital from the U.N.-supported government based in Tripoli on Friday gave the militias defending the city a three-day deadline to pull out.
The self-styled Libyan National Army issued a statement demanding that the powerful Misrata militias, which are fighting on behalf of the government in the Libyan capital, withdraw from both Tripoli and the coastal city of Sirte. The Misrata militias are named after the western Libyan town of Misrata, which saw some of the heaviest fighting during the 2011 uprising that led to the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The militias played a key role in Gadhafi’s ouster.
For months, the LNA and the militias have been locked in fierce clashes on Tripoli’s southern outskirts, with the fighting mostly stalemated.
Last week, commander Khalifa Hifter, who heads the LNA, declared that the “zero hour” of the battle for Tripoli had begun, nearly eight months since he began his offensive to take the city. The announcement triggered a fresh bout of clashes around Tripoli.
Friday’s LNA statement warned that if the militias do not withdraw, their town Misrata will continue to be targeted “every day, non stop and in an unprecedentedly intensive way.”
The warning came shortly after an LNA airstrike targeted sites where Turkish weapons and military equipment had been stored, said the statement. The Tripoli-based government led by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj condemned the attack, saying it caused civilian casualties but without providing details.
Turkey and Qatar, as well as Italy, have been allied with Sarraj’s government, while Hifter is backed by France, Russia and key Arab countries, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The U.N. mission in Libya tweeted on Friday that it regrets the recent escalation in fighting and all foreign interference, and urged Libyans to return to political dialogue.
Since Hifter’s forces launched their offensive on Tripoli in April, both sides have exchanged accusations of deploying allied foreign forces in the ongoing civil war, which has seen Libya divided since 2015 between two governments, one based in the west, in Tripoli, and the other based in the east. Hifter is allied with the east-based government.
Hifter was particularly angered after Sarraj signed a maritime deal and security pact with Turkish President Recep Tayeb Erdogan last month. That pact also angered Egypt. Erdogan later said the deal would involve dispatching Turkish troops to fight on behalf of the Tripoli-based government.
www.citynews1130.com
BY NOHA ELHENNAWY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted Dec 20, 2019 1:31 am PST
CAIRO — A Libyan force fighting to capture the country’s capital from the U.N.-supported government based in Tripoli on Friday gave the militias defending the city a three-day deadline to pull out.
The self-styled Libyan National Army issued a statement demanding that the powerful Misrata militias, which are fighting on behalf of the government in the Libyan capital, withdraw from both Tripoli and the coastal city of Sirte. The Misrata militias are named after the western Libyan town of Misrata, which saw some of the heaviest fighting during the 2011 uprising that led to the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The militias played a key role in Gadhafi’s ouster.
For months, the LNA and the militias have been locked in fierce clashes on Tripoli’s southern outskirts, with the fighting mostly stalemated.
Last week, commander Khalifa Hifter, who heads the LNA, declared that the “zero hour” of the battle for Tripoli had begun, nearly eight months since he began his offensive to take the city. The announcement triggered a fresh bout of clashes around Tripoli.
Friday’s LNA statement warned that if the militias do not withdraw, their town Misrata will continue to be targeted “every day, non stop and in an unprecedentedly intensive way.”
The warning came shortly after an LNA airstrike targeted sites where Turkish weapons and military equipment had been stored, said the statement. The Tripoli-based government led by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj condemned the attack, saying it caused civilian casualties but without providing details.
Turkey and Qatar, as well as Italy, have been allied with Sarraj’s government, while Hifter is backed by France, Russia and key Arab countries, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The U.N. mission in Libya tweeted on Friday that it regrets the recent escalation in fighting and all foreign interference, and urged Libyans to return to political dialogue.
Since Hifter’s forces launched their offensive on Tripoli in April, both sides have exchanged accusations of deploying allied foreign forces in the ongoing civil war, which has seen Libya divided since 2015 between two governments, one based in the west, in Tripoli, and the other based in the east. Hifter is allied with the east-based government.
Hifter was particularly angered after Sarraj signed a maritime deal and security pact with Turkish President Recep Tayeb Erdogan last month. That pact also angered Egypt. Erdogan later said the deal would involve dispatching Turkish troops to fight on behalf of the Tripoli-based government.
Libyan force attacking Tripoli gives militias 3-day deadline
CAIRO — A Libyan force fighting to capture the country’s capital from the U.N.-supported government based in Tripoli on Friday gave the militias defending the city a three-day deadline to pull out. The self-styled Libyan National Army issued a statement demanding that the powerful Misrata...
www.citynews1130.com
danielboon
TB Fanatic
UPDATE 1-Erdogan says Turkey won't be silent over mercenaries in Libya
3 MIN READ
(Recasts with Erdogan comments, adds details)
MOSCOW/ANKARA, Dec 20 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey will not stay silent over Russian-backed mercenaries supporting Khalifa Haftar in Libya, as Moscow voiced concerns over possible Turkish military deployment to Libya in support of Haftar’s enemies.
Turkey has backed Libya’s internationally recognised government led by Fayez al-Serraj and the two sides signed a security agreement last month which could deepen military cooperation between them.
Turkey has already sent military supplies to Libya in violation of a United Nations arms embargo, according a report by U.N. experts seen by Reuters last month. It said Serraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) asked Turkey for help after Haftar received support from Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Turkey had not responded directly to the assertions in the report, but Erdogan said Ankara could not ignore the support that Haftar was receiving from the Kremlin-linked Wagner group.
“Through the group named Wagner, they are literally working as Haftar’s mercenaries in Libya. You know who is paying them,” Erdogan was quoted by broadcaster NTV as saying on a flight back from Malaysia.
“That is the case, and it would not be right for us to remain silent against all of this. We have done our best until now, and will continue to do so,” he added.
Erdogan’s comments come a day after Serraj’s government said it ratified last month’s security and military accord with Ankara, opening the way for greater Turkish support, as it fights a months-long offensive by Haftar’s forces.
Earlier on Friday, Russia said it was very concerned by the prospect of Turkey sending troops to Libya, adding that the deal on military cooperation between Ankara and Tripoli raised many questions for Moscow, according to the Interfax news agency.
Erdogan said on Wednesday Turkey would improve cooperation with Libya by offering military support to the GNA and backing joint steps in the eastern Mediterranean. Ankara has previously said it could send military support to the GNA if it requested it, but says no such request has been made yet.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday Erdogan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin would discuss Ankara’s potential military deployment to Libya during talks in Turkey next month.
af.reuters.com
3 MIN READ
(Recasts with Erdogan comments, adds details)
MOSCOW/ANKARA, Dec 20 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey will not stay silent over Russian-backed mercenaries supporting Khalifa Haftar in Libya, as Moscow voiced concerns over possible Turkish military deployment to Libya in support of Haftar’s enemies.
Turkey has backed Libya’s internationally recognised government led by Fayez al-Serraj and the two sides signed a security agreement last month which could deepen military cooperation between them.
Turkey has already sent military supplies to Libya in violation of a United Nations arms embargo, according a report by U.N. experts seen by Reuters last month. It said Serraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) asked Turkey for help after Haftar received support from Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Turkey had not responded directly to the assertions in the report, but Erdogan said Ankara could not ignore the support that Haftar was receiving from the Kremlin-linked Wagner group.
“Through the group named Wagner, they are literally working as Haftar’s mercenaries in Libya. You know who is paying them,” Erdogan was quoted by broadcaster NTV as saying on a flight back from Malaysia.
“That is the case, and it would not be right for us to remain silent against all of this. We have done our best until now, and will continue to do so,” he added.
Erdogan’s comments come a day after Serraj’s government said it ratified last month’s security and military accord with Ankara, opening the way for greater Turkish support, as it fights a months-long offensive by Haftar’s forces.
Earlier on Friday, Russia said it was very concerned by the prospect of Turkey sending troops to Libya, adding that the deal on military cooperation between Ankara and Tripoli raised many questions for Moscow, according to the Interfax news agency.
Erdogan said on Wednesday Turkey would improve cooperation with Libya by offering military support to the GNA and backing joint steps in the eastern Mediterranean. Ankara has previously said it could send military support to the GNA if it requested it, but says no such request has been made yet.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday Erdogan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin would discuss Ankara’s potential military deployment to Libya during talks in Turkey next month.
Reuters | Breaking International News & Views
Find latest news from every corner of the globe at Reuters.com, your online source for breaking international news coverage.
af.reuters.com
danielboon
TB Fanatic
full regional war by christmas?
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Calling All Angels
Train
I need a sign to let me know you're here
All of these lines are being crossed over the atmosphere
I need to know that things are gonna look up
'Cause I feel us drowning in a sea spilled from a cup
When there is no place safe and no safe place to put my head
When you feel the world shake from the words that are said
And I'm calling all angels
And I'm calling all you angels
And I won't give up if you don't give up
I won't give up if you don't give up
I won't give up if you don't give up
I won't give up if you don't give up
I need a sign to let me know you're here
'Cause my TV set just keeps it all from being clear
I want a reason for the way things have to be
I need a hand to help build up some kind of hope inside of me
And I'm calling all angels
And I'm calling all you angels
When children have to play inside so they don't disappear
While private eyes solve marriage lies 'cause we don't talk for years
And football teams are kissing Queens and losing sight of having dreams
In a world that what we want is only what we want until it's ours
And I'm calling all angels
And I'm calling all you angels
And I'm (I won't give up if you don't give up)
Calling all angels (I won't give up if you don't give up)
And I'm (I won't give up if you don't give up)
Calling all you angels (I won't give up if you don't give up)
Calling all you angels (I won't give up if you don't give up)
Calling all you angels (I won't give up if you don't give up)
Calling all you angels (I won't give up if you don't give up)
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Egyptian tanks sent to Libya to thwart Turkish intervention in battle for Tripoli
Dec 20, 2019 @ 13:04 Egypt vs Turkey in Libya
A consignment of Egyptian T-72 tanks and APCs arrived in Libya on Thursday, Dec. 19, to bolster Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), which had just broken through to the southern outskirts of Tripoli. This consignment was personally ordered by Egyptian President Abdel-Fatteh El-Sisi, DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources reveal, along with instructions to a number of Egyptian air force squadrons to stand ready to support Haftar’s push to take the capital from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord.
El-Sisi took those steps in response to the Erdogan government’s reported plan to send over a volunteer force from the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood (SADAT) to help the GNA resist Haftar’s push into Tripoli. SADAT consists of former Al Qaeda and ISIS jihadists recruited in Syria by the Turkish MIT intelligence agency. Our sources add that a number of Hamas activists hosted by Turkey have trained with these units.
It was in reference to this Turkish intervention in the Tripoli battle that El-Sisi declared this week: “The Libyan government has been held hostage by terrorist militias in the capital, Tripoli.”
This week, the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood convinced the Tripoli government to formally apply to Ankara for military assistance to repel the Haftar advance.
Turkish military aid to the GNA thus far consists of 3,000 army “advisers” and a steady supply of weapons systems, including anti-tank rockets and drones.
Haftar’s army is solidly backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. The Egyptians provide intelligence, weapons and ammo; the Russians have deployed thousands of mercenaries, most from the Wagner Group contractors, some transferred from Syria to Libya; and the UAE recently supplied the Haftar force with a small squadron of six US-made Archangel ISR planes. These aircraft usually provide police forces on the ground with surveillance and back-up fire. The Haftar army has turned them into bombers.
If Turkey goes through with its plan to deploy Muslim Brotherhood volunteers to Libya, The Egyptian air force will go into action for a showdown against Turkish intervention.
www.debka.com
Dec 20, 2019 @ 13:04 Egypt vs Turkey in Libya
A consignment of Egyptian T-72 tanks and APCs arrived in Libya on Thursday, Dec. 19, to bolster Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), which had just broken through to the southern outskirts of Tripoli. This consignment was personally ordered by Egyptian President Abdel-Fatteh El-Sisi, DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources reveal, along with instructions to a number of Egyptian air force squadrons to stand ready to support Haftar’s push to take the capital from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord.
El-Sisi took those steps in response to the Erdogan government’s reported plan to send over a volunteer force from the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood (SADAT) to help the GNA resist Haftar’s push into Tripoli. SADAT consists of former Al Qaeda and ISIS jihadists recruited in Syria by the Turkish MIT intelligence agency. Our sources add that a number of Hamas activists hosted by Turkey have trained with these units.
It was in reference to this Turkish intervention in the Tripoli battle that El-Sisi declared this week: “The Libyan government has been held hostage by terrorist militias in the capital, Tripoli.”
This week, the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood convinced the Tripoli government to formally apply to Ankara for military assistance to repel the Haftar advance.
Turkish military aid to the GNA thus far consists of 3,000 army “advisers” and a steady supply of weapons systems, including anti-tank rockets and drones.
Haftar’s army is solidly backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. The Egyptians provide intelligence, weapons and ammo; the Russians have deployed thousands of mercenaries, most from the Wagner Group contractors, some transferred from Syria to Libya; and the UAE recently supplied the Haftar force with a small squadron of six US-made Archangel ISR planes. These aircraft usually provide police forces on the ground with surveillance and back-up fire. The Haftar army has turned them into bombers.
If Turkey goes through with its plan to deploy Muslim Brotherhood volunteers to Libya, The Egyptian air force will go into action for a showdown against Turkish intervention.
Egyptian tanks sent to Libya to thwart Turkish intervention in battle for Tripoli - DEBKAfile
A consignment of Egyptian T-72 tanks and APCs arrived in Libya on Thursday, Dec. 19, to bolster Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s
www.debka.com
danielboon
TB Fanatic
[B]EndGameWW3[/B] @[B]EndGameWW3[/B] 53s54 seconds ago
More
Egypt: Egyptian air force squadrons to stand ready to support Haftar’s push to take the capital from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord.
More
Egypt: Egyptian air force squadrons to stand ready to support Haftar’s push to take the capital from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord.
northern watch
TB Fanatic
This is wild!
NW
NW
jward
passin' thru
Don't despair, Daniel... Remember this is all a stage and we merely players, to poorly paraphrase someone!
Still it is an unforgivable sin that men with hands, brains, hearts & momma's to mourn them are no more than cannon fodder and assets to their betters. :: Lights the candle of eternal hope to leave on the sideboard, next to the coffee and decanters o' me best spirits ::
Still it is an unforgivable sin that men with hands, brains, hearts & momma's to mourn them are no more than cannon fodder and assets to their betters. :: Lights the candle of eternal hope to leave on the sideboard, next to the coffee and decanters o' me best spirits ::
Maybe even before that....
danielboon
TB Fanatic
yes it is
Plain Jane
Just Plain Jane
I read the world news feed from Reuters and AP at least twice a day. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS.
WHY?
WHY?
naegling62
Veteran Member
And this is why the world needed Gaddafi.
Posted for fair use.....
www.voanews.com
Tripoli-Based Unity Government Calls for Turkish Intervention in Libya, as Haftar's Forces Bomb Opposition
By Edward Yeranian
December 20, 2019 05:08 PM
CAIRO - The Libyan national unity government based in Tripoli is asking Turkey, the U.S. and several European countries to defend the government, as forces loyal to eastern military commander General Khalifa Haftar called on militias fighting in Tripoli and Misratat to lay down their arms.
Forces loyal to Haftar exchanged gunfire Friday with militias fighting under the banner of the Tripoli-based national unity government south and east of the capital. Libyan fighter jets, also loyal to Haftar, bombed targets and weapons depots inside Misrata and south of the capital.
The spokesman for Haftar's Libyan National Army told journalists Friday that his forces were making "pre-emptive airstrikes against three separate locations near Tripoli that were expected landing points for Turkish military forces." VOA could not independently confirm the claim that Turkish forces were planning to enter the battle.
Turkish media, nevertheless, reported that Libya's unity Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj officially activated a Nov. 27 military pact between Ankara and Tripoli calling for Turkish logistic and military support to prevent the fall of his government.
Sarraj also reportedly called on the U.S., Germany, Italy and Turkey, to intervene to protect his government, which is officially recognized by the international community. Despite that recognition, many countries, including France, Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia reportedly are supporting Haftar.
Mohammed al-Zubeidi, a Libyan law professor, told Arab media, however, that "Sarraj is just calling on the U.S., Germany and Italy as a fig-leaf to cover up his call for Turkish intervention in the Libyan conflict."
Haftar's military spokesman, Colonel Ahmed Almasmari, claimed that his forces were "advancing inside and outside the capital, Tripoli," and called on militias fighting his forces, some of which are based in Misrata, to "lay down their arms by midnight Sunday," and withdraw peacefully.
He says the (Libyan National Army) is sending a message to the representatives of Misrata to pull out their forces from Tripoli and lay down their arms by midnight Sunday, if they do not want to face reprisals or further airstrikes on their city.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, according to Russian media, saying the "possible deployment of Turkish troops in Libya is a source of worry" because it "could trigger a reaction from neighboring states."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual press conference with journalists Thursday he was "in contact with all regional parties to try and end the conflict in Libya." Russia reportedly has mercenaries fighting in Libya on the side of Haftar.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi told Egyptian media several days ago that "Egypt has the capability of intervening in Libya if needed, but has respected diplomatic norms until now, by not doing so."
Egypt does reportedly help train Haftar's forces and maintains some of his aging Russian air force jets.
Related Stories
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UN: Libya in Total Disarray as Violence, Terror and Abuse Grow
Conditions in Libya have seriously deteriorated this year as civilian war casualties multiply and gross violations of human rights escalate
By Lisa Schlein
Fri, 12/20/2019 - 15:52
Europe
Erdogan, Putin Hold More Discussions on Libya
Talks come Ankara prepares for the possible deployment of soldiers to the war-torn country
By Dorian Jones
Tue, 12/17/2019 - 15:37
Middle East
Egypt's El-Sissi Says Militias Hold Libyan Government 'Hostage'
Egyptian president says the Government of National Accord 'is not able to have a free and real will' because of the presence of 'armed and terrorist militias there'
By Associated Press
Sun, 12/15/2019 - 18:39
Tripoli-Based Unity Government Calls for Turkish Intervention in Libya, as Haftar's Forces Bomb Opposition
A spokesman for General Haftar's forces calls on Tripoli and Misrata militias to lay down their arms by Sunday
www.voanews.com
Tripoli-Based Unity Government Calls for Turkish Intervention in Libya, as Haftar's Forces Bomb Opposition
By Edward Yeranian
December 20, 2019 05:08 PM
CAIRO - The Libyan national unity government based in Tripoli is asking Turkey, the U.S. and several European countries to defend the government, as forces loyal to eastern military commander General Khalifa Haftar called on militias fighting in Tripoli and Misratat to lay down their arms.
Forces loyal to Haftar exchanged gunfire Friday with militias fighting under the banner of the Tripoli-based national unity government south and east of the capital. Libyan fighter jets, also loyal to Haftar, bombed targets and weapons depots inside Misrata and south of the capital.
The spokesman for Haftar's Libyan National Army told journalists Friday that his forces were making "pre-emptive airstrikes against three separate locations near Tripoli that were expected landing points for Turkish military forces." VOA could not independently confirm the claim that Turkish forces were planning to enter the battle.
Turkish media, nevertheless, reported that Libya's unity Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj officially activated a Nov. 27 military pact between Ankara and Tripoli calling for Turkish logistic and military support to prevent the fall of his government.
Sarraj also reportedly called on the U.S., Germany, Italy and Turkey, to intervene to protect his government, which is officially recognized by the international community. Despite that recognition, many countries, including France, Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia reportedly are supporting Haftar.
Mohammed al-Zubeidi, a Libyan law professor, told Arab media, however, that "Sarraj is just calling on the U.S., Germany and Italy as a fig-leaf to cover up his call for Turkish intervention in the Libyan conflict."
Haftar's military spokesman, Colonel Ahmed Almasmari, claimed that his forces were "advancing inside and outside the capital, Tripoli," and called on militias fighting his forces, some of which are based in Misrata, to "lay down their arms by midnight Sunday," and withdraw peacefully.
He says the (Libyan National Army) is sending a message to the representatives of Misrata to pull out their forces from Tripoli and lay down their arms by midnight Sunday, if they do not want to face reprisals or further airstrikes on their city.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, according to Russian media, saying the "possible deployment of Turkish troops in Libya is a source of worry" because it "could trigger a reaction from neighboring states."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual press conference with journalists Thursday he was "in contact with all regional parties to try and end the conflict in Libya." Russia reportedly has mercenaries fighting in Libya on the side of Haftar.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi told Egyptian media several days ago that "Egypt has the capability of intervening in Libya if needed, but has respected diplomatic norms until now, by not doing so."
Egypt does reportedly help train Haftar's forces and maintains some of his aging Russian air force jets.
Related Stories
Middle East
UN: Libya in Total Disarray as Violence, Terror and Abuse Grow
Conditions in Libya have seriously deteriorated this year as civilian war casualties multiply and gross violations of human rights escalate
By Lisa Schlein
Fri, 12/20/2019 - 15:52
Europe
Erdogan, Putin Hold More Discussions on Libya
Talks come Ankara prepares for the possible deployment of soldiers to the war-torn country
By Dorian Jones
Tue, 12/17/2019 - 15:37
Middle East
Egypt's El-Sissi Says Militias Hold Libyan Government 'Hostage'
Egyptian president says the Government of National Accord 'is not able to have a free and real will' because of the presence of 'armed and terrorist militias there'
By Associated Press
Sun, 12/15/2019 - 18:39
Ok. So Turkey has 33 amphibious warfare vessels ranging from two 7200 tonne displacement LSTs to eight 113 tonne LCMs and everything in between including 19 1000+ tonne displacement LSTs. That doesn't take into account how many ferries or motorized heavy barges they could press into service. That all being said, there's a lot of water between main land Turkey and Libya....
Posted for fair use.....
www.citynews1130.com
Cyprus rallies neighbours to buck Turkey-Libya maritime deal
by The Associated Press
Posted Dec 20, 2019 10:34 am PST
NICOSIA, Cyprus — The president of Cyprus said Friday that he’s in touch with the leaders of Egypt, Israel, Greece and Lebanon to formulate joint diplomatic action aimed at countering a Turkey-Libya maritime border deal that they say flouts international law and ratchets up regional tensions.
President Nicos Anastasiades said joint action doesn’t include a military option, but rather a concerted effort on a diplomatic level to negate the the aims of the “unlawful” agreement.
Anastasiades said the agreement has also been condemned by Arab nations, European Union member states and other countries he didn’t specify, adding that announcements on specific actions could be expected shortly.
Turkey says its deal with Libya’s U.N.-recognized government grants it economic rights to a large swath of the eastern Mediterranean.
But other countries in the region, including Greece and Cyprus, say the deal unlawfully truncates their own economic zones and impedes their rights to offshore exploration for hydrocarbons.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said the agreement means that no oil and gas exploration or any other “projects” can proceed in the area without Ankara’s permission.
One such project Erdogan may have been alluding to is an envisioned gas pipeline conveying gas from Israeli and Cypriot offshore deposits to mainland Europe via Greece.
The results of a feasibility study on the pipeline dubbed East Med are still pending.
Cyprus’ government spokesman, Kyriakos Koushios, said Friday that in a telephone conversation with Anastasiades, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recommended that his country, Cyprus and Greece immediately sign an agreement to get work started on the East Med pipeline.
Turkey doesn’t recognize EU-member Cyprus as a state and claims 44 per cent of its exclusive economic zone. It has dispatched drill ships to search for hydrocarbons off Cyprus, including in an area where the Cyprus government has licensed a consortium made up of Italian energy company Eni and French Total to carry out exploratory drilling.
Turkey says it’s acting to protect its interests and those of Turkish Cypriots in the breakaway northern third of ethnically split Cyprus to the area’s energy resources.
The EU has called Turkey’s actions illegal and has imposed sanctions against the country.
The Associated Press
Cyprus rallies neighbours to buck Turkey-Libya maritime deal
NICOSIA, Cyprus — The president of Cyprus said Friday that he’s in touch with the leaders of Egypt, Israel, Greece and Lebanon to formulate joint diplomatic action aimed at countering a Turkey-Libya maritime border deal that they say flouts international law and ratchets up regional tensions...
www.citynews1130.com
Cyprus rallies neighbours to buck Turkey-Libya maritime deal
by The Associated Press
Posted Dec 20, 2019 10:34 am PST
NICOSIA, Cyprus — The president of Cyprus said Friday that he’s in touch with the leaders of Egypt, Israel, Greece and Lebanon to formulate joint diplomatic action aimed at countering a Turkey-Libya maritime border deal that they say flouts international law and ratchets up regional tensions.
President Nicos Anastasiades said joint action doesn’t include a military option, but rather a concerted effort on a diplomatic level to negate the the aims of the “unlawful” agreement.
Anastasiades said the agreement has also been condemned by Arab nations, European Union member states and other countries he didn’t specify, adding that announcements on specific actions could be expected shortly.
Turkey says its deal with Libya’s U.N.-recognized government grants it economic rights to a large swath of the eastern Mediterranean.
But other countries in the region, including Greece and Cyprus, say the deal unlawfully truncates their own economic zones and impedes their rights to offshore exploration for hydrocarbons.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said the agreement means that no oil and gas exploration or any other “projects” can proceed in the area without Ankara’s permission.
One such project Erdogan may have been alluding to is an envisioned gas pipeline conveying gas from Israeli and Cypriot offshore deposits to mainland Europe via Greece.
The results of a feasibility study on the pipeline dubbed East Med are still pending.
Cyprus’ government spokesman, Kyriakos Koushios, said Friday that in a telephone conversation with Anastasiades, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recommended that his country, Cyprus and Greece immediately sign an agreement to get work started on the East Med pipeline.
Turkey doesn’t recognize EU-member Cyprus as a state and claims 44 per cent of its exclusive economic zone. It has dispatched drill ships to search for hydrocarbons off Cyprus, including in an area where the Cyprus government has licensed a consortium made up of Italian energy company Eni and French Total to carry out exploratory drilling.
Turkey says it’s acting to protect its interests and those of Turkish Cypriots in the breakaway northern third of ethnically split Cyprus to the area’s energy resources.
The EU has called Turkey’s actions illegal and has imposed sanctions against the country.
The Associated Press