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| Africa North |
| Libyan commander killed as offensive against Islamists stalls |
| 2015-07-17 |
| [EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... snuffies said they killed a Libyan army commander in the eastern city of Benghazi on Wednesday, as a pro-government offensive against the Islamists appeared to stall. Forces loyal to Libya's internationally recognized government have been fighting Islamist groups in the country's second-largest city for over a year, part of a wider struggle since Muammar Qadaffy ...The late megalomaniac dictator of Libya, admired everywhere for his garish costumes, funny hats, harem of cutie bodyguards, and incoherent ravings. As far as is known, he is the only person who's ever declared jihad on Switzerland... was tossed and killed in 2011. Army forces backed by armed residents have regained some of the territory in Benghazi lost last year. But critics say their air strikes and artillery have pounded parts of Benghazi into rubble without gaining much ground. New festivities erupted on Wednesday in the Lithi district, a stronghold of bad boy Islamists. During the fighting, Salem al-Naili, the commander of a special forces brigade, and another soldier were killed, army officials said. Four more soldiers were maimed. Islamic State, which has expanded in Libya by exploiting a vacuum as two governments vie for control, grabbed credit on social media for Naili's killing. Islamic State and other bad boy groups have been getting support from groups in Tunisia, Algeria, Chad, Nigeria and Sudan, a top army commander told news hounds after meeting with senior commanders in Marj town east of Benghazi. Asked when the Benghazi battle would be finished, the commander, Khalifa Haftar ... served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all... , said: "I cannot give a date but it will be very soon." U.N. Special Envoy Bernardino Leon disputed that. "In Benghazi, festivities ... continue with neither side making significant gains," he told the U.N Security Council. The fighting for Benghazi highlights the chaos in Libya, where gangs back two governments vying for control. The official prime minister has been based in the east since the capital, Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... , was seized by a rival group which set up its own government. Both sides command loose coalitions of former anti-Qadaffy rebels. After Qadaffy's ouster, the various factions split along political, regional and tribal lines. Islamic State has exploited the chaos by taking over several towns, executing foreigners and launching attacks against embassies in Tripoli. |
| Posted by:Fred |