...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, 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, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. 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. Actually, he is, but slowly...
, commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), in the Libyan city of Benghazi, to discuss regional and international developments, including the crisis in the oil-rich country.
The delegation was led by Ayman Badie, the head of Egypt’s National Committee concerned with Libyan affairs, and comprised a number of committee members, the Egyptian state news agency MENA reported.
The Egyptian delegation stressed the importance of resuming the political track and maintaining the ceasefire.
Benghazi's meeting was preceded by talks with Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh in the Libyan city of al-Qubah.
The two sides touched upon the latest developments in the conflict-torn country and ways to end the crisis by speeding up a political solution with the participation of concerned parties, Abdallah Abaihig, the Libyan parliamentary front man said.
Libya has been split since 2014 between two rival administrations in the east and west with parallel institutions; the eastern government is represented by the Tobruk-based House of Representatives allied with the LNA, and the west is represented by the 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...
-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...began earlier this year sending thousands of Syrian jihadists and mercenaries into Libya to back the GNA.
On 21 August, both Libyan rival parties declared a ceasefire and agreed to hold new elections.