...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. 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...'s self-styled army forces attacked Wednesday Saddada Castle between Misrata and Bani Walid, claiming control of the area after brief festivities with forces inside the castle under the command of the former chief of Petroleum Facilities Guard, Ibrahim Jadran and Benghazi Defense Brigades.
According to sources from the area, the festivities left injuries and deaths with reports saying the injured fighters under Haftar's command were sent to al-Jufra hospitals.
In the meantime, the Sirte Protection Force denied that Haftar's forces had seized the town, saying they had retreated to their positions.
"We have declared full mobilization of fighters at the central military zone and we have asked the military reserve force to secure administrative borders." A military source said.
The move of Haftar's forces is seen as an advance on Misrata city, which has mobilized all forces to secure all of its administrative borders.
Earlier this week, Haftar's forces advanced into Abu Najim - 70 km to the west of Sirte - before they were told to leave by central military zone forces.
The self-styled army mobilized troops around the oil crescent region, citing a need to foil an attack by Jadran's forces on oil terminals.
However,
a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth...
a front man for Jadran - Ali al-Maghrabi - denied any intentions to attack oil terminals or Haftar's forces in there, adding that Haftar's forces are justifying their military moves by such lies so they can advance toward Sirte and Misrata.
Over the last weeks, Haftar's general command reshuffled the military ranks in western and southern Libya in what observers describe as a preparation to advance on 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...
.