...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...
’s Libyan National Army (LNA) sent a message to Washington on Sunday calling for international control of land and sea border crossings and ports to prevent weapons from being sent to the capital’s government, Al Arabiya TV channel reported.
"The LNA insists on international control over land and sea terminals in order to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of the Government of National Accord [Prime Minister Faiz Saraj] and to prevent Ankara from transferring weapons and equipment to the country," the letter said to the US authorities.
It also notes that the army command refuses to sit at the same table with
...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire...during any possible negotiations in the coming period and "remains committed to the withdrawal of mercenaries and militias." In addition, the LNA notified that it would not agree with the entry of various types of gangs into state institutions, as planned 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...
Cabinet of Ministers.
On Saturday, Haftar, during a scheduled review of the units under his control, confirmed "his determination to resist the
"The expulsion of the colonialists is our main goal. We will not agree to be colonized again Enough of what has happened to us in the past. The army will teach a lesson to the mercenaries that Turkey sends to fight on the side of the Government of National Accord [GNA]. "
In Libya, for a long time, two executive bodies have existed in parallel: the NTC sitting in Tripoli and a temporary cabinet operating in the east of the country together with the parliament and supported by the LNA.
Over a year ago, the opposing camps unleashed battles for the country’s main city, after Haftar launched an offensive on the capital on April 4, 2019, with the goal of, as he said, freeing it from terrorists.
In response, the Tripoli cabinet of ministers officially turned to Turkey for help on the basis of a memorandum on military cooperation signed with it in November last year. With the active support of Ankara, the GNA managed to regain control over a number of territories seized earlier by the LNA. So far, all attempts to return the parties to dialogue, and the search for political solutions have not been crowned with success.