WAR Regional conflict brewing in the Mediterranean

Zagdid

Zagdid

Veteran Member
www.middleeastmonitor.com

Haftar-linked parliament speaker says may ask Egypt to intervene in Libya

The Speaker of the Tobruk Parliament, Aguila Saleh, yesterday warned that he may ask the Egyptian armed forces to intervene in Libya if other countries send troops into the country....
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fair use
January 13, 2020 at 12:19 pm |

The Speaker of the Tobruk Parliament, Aguila Saleh, yesterday warned that he may ask the Egyptian armed forces to intervene in Libya if other countries send troops into the country.

Speaking before the Egyptian parliament, Saleh whose parliament is supported by the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by renegade General, Khalifa Haftar, slammed the cooperation agreements signed between the internationally recognised Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) and Turkey.

“The Libyan people wanted development and a better life, but found themselves facing terrorist operations, led by countries claiming to be Muslim,” he said.

“Libya does not antagonise anyone, but rather defends its legitimate rights to preserve its lands,” he added.

Saleh slammed what he called “Turkey’s miserable attempt to spread chaos on Libyan lands, by waging a proxy war in favour of some terrorist groups,” praising at the same time the Egyptian armed forces’ support for the Libyan issue and their refusal of the Turkish military intervention in the Libyan territory “which represents a flagrant violation of international laws and conventions”.

Saleh described the agreements signed between the GNA and Turkey as a waiver of Libya’s sovereignty and the rights and dignity of its people.
 
Rastech

Rastech

Veteran Member
Dozdoats said:
www.realclearpolitics.com

Erik Prince on Syria: America Needs To Call B.S. On Failed Generals; We Have No More Pattons Or Grants

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince told FNC's Tucker Carlson Thursday night that military orthodoxy failed in Afghanistan and Iraq and that no one in Washington is willing to think outside of the box on "hybrid" ways to continue a U.S. military presence in Syria. "The president's instincts are...
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Erik Prince on Syria: America Needs To Call B.S. On Failed Generals; We Have No More Pattons Or Grants
Posted By Tim Hains
On Date October 11, 2019
Erik Prince on Syria: America Needs To Call B.S. On Failed Generals; We Have No More Marines, Navy, and Army pilots to go work for a private company that became the Flying Tigers. and they defended Chinese cities against Japanese aggression before the United States entered the war."


"So now you could do the same thing," he said about the Syrian Kurds. "They have 400,000 barrels of oil per day that they could sell and export that could pay for effectively a contracted peacekeeping force that would keep the ISIS guys at bay, that would deter the Iranians and the Turks from rolling in. It doesn't require active-duty U.S. forces. The Syrian Kurds could pay for their own defense. But nobody in the Pentagon, nobody in this clique of the Beltway wants to think outside the box and give the president different options."

It's "more money and more troops or nothing," he said. "But there are a lot of hybrid ways to do this, but no one is willing to think outside the box."

"We have a great all-volunteer force, but the fact is that 0.5% of the U.S. population serves in the military, maybe another 3-5% knows someone who serves. Leaving 95% of Ameria with no real contact with the military. So no one feels empowered to call B.S. on the generals on this national security point." Etc.

"We don't have a fantastic record of finishing wars since World War Two," he noted
Click to expand...
Using Mercenary Armed Forces are a path to disaster for Countries as well as Mercenaries (they always end up getting their ass kicked by people who have something worth fighting for other than money). It’s the Militia System that holds the answer imho, along the lines of the Swiss (formerly the greatest Mercenary forces, who adopted the British Militia System after getting such a comprehensive ass kickin by the British that they gave up Mercenary work as a National Industry permanently (apart from guarding the Vatican). The USA has failed to complete wars for 3 reasons - Communists in the UN stopping them early, and, Communist Politicians as Congressmen and Senators, and a Communist run Media (we have the exact same problems across the Pond). McCarthy was on the right track, but even he didn’t grasp the scale of the problem that has been dumped on us - all confirmed in black and white in the KGB Papers. They are going to continue doing damage until the last of them die off in about 40 years time. Meanwhile they’re in the Education System and Media among other places brainwashing kids ready to replace them. Fortunately all around the World it is sinking in that Socialism is a total disaster and can’t work, so the replacements are likely to wise up prior to being installed.
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
Turkey threatens to ‘teach lesson’ to Libya’s Haftar
1928021-222244089.jpg

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the ‘putschist Haftar ran away’ from Moscow after Monday’s peace talks. (AFP)
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Turkey threatens to ‘teach lesson’ to Libya’s Haftar

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he would “teach a lesson” to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar if he resumed fighting after abandoning cease-fire talks in Moscow. Haftar left Moscow on Tuesday without signing a peace deal aimed at ending nine months of fighting with...
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Updated 14 January 2020
AFP
January 14, 202009:50
4622

  • Erdogan said the ‘putschist Haftar ran away’ from Moscow after Monday’s peace talks
ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he would “teach a lesson” to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar if he resumed fighting after abandoning cease-fire talks in Moscow.
Haftar left Moscow on Tuesday without signing a peace deal aimed at ending nine months of fighting with the UN-backed government in Tripoli.
“We will not hesitate to teach a deserved lesson to the putschist Haftar if he continues his attacks on the country’s legitimate administration and our brothers in Libya,” Erdogan told a meeting of his party in Ankara in a televised speech.
Erdogan said the issue would now be discussed at talks in Berlin on Sunday attended by European, North African and Middle Eastern countries, as well as the UN, EU, Africa Union and Arab League.
“The putschist Haftar did not sign the cease-fire. He first said yes, but later unfortunately he left Moscow, he fled Moscow,” Erdogan said.
“Despite this, we find the talks in Moscow were positive as they showed the true face of the putschist Haftar to the international community.”
www.arabnews.com

Turkey threatens to ‘teach lesson’ to Libya’s Haftar

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he would “teach a lesson” to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar if he resumed fighting after abandoning cease-fire talks in Moscow. Haftar left Moscow on Tuesday without signing a peace deal aimed at ending nine months of fighting with...
www.arabnews.com www.arabnews.com
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
Erdogan sending Turkish troops to Libya ahead of Berlin peace talks
16 Jan, 2020 10:39 / Updated 7 hours ago
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Erdogan sending Turkish troops to Libya ahead of Berlin peace talks

FILE PHOTO Turkish soldiers in a military vehicle patrol near the Akcakale border gate © REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Turkey is sending troops to Libya to ensure the stability of the UN-backed government in Tripoli, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced. The move comes ahead of a Berlin summit on the security situation in the country.
Ankara has already deployed forces to train troops loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA), as part of a security cooperation agreement between the two countries.
Erdogan also said that, as part of a maritime agreement, it would no longer be possible for other states to conduct oil exploration and drilling off the coast of Libya without the approval of Ankara and Tripoli.
Turkey has vowed to support the GNA’s months-long fight against Libyan militia leader Khalifa Haftar. Erdogan has vowed to teach "putschist" Haftar a “lesson” if he does not cease his military campaign against the UN-backed government. The commander left a Moscow summit aimed at brokering a ceasefire in Libya, stalling progress that had been made toward ending the conflict.
ALSO ON RT.COMTurkey will not refrain from teaching ‘putschist Haftar’ lesson if he keeps attacking Libya’s government & people – Erdogan
Erdogan said at the start of January that Turkish troops would begin a gradual deployment to the North African nation, in order to ensure “coordination and stability” in the war-torn country.
Despite the diplomatic setbacks, Ankara signaled that it was too early to say that a ceasefire deal with Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) had collapsed.
The Turkish president's announcement comes before he is due to meet leaders from Germany, Russia, Britain and Italy on Sunday to discuss the conflict. The summit hosted by Moscow to discuss a possible ceasefire was hailed by major world actors as a necessary step toward achieving peace and stability in Libya.
www.rt.com

Erdogan sending Turkish troops to Libya ahead of Berlin peace talks

Turkey is sending troops to Libya to ensure the stability of the UN-backed government in Tripoli, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced. The move comes ahead of a Berlin summit on the security situation in the country.
www.rt.com www.rt.com
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
TURKEY’S AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM DEPLOYMENTS TO LIBYA
By CAN KASAPOĞLU 17/01/2020
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TURKEY’S AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM DEPLOYMENTS TO LIBYA
Dr. Can Kasapoglu
Director of Security and Defense Research Program, EDAM
– Open-source intelligence suggests Turkish air defense deployments in Tripoli. Available visuals showcase MiM-23 Improved Hawk and Korkut air defenses.
– MIM-23 Improved Hawk is a US-manufactured, medium-range air defense system.
– Being deployed by the US Armed Forces back in 1959, the system showcased its combat performance during the Iran – Iraq War, having downed dozens of Iraqi aircraft. Tehran procured the SAM system in the Shah era.
– However, during the 1973 Arab – Israeli War, the Israeli Hawk interceptors’ relatively low speed (Mach 2.4) fell short of intercepting Soviet-manufactured, very agile Mig-25R Foxbats with the aircraft’s Mach 3.2 speed.
– The improved, or I, variant, which Turkey retains, offers enhanced interception capabilities against low-flying aircraft, better interceptors, among many other advancements.
– Korkut is a low altitude / very short-range, mobile air defense system with a very high rate of fire. It will particularly be effective against drones and low-flying rotary-wing platforms. Korkut remains an indigenous production of Turkey’s burgeoning defense industry.
– Together, MiM-23 Improved Hawk and Korkut will offer a layered air defense configuration in a limited area of operations. With enough numbers, these systems can protect the Tripoli skies given the present LNA capabilities.
– Hafter’s Forces air campaign has been a troublesome concern for the GNA for a long time. From a military standpoint, Turkey’s new air defense deployments could offer feasible solutions against the LNA’s Cold War remnant aircraft, as well as Chinese drones.
– Besides, as the Turkish military gears-up to deploy troops in Libya, SAM coverage against air threats remain indispensable.
– However, one should note that Turkey’s SAM deployments would also be SEAD (suppression of enemy air defenses) targets for General Hafter and his sponsors. In this respect, any transfer of anti-radiation missiles & loitering munitions (kamikaze) should be monitored carefully by Ankara.
edam.org.tr

Turkey's Air Defense System Deployments to Libya - Edam

TURKEY’S AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM DEPLOYMENTS TO LIBYA Dr. Can Kasapoglu Director of Security and Defense Research Program, EDAM – Open-source intelligence suggests Turkish air defense deployments in Tripoli. Available visuals showcase MiM-23 Improved Hawk and Korkut air defenses. – MIM-23 Improved...
edam.org.tr edam.org.tr
 
N

northern watch

TB Fanatic
Haftar Blocks All Libyan Oil Exports Day Before Berlin Peace Conference
by Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Sat, 01/18/2020 - 19:35

Given Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar has over the past two years captured the majority of the oil and gas rich country's energy producing regions, he's now playing his biggest card yet to leverage international peace talks in his favor amid a final push for his Libyan National Army (LNA) forces to take Tripoli.

Bloomberg reports Saturday that the Benghazi-based 'rebel' general has now "blocked oil exports at ports under his control, slashing output by more than half and posing a potential setback for an international conference on Sunday that aims to broker an end to a civil war in the OPEC nation."

libyaoil.png


The major talks Sunday are due to be held in Berlin, and a who's who of external backers of each side of the conflict will be in attendance, including Putin, Erdogan, France's Macron, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as well as the Italian prime minister and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Libya's Haftar holds talks in Athens ahead of Berlin summit

The Berlin conference comes after a failed deal to establish a ceasefire in Moscow earlier in the week, when Haftar left the city after the head of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, Fayez al-Sarraj, actually signed the agreement. Haftar also reportedly secretly scuttled to different Mediterranean capitals, including Athens, in a bid to gain recognition as legitimate leader on the ground.

Haftar's drastic move to block oil exports is likely aimed at torpedoing the Berlin meeting before it even starts, given he's proven intransigent in the face of international pressure for him to halt the ongoing Tripoli offensive — even during the talks hosted by one of his key political backers Vladimir Putin.

Libya's National Oil Corp. (NOC) has now declared Force Majeure, per Bloomberg:

As a result of the blockage of ports in the central and eastern parts of the country, oil output will fall by about 800,000 barrels a day, costing $55 million daily, the National Oil Corp. said in a statement on Saturday. The NOC declared Force Majeure, which can allow Libya, which holds Africa’s largest-proven oil reserves, to legally suspend delivery contracts.
The stoppage also has military implications on the ground, given the GNA's national army relies on the country's oil revenue to purchase weapons via Tripoli's central bank. The NOC has placed sole blame on Haftar for the shutdown, while the LNA has claimed to be listening to the demands of "the people".

Speaking to Bloomberg, European Council on Foreign Relations top official Arturo Varvelli acknowledged the action as bold ploy by Haftar to control Berlin discussions before they commence. “It could be counterproductive as it could make the Europeans, who are the largest consumers of Libyan oil, very upset,” he said.

And S&P Global Platts warns the country's oil sector could enter a "tailspin":

Libya's oil sector could go into a tailspin with two-thirds of its total crude oil production of around 1.20 million b/d at risk after its key oil ports were suspended Saturday by the Libyan National Army...
Turkey's Erdogan has recently ordered troops to prop up the Tripoli government, not to mention Turkish drones and military hardware which have for months already been active in defense of the capital against pro-Haftar forces.

Oil exports make up over 90% of Libya's national revenue and as the below 2019 Stratfor map demonstrates, Haftar has long held the majority of the nation's oil fields.

libyaoil2019.png


Russia, for its part, is believed to have hundreds of mercenaries from the Wagner Group embedded within Haftar's forces. And complicating matters in the emerging proxy war, Egypt, the Saudis, and UAE (and most recently the Trump White House, apparently) also back Haftar, while Italy, Turkey, and other UN member nations back the GNA's Sarraj.

Meanwhile, Haftar has vowed repeatedly to not give up until he has control of the Libyan capital, despite fighting for months staying at a relative stalemate. So the Berlin conference outcome is not looking good before it even starts.

Haftar Blocks All Libyan Oil Exports Day Before Berlin Peace Conference
 
N

northern watch

TB Fanatic
By looking at the map in post 428, it looks like only a matter of time before Haftar takes Libya.
If Turkey wants to prevent this, it must commit a lot of forces in Libya.

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