Fighting escalates between rogue Libyan general, Islamist militias

[Sally]

When you see what is going on, it makes you think that most of these Arab countries need a strong dictator or tyrant to rule the people no matter how cruel he might be. It's a shame that these Arabs couldn't actually be governed by a man such as King Mohammed of Morocco. who certainly is in a different league than those we have seen overthrown during the Arab Spring.

Fighting escalates between rogue Libyan general, Islamist militias


At least 15 killed, 42 injured in fighting between forces loyal to Islamist militias and rogue Libyan generalLibyan militant groups bombard an air base in BenghaziAt least 15 people were killed and 42 injured as fighting escalated Monday between the forces of a former Libyan army general, Khalifa Haftar, and Islamist militias in the eastern city of Benghazi, according to the North African country’s official LANA news agency.

Three militant groups, including the Al Qaeda-affiliated Ansar al Sharia, bombarded an air base early Monday, "killing and wounding soldiers who were trapped inside," local Air Force commander Saad Werfelli told journalists.

 

[waltky]

Suicide bomb attempt made to kill Gen. Haftar...

Libyan renegade general Khalifa Haftar escapes suicide bombing
Wednesday 4 June 2014 ~ Three loyal to Haftar killed in attack outside Benghazi, city where he began deadly offensive against jihadists last month

A renegade general, whose repeated deadly assaults on jihadists in Libya's second city, Benghazi, have been met with threats of reprisal, has escaped a suicide bombing, one of his commanders said. But three loyalists of former general and longtime US exile Khalifa Haftar were killed in the attack on a villa outside the city, the commander told AFP.

Benghazi was the cradle of the Nato-backed revolt that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 but has become a stronghold of jihadists accused by Washington of involvement in a deadly assault on the US consulate in 2012. "A suicide bomber in a vehicle packed with explosives attacked a villa where we had gathered," said General Sagr al-Jerushi, who heads the air division Haftar has deployed in his attacks. "Three of our soldiers were killed," Jerushi said, adding that he had been "lightly wounded". It is the first attack against Haftar since he launched his offensive, dubbed "Operation Dignity", on 16 May aimed at eradicating "terrorists" in Benghazi.

Khalifa Haftar remains a figure of suspicion for many veterans of the 2011 Libyan uprising because of his time in the US.

Ansar al-Sharia, a radical Islamist group Washington categorised as a terrorist organisation after its alleged role in the 2012 attack on the consulate, has borne the brunt of the offensive. The group warned Haftar he could suffer the same fate as Gaddafi, who was killed by rebels in October 2011. The former general has also received threats from to a group linked to al-Qaida in north African. On Sunday Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb called Haftar an enemy of Islam and urged Libyans to fight him. His spokesman Mohamed Hejazi said: "We hold the terrorists responsible for this attack – this sort of suicide bombing is, of course, the work of terrorists and extremists."

Haftar claims his forces represent the legitimate Libyan army and has won the support of regular army units inside Benghazi, including special forces, for his offensive against the jihadists. The latest assault by Haftar forces left at least 21 people dead and 112 wounded on Monday. Even though Haftar denies any political ambitions, the outgoing Islamist-led parliament in the capital Tripoli accuses him of plotting a coup and has branded him an outlaw.

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[Sunni Man]

Libya was better off when Gaddafi was the ruler. ..

 

[toastman]

Libya was better off when Gaddafi was the ruler. ..

Why?

 

[Sunni Man]

The citizens of Libya under Gaddafi's rule had it fairly good by North African standards.

Both medical and dental care was free for all people. Also, both men and women could attend the state university at no cost. Women's right's were some of the best in the middle east. And there were many social welfare programs in place for the poor or disadvantaged.

Col. Gaddafi had given up his weapons of mass destruction and his image had been rehabilitated by the western media. He was now one of the "good" guys and helped fight against the so called war on terror.

But Gaddafi made the same fatal mistake that Saddam had made a couple of decades before. *see foot note*

Gaddafi unveiled his plan to quit accepting U.S. dollars for his oil and only accept a new currency called the "gold dinar". This new currency would be physical gold bars based on the Islamic dinar. And Gaddafi was encouraging all the countries of Africa and the Middle East to buy into the plan. Which would have destroyed the U.S. petrodollar and effectively ended America's stranglehold on the oil trade in that part of the world..

That's when Gaddafi was delegated back to the "bad guy" category in the western media and was subsequently attacked by the NATO coalition and deposed; leading to his death.


* (Saddam had announced he would only accept the Euro for his oil not U.S. dollars and we all know what happen to him)*

Good article on the subject. >> http://www.thenewamerican.com/econo...-gold-money-plan-would-have-devastated-dollar <<

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