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On April 27th, Libya National Army commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar announced that the country is to be led by the military.
Among other repercussions, U.S. mainstream media discovered the greatest one – this could give Russia “the upper hand,” if Haftar’s forces take control of the country’s oil-rich Eastern part.
Since Moammar Gaddafi was killed in 2011, and then the UN-supported Government of National Accord has been left enforcing its power through employing various militant groups, the Libyan National Army was the only one purging terrorist elements from various settlements throughout the country and returning normality to Libyans’ lives.
Of course, Haftar couldn’t have achieved any of this without the help of the mythical Russian Wagner PMC.
“They’re acting out on U.S. strategic interests in North Africa, but at the same time, doing it at a low cost, and if they mess up, then the Kremlin has plausible deniability,” an anonymous defense official told the Washington Examiner.
“They are likely banking on that if they come out on the winning side, that they’ll have access to lucrative port and mineral extraction deals, as well as have influence over a future government of Libya,” he added.
If Haftar was successful, Russia could allegedly benefit from a “whole host of economic and geopolitical advantages,” according to an unnamed senior defense official.
“It’s really about access in Libya for Russia, having access to the ports, to the oil, having a reason to be in the Eastern Med.,” the official told the Washington Examiner.
“When we talk about Russia, we have to be specific that it’s really the military contractors from Russia, the Wagner Group are there, and it’s really not the Russian government, the Russian military, that is in Libya,” he clarified. “When Russia is pressed by the United Nations on their influence and impact in Libya, they’re quick to say that they are not really present there.”
Ever since US African Command pulled its presence from Libya back in April 2019, Russia has been allegedly strengthening its presence there.
This is the opinion of Kimberly Marten, chairwoman of the political science department at Barnard College.
“There have been reports that they are people who are sharpshooters,” she said of the elite Wagner mercenaries operating on behalf of Haftar in Libya. “[They] have really been the pointy end of the stick, making a big difference in what Haftar is able to do.”
According to her Wagner is training military personnel, but could also be protecting oil fields.
“Libya is certainly a source of a lot of oil. A lot of that oil is located in locations where Haftar’s troops are based,” she said. “So, if we’re looking at an underlying Russian economic interest, it may end up being similar to what appears to be the underlying economic interest in Syria. It’s petroleum.”
The mythical PMC has been active in Libya since at least 2018, according to anonymous claims. There are even reports that in late 2019, Saudi Arabia funded more than 2,000 Wagner mercenaries to take and capture Tripoli, but it failed.
US leaving Libya was harmful to its interests in the region.
“By us not having a military presence in Libya, I mean, in a partner-building capacity or whatever, that does put us really far behind,” the senior defense official said. “From a military perspective, going back in would allow us to be engaged in training, as well as some U.S. influence on the activities within the government of Libya, as well as allows us to keep track of ISIS Libya and other groups.”
The senior defense official said that Russia’s presence in Libya is even more dangerous than the threat posed by ISIS remnants operating in the south of the country.
“We believe that there will be a need in the future, an opportunity for us to get back into Libya again, but it’s a little difficult to answer that given the current crisis ongoing there and uncertainties that we’re seeing in Libya,” he said.
With Russia supporting Haftar’s forces in eastern Libya and the U.S. supporting the U.N. recognized government in Tripoli, a military conflict between the U.S. and a thinly veiled Russian force depends on one man.
“That could be a place where U.S. and Russian forces come into conflict with each other,” Kimberly Marten said. “I think the big question here is, just how risk acceptant is Putin going to get?”
So, yes, the underlying issue in Libya was discovered, the legendary Wagner PMC and Russia is, once again, the most dangerous party, far surpassing ISIS terrorists who carry out frequent attacks on civilians and troops alike.
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More dangerous to whom? ISIS is western controlled, so Russian presence puts that whole operation at risk. So yes, to the Americans, the Russians are far more dangerous than ISIS.
ISIS is not western contrrolled at all. Somebody if possdible should learn You to control Yourself.
You must be highly censured.
Depends whether you consider the cia and Mossad Western or not…
More dangerous to CIA/mossadisis…
Everybosy else is there, so why not them too. Its already more dirty then, where our pigs live. Pigs also seemes brighter then many participaters in Libya and You.
Np offence dear pigs. Some pigs are brighter then others …
Stop taking LSD…
Unfortunately most Americans believe this nonsense. One sad country is the UnUnited States Of America.
Very optimistic- Most Americans dont care and are in the Trump level for Geografi as well.
USA let Europeans take over because they are the users of that black stuff.
Only an American can come to such an conclusion. I still remember the discussion I had with them about the abstract idea that somebody would invade the US, they could not grab the idea and go from there, until 9/11 happened and that why they where so from the world. What can they conclude when their complicide Erdogan is importing massive Islamic State terrorists, Al Shams, Nursa, Al Qauida, HTS, etc in the country to fight the only real power in Lybia. By the way most of Europe is supporting GNa because they are to cowardly to close their borders and rather give the GNA money to do the job, and they donot do it. What a mess, so beter the Russians then all those traitors.
Maybee You and others would understand more of it from who produced for Gafaffy and would like to produce for Europe as they used to.
As I reacall it, they did a good job even they also supported a fellow, which should have been removed many years before it happens.
The police and detectives say: If You will find the sinners, go after where the money move …
ISIS is nothing but a NATO proxie army ….that wahabi terrorist wear 3 costumes…”the moderate”: Free Syria/Libya army….”The terrorist”..Al Qaeda&Brands…”the murder Pychopaths”…ISIS.
Russians have no history there , no religious , national ties or whatsoever . What they are doing in Libya anyway ?
Cleaning up the mess you created…
Cleaning up the mess with flooding the country with mercs, weapons and involving into a fight which they dont actually have any dog in.
A better and more realistic reply would be ;
They are there to create another client state , and halt eastern mediterranean gas drilling so that they can determine gas prices in EU unilaterally and avoid competition.
Lybia was the most stable state and the second wealthiest on the African continent.
U.S., UK, France destroyed it.
As I said Russia is cleaning up to stabilize the region.
U.S. tried plunder it but failed.
They plundered Gaddafi’s gold.
The real terrorist is the Government of National Accord that is affiliates it self with Al-Qaeda militias, ISIS militias, Human traffickers (who are flooding Europe with thousands of illegal immigrants), internationally wanted criminals, prison escapees and SYRIAN MERCENARIES. The Libyan National Army under the command of Marshal Hafter is the only savior of the nation, fighting terrorists and criminals across the country and providing security for the areas that they liberate. I am a Libyan on ground and I can assure you this, no need for this BS analysis that serves a certain AGENDA (or whatever they aim for).
Who is funding Hafter? The “Syrian” mercenaries are in fact multi-national including Chechens and Afghanis. Young men can earn 10 times their normal daily wage by joining these gangsters.