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On March 31st, the EU launched its CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) military operation in the Mediterranean, called Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, and its aim is to enforce the UN embargo on weapons deliveries to Libya.
“Only political solutions and the full respect of the UN arms embargo will bring a solution to the Libyan crisis. But diplomacy cannot succeed unless it is backed by action. This operation will be essential and a clear contribution to promoting peace in our immediate neighbourhood through a permanent ceasefire,” said Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and President of the Council.
There is also a hype video for the operation:
The core task is, as mentioned above, to implement the UN arms embargo through the use of aerial, satellite and maritime assets. In particular the mission will be able to carry out inspections of vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya suspected to be carrying arms or related material to and from Libya in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2292 (2016).
Its secondary tasks are the following:
- monitor and gather information on illicit exports from Libya of petroleum, crude oil and refined petroleum products
- contribute to the capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy in law enforcement tasks at sea
- contribute to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks through information gathering and patrolling by planes
IRINI will be led by Rear Admiral Fabio Agostini as EU Operation Commander, and its headquarters will be located in Rome, Italy.
It is planned for it to last one year, through to March 31st, 2021.
Turkish state outlet Anadolu Agency reported that there are critics of the operation.
“The EU has also been criticized for only patrolling the Mediterranean to prevent shipments of arms to Libya, while Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, continued to receive arms through Libya’s land border with Egypt, according to various reports.”
“IRINI is part of the solution, not the solution itself,” Borrell replied to journalists’ questions.
Notably, Turkey is supplying the Government of National Accord, the militants hired by it, the Turkish Armed Forces, as well as various fighters it has imported into Libya primarily through sea.
Thus, it would be unfair if the EU would stop the path for weapons supplies from Turkey for the GNA, but no impede supplies for Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) reportedly coming from Egypt and the UAE, among others.
Meanwhile, on the ground in Libya, the LNA and GNA are clashing around Tripoli.
A Turkish navy frigate fired upon a LNA unmanned aerial vehicle off the coast of Sabratha, near Tripoli.
#Libya– #Turkey Navy frigate sailing off coast of #Sabratha (55 km west of #Tripoli) reportedly fired (at least one) RIM-66E-05 SAM, supposedly against an #LNA UAV, which missed and landed near al-Ajaylat, just southwest of Sabratha pic.twitter.com/KAfvfUl3Jd
— Oded Berkowitz (@Oded121351) April 1, 2020
The GNA targeted LNA vehicles with UAVs.
#UMH hava kuvvetleri tarafından vurulan terör araçları#Libya. pic.twitter.com/XiAZ84DBpf
— Libya Febrayer TV (@TvFebruary) April 1, 2020
On April 1st, the LNA began pushing back, shelling the GNA headquarters near Husain cemetery in southern Tripoli.
الله أكبر ولله الحمد
خاص / سماع أصوات سيارات الإسعاف وبكثرة بعدما قامت مدفعية قواتكم المسلحة بإستهداف مقر لشركة نفط بداخله مرتزقة سوريين وتحديداً بجوار مقبرة سي حسين
وأعمدة الدخان لازالت تتصاعد حتى #الآن من المقر #طرابلس #ليبيا pic.twitter.com/R9d6AGXOzP
— سالم الشرقاوي (@agly1988) April 1, 2020
LNA and GNA had heavy clashes, as Haftar’s forces reportedly advanced on Aziziyah in southern Tripoli.
اشتباكات قوية وتقدم القوات المسلحة في منطقة العزيزية بتجاه مثلث ولاد تليس ورشفانة ..
— غصة الخوارج (@LiBya_73) April 1, 2020
On April 2nd, the GNA reportedly targeted a LNA supply shipment south of Bani Walid.
عاجل | بركان الغضب: سلاح الجو استهدف 3 شحنات لحفتر جنوب بني وليد محملة بالذخائر وقذائف المدفعية وصواريخ الجراد pic.twitter.com/YwEEc7jVgT
— ليبيا بانوراما (@lpc_ly) April 2, 2020
عاجل | بركان الغضب: سلاح الجو استهدف 3 شحنات لحفتر جنوب بني وليد محملة بالذخائر وقذائف المدفعية وصواريخ الجراد pic.twitter.com/YwEEc7jVgT
— ليبيا بانوراما (@lpc_ly) April 2, 2020
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The Tripoli battle is more boring than the COVID-19 quarentine…………..months winning or losing a few blocks…………………….
You are absolutely right
I wonder the winners should be.
As for several other places in the world, I would divide. Before the Italiens took over, the coastland was 2 emirates.
Of course a fanatical protester like yourself wants to divide yet another foreign nation.
Just what one would expect from a bunch like Pompous, Pence, Jones and Koresh.
Its very funny strange, You prefare to keep imperialistic structures for fx Libya made hard by Osmans and later Italians.
I want to divide back to how Libya was for many centuries being 2 sultanates named Tripolis and Bengazi. Below/South of them there also was tribe areas, where You even today has a belt, where arabs has named them as BARBARIANS.
They have several names below the arabic misted parts. I only remmeber Berber and Tuareg.
And Yes, there never was a Syrian country. Syria just as Assyria are Landscapes. In Syria there ws no Kurds. There was no Sulytan Murads and othe rTurkmen. They were in the old Aleeppo and Raqqa provinces, where half of them today are divvided into Turkey and Raqqa Province even has a part in Iraq.
I see Syria as French Neocolonialisme. They tryed to include Damaskus and as counterweight made a borderline along a railroad. The reason was not people living there but acces by a pipeline to Kirkuk not used since Saddam was given food for oil.
I even hear kurds has invaded those always more or less Kurdish areas. A lot of other bad thongs has happend there by killing by Osmans, Turks and Kurds. But that have been there longer then Turks in the whole Anatolia.
The only really invaders are the tribers named Shammers along Eufrat, Tigris and Khabour. They all are real arabs and came from the area, we now know as Saudi Arabia. Thats why ISIS got their main support even some has declined in that support and joining. Those tribers came in 2 waves in 1820 and 1820.
Look at the map. Where are Assads not???
Fuck off and throw yourself at the feet of your God, Queen Mags the fucking second.
She brings God to your side, sure.
I am a 100% sekular. I do respect some people has need for some support from their Gods.
Secular, while you claim God to be a royal on earth?
You cannot be secular, while claiming God is on your side, boy.
Doesn’t Mr Borrell know that we have heard this talk of promoting peace before? Does the new improved peace promoting include a ban on Turkish weapons and imported terrorists from Syria? probably not.
It’s clear that things aren’t going too well for the invaders of Libya. Libya will soon be free, UN, EU shysters must be gutted. No more paydays.
Has anyone else noted the name of the operation?
Operation irony.
May I add “irine” means “peace” Like so many war operations are named,yep the irony….
The operation name is irini that means peace in Greek . What an irony for a war operation and an operation with Greek name and without Greece to participate.
Italy asked Greece to no take part in the op.!!..wtf?
What do you expect from idiots?
Probably so as to not further inflame their relations with Turkey. If Greece were involved it would worsen the situation on their own border.
It’s disturbing how the EU acts as though it has it’s own military, it doesn’t. They are European national militaries and the EU must never be allowed to control them.