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On March 16th, the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported that in the previous days, the UAE had carried out illegal aviation fuel shipments to Haftar’s forces.
“In the last few days there has been an illegal shipment of aviation fuel into Libya. NOC has informed the UN, GNA and numerous other governments of these clear violations to UN resolutions and Libyan laws.“
The reported shipment of fuel Benghazi port is a breach of the UN arms embargo relating to Libya, a contravention of the internationally agreed exclusivity of NOC relating to fuel imports, an infraction of the vessel quarantine protocol, and contrary to international law.
The Libyan National Oil Corporation revealed that the #UAE is sending aviation fuel to the areas controlled by #Haftar’s forces
The statement indicated that the shipment arrived in #Benghazi from the UAE on board Gulf Petroleum 4 pic.twitter.com/pVnQ1BGh8y
— SMM Libya (@smmlibya) March 19, 2020
The shipment came from the UAE to Benghazi on a ship called Gulf Petroleum 4 and has been in Benghazi port for a number of days.
NOC recalled that the UAE had issued an international statement in September 2019, containing the following:
“We fully support Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) as the country’s sole independent, legitimate and nonpartisan oil company. Now is the time to consolidate national economic institutions rather than break them apart. For the sake of Libya’s political and economic stability, and the well-being of all its citizens, we exclusively support the NOC and its crucial role on behalf of all Libyans.
The actions of the UAE appear to be in stark contradiction to its words.
NOC Chairman Sanalla said, “Despite extreme hardships caused by illegal blockades on Libya’s oil facilities, NOC has been able to supply sufficient fuel to all parts of Libya, including the Eastern regions to meet all civilian needs, including civil aviation. The only reason I can think of for additional fuel to be imported in this illegal and clandestine way is that it is intended for other purposes.”
On March 18th, NOC released another report on the lower crude oil production in Libya. The current production is on its way to drop under 90,000 barrels per day.
“Forced restriction of production has resulted in financial losses exceeding 3,366,687,237 USD since January 17, 2020.”
Meanwhile, on the ground, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reported that Turkey had began paying lower salaries to militants who were sent from Syria to Libya, because they now number over 6,000.
SOHR: #Turkey lowered the salaries of #Syria mercenaries who were volunteered to engage the war in #Libya, as their number exceeded 6,000 pic.twitter.com/8W1I22R8oy
— SMM Libya (@smmlibya) March 19, 2020
The Government of National Accord reported that it is pushing back Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), in Ain Zara, south of Tripoli.
#عاجل |
مُراسل #الرائد : قوات الجيش الليبي بعملية بركان الغضب تصد تقدم لميليشيات حفتر على محور #عين_زارة، كان يقوده مرتزقة الفاغنر الروس.#ليبيا pic.twitter.com/oGlv8U7q8n— شبكة الرائد الإعلامية (@arraedlgplus) March 18, 2020
#Breaking_News
Media Center for the Operation Volcano of Anger: Heavy Army artillery targeted an Emirati armored vehicle of Hifter militias in Almatbat Street, as it attempted to infiltrate.#Libya pic.twitter.com/imRP6nAyDu— Arraed LG+ (@ArraedLG) March 18, 2020
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Turkey should beef up deployment to Libya to prevent the collapse of the GNA. Any Anti-wahhabi and anti American government in the Middle East is welcome development. the GNA is anti-America and anti-Wahabi. That is why they want it removed despite being the official government of Libya. Note the deafening silence of the West regarding the Libyan crisis. They only make a few vague criticism of Haftar but do nothing. They don’t want to openly voice their support for Haftar for fear of revealing their hypocrisy and make even their dumbest fans realized just how hypocritical they have become by supporting a rogue general against an internationally recognized government. The U.S installed the GNA, but they realized quickly that it was a mistake. That government understands what NATO did to Libya, and was becoming more and more uncooperative. Putin is making a big mistake supporting Haftar. Turkey can give up Syria to keep ties with Russia, but it won’t give up Libya. MORE TURKISH TROOPS TO LIBYA PLEASE. Turkey is falling out with the West pretty fast. It is a matter of national security for Turkey to find alternative sources of defense contracts (like China and Russia). Move away from the west. They will never do anything that will truly help a Muslim country.
Thankfully, Erdogan appears to be alert to this danger.
I agree. Erdogan should round up as many Syrian Nusra freedom-fighters from Idlib as possible and ship them to Libya. Hell, send the TIP there to die for Turkey, too. Then send a few hundred thousand ISIS family leftovers to Libya to ‘help rebuild democracy’, Turkish style. CIA-waterboy Haftar can keep killing as many as he wants. That means fewer returning to Syria.
Libya is already dead and finished as a country. It was one of our early U.S. eternal war, death and chaos projects. GNA or LNA – neither matters. Another warlord will show up in a couple of years to clean house, again.
Turkey will go broke propping up the GNA way before the UAE goes broke propping up the LNA. So I’m all in favor of Turkey throwing everything at Libya in a futile effort to save the GNA. Good luck with that, Smeagol!
You don’t understand that the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood and the Saudi Wahhabi are two sides of the same coin. They are both Salafist, or ‘ the original’, meaning they both believe in jihad, expanding the ‘faith’ by force of arms.
Yes the US installed the GNA, and had the UN support it to give it “legitimacy”. The US still supports the GNA, and its ‘Turkish friends’, even if it claims to support the LNA. They do this in order to keep them fighting, to keep Libya a ‘failed state’.
Haftar supports the elected government that was forced to flee Tripoli to Tubruk, when Al Qaeda seized the city after loosing the election. Haftar has only become rogue to American interests, the Tribal leaders support him, and Gaddafi’s son has thrown Haftar his support. Haftar holds 90 % of Libya’s territory, and stands the best chance of reuniting the country. After 10 years of warfare and chaos the people of Libya deserve peace.