IT was only a matter of time before someone stepped in to fill the power vacuum in Libya. In this case it was a nationalistic retired general, Khalifa Hiftar, who had once led the nascent Libyan National Army, which was formed after the fall of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011. Last week Hiftar, who had led a rebel group against Qaddafi, declared war on radical Islamist militias that wreaked havoc for the last three years. He claimed that he had a mandate from the Libyan people and said that the national congress, the country’s Parliament and the government had lost legitimacy.
He chose to launch his campaign in Benghazi, the revolution’s birthplace, and his men waged war on Ansar Al-Shariah militia, which was responsible for acts that terrorized the local population and is blamed for the killing of the US ambassador in 2012. He had the support of the air force, which backed his ground assault that claimed more than 70 lives. On Monday the strategic airbase of Tobruk joined his campaign. The interim government accused Hiftar of staging a military coup and quickly declared a no-fly zone over Benghazi. But that order was ignored. The government is weak and has little or no influence over the armed forces. Hiftar refused to give in and insisted that the national congress, whose term had ended last February, was colluding with radical militias and of being dominated by Islamists.
And on Sunday a spokesman for the Libyan army in Tripoli read a communiqué on TV in which he announced a number of immediate measures; suspending the national congress, designating an emergency government and giving the 60-member constitutional committee limited legislative powers. He insisted that this was not a coup but a necessary intervention to safeguard Libya’s integrity. The measures would remain until elections are held and a new constitution is written. Al-Zintan brigades, allied with Hiftar, stormed the national congress and clashed with militias surrounding Tripoli. The government insisted that it was still in control. By Monday the situation remained unclear. The army said its move in Tripoli was in support of Hiftar, who again claimed that there was no coup. But unlike Egypt, Libya has no powerful army and it is doubtful that Hiftar’s gambit would succeed, in spite of the fact that he apparently had the support of the tribes in the eastern region of Burqa. This was the first attempt in post-Qaddafi Libya to wage war against dozens of rebel militias that are in control of various regions in the country, including some that are associated with Al-Qaeda. Hiftar’s move came in the wake of a series of recent assassinations and kidnappings. Last week Jordan’s ambassador in Libya was released after spending a month in captivity by a group believed to be linked to Al-Qaeda. The envoy was let go after Amman freed a convicted Libyan terrorist. Few days ago, Algeria pulled its ambassador from Tripoli fearing for his safety and Saudi Arabia followed suit on Monday.
Libya’s neighbors complained of attempts to smuggle weapons across the porous borders. Reports say Tunisia and Algeria have deployed thousands of troops along their borders with Libya.
In Tripoli itself controversy surrounded the election of a new prime minister, Ahmed Maiteeg, a businessman who is supported by the Muslim Brotherhood. He was supposed to name his Cabinet this week although many saw his election as fraudulent. The political process had stumbled many months ago and the country had missed deadlines to hold elections and write a new constitution. Moreover, the security situation had gotten worse and the government had little influence over militias controlling main oil terminals in the east. Still Hiftar’s initiative will be backed by many Libyans who are fed up with the state of chaos and lawlessness. The question is will he be able to unite his supporters, especially the powerful regional brigades and defeat radical militias? And what will be the US and European reaction to all this? The US had dispatched 200 marines to nearby island of Sicily only last week. Could Hiftar, who was exiled in the United States in the 1980s, have shared his plans with the Americans?
The risks for Libya are huge. The country is virtually bankrupt even though it is one of the richest countries in the world. The current showdown could encourage separatist in the oil-rich eastern province of Buraq (Cyrenaica) to push on with demands to cede from Libya. The chaos could lead to months if not years of civil war and that will cause Libya’s neighbors to feel jittery. On the other hand, Libya needs a strong leader and Hiftar has all the necessary credentials. This could be a watershed for Libya and the signs will become clearer in the coming few days.
