Giampiero Venturi)
08/05/16

http://www.difesaonline.it/geopolitica/tempi-venturi/libia-senza-pace-dietro-ai-raid-usa-c%C3%A8-il-falso-problema-dellisis

The start of the American bombing in Sirte against the forces of the Caliphate helps to provide a simplified and biased reading of the Civil War. On the one hand terrorism, on the other those who fight.

The configured actual scene today is fundamentally different and it describes a country prey to chaos and violence.

We start from the latest news from the field, according to data provided by Africom, from August 1, thanks to the US raid two tanks were destroyed, five armored vehicles and an unspecified number of defensive positions of the Islamic State. In the Libyan context upgrade leaves things as they are.

The political significance is instead the Italian confirms to pay the bases for US operations: repeats essentially the Unified Protector setting of 2011, with the final objective but different from the developments if possible even more confused.

The American raid covered by the general downsizing plan of the Islamic State, since the beginning of 2016 (election year) unequivocally initiated in both Syria and Iraq. On possible prospects following the neutralization of the Caliphate, however, they remain dense clouds. What it is dramatically eluded the international media is that the real problem to solve in Libya is not the presence, among others marginal, but ISIS effective national reconciliation, to date essentially impossible.

In this regard it has a certain political value with a car bomb killing of 28 soldiers in Benghazi General Haftar, strong man of Tobruk government. The attack was claimed by the Shura Council of the city, in other words by the Islamist militias to sign contends Haftar control of the second city of Cyrenaica.

The army of General Haftar is Egypt armed and even sometimes in contrast to the same political Tobruk which is officially the armed wing, is today the only force in Libya openly sided against all Islamic fundamentalist groups, without distinction : both Alba Libyan grouping Islamists now integrated in the government recognized by the UN Al Sarraj, both ISIS. In addition there are the terrorists of Ansar al-Sharia, considered among the groups

most radical fundamentalists.

As repeatedly noted on this column, the alliances that characterize the Libyan civil war are not based on ideological assumptions, nor politicians, but of soldiers conveniences of the moment. Along with government forces fighting Al Serraj militias of Misrata, jealous of their antigheddafiana origin, but whose level of penetration of Islamic fundamentalism there is little clarity. The same forces of Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi and in the present war against Tobruk, not hiding to fight alongside Tripoli.

At present the militia of the Caliphate, perched around the Ougadougou center buildings in Sirte, the birthplace of the former Libyan dictator, are under attack by the forces of Tripoli recognized internationally as a regular army, the militias misuratine and, at least until yesterday , the general Haftar, former CIA but fell out of favor in Washington. To all this must be added the American raids in recent days, and the ground-rattling.

Possible and probable loss of the Caliphate on Libyan soil would actually be the solution to a false problem. Beyond the objective reached to feed to the media, would in any case the problem of Islamization of the institutions of Tripoli, the role of Tobruk and the absolute fragmentation of the national territory. Especially the looting of energy resources and the control of mass migration phenomena by criminal cartels, would remain unchanged.

Off the Libyan coast, in the Sicilian Channel, meanwhile crosses the amphibious warship USS Wasp and Sigonella base increases the comings and goings of US marines.

Pending developments in the political and military framework remember once again the prophetic threat of Gaddafi, dated 2011: "After me, chaos".

(Photo: GNA Army-Alalam)

Read also:

Libya: what the newspapers do not tell

The future unity of Libya is just an illusion

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IZAKOVIC