The stalemate between the GNC government of Omar Al Hassi in Tripoli and the Abdullah Thani government in Tobruk persists. The domestic political power struggle focused last week on winning the loyalty of the governor of Libya’s Central Bank, Seddik Omar Kabir. After the latter upheld his neutrality and halted the transfer of 80 million dollars, by his deputy, to Tobruk while he was away, the Tobruk parliament sacked Kabir and ordered an investigation by the prosecutor. The Tobruk decision is, however, without any impact given the fact that Tripoli and most of Libyan towns are under the control of the pro-GNC and Libya Dawn forces in Tripoli. Militarily, the Libya Dawn forces have managed over the weekend to take control of the neighbourhood around the military base near the Benina airport in Benghazi. It appears that the Libya Dawn forces in Benghazi are adopting the same tactics that won them the Battle of the Tripoli Airport, a month ago or so. Nevertheless, as long as the pro-Hafter forces control the Rajma military base, which overlooks Benghazi airport around 30 km away to the east, it would be difficult of the Dawn Libya forces to retain Benina airport if they manage to capture it. A decisive battle to control the Rajma military base is, therefore, looming. Tobruk and pro-Hafter forces could rely on air support from nearby Egypt. Observers suspect that the air strike against Ghariyan, a pro- GNC town, was undertaken by Egyptian and or Emirati air forces using the airstrip in Zintan. Ghariyan has played a key role in cutting the supply line of the Qaaqaa and Sawaiq militia during the Tripoli airport battle and the ongoing battles in Warshfana, west of Tripoli. On the diplomatic front, there is frenetic activity to reach a peaceful outcome to the current crisis in Libya. On one hand there is an elected parliament in Tobruk brandishing the legitimacy card and the war on terror internationally; and on the other hand, the GNC government in Tripoli flexing its muscles and the facts on the ground. Despite the weekend visit of the French minister of defence to Algiers to gather support for a military intervention in Libya, and rumours of logistics preparations at a French military airport in Ouzou, in Chad along the Libyan border it seems that Algiers is against a military solution. Italy, Malta, and Spain are busy trying to find a compromise between Tripoli and Tobruk. In the meantime, the Al Hassi government is trying to mend relations with the important Warfella tribe, in Bani Walid, in order to convince them to stay neutral and not join Tobruk.
http://www.libyaherald.com/2014/09/15/warplane-destroys-ghariyan-ammo-dump/#axzz3DTxThkDv
