Britain’s push for a UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Libya has been derailed, with both the United States and Russia declining to support the measure.
A closed door meeting on Thursday ended with no agreement on a draft
resolution. Britain’s text heavily criticized Khalifa Hafter, and blamed him fully for the fighting. Russia objected to that portion of the text.
The US opposition is a lot less clear, as they gave no public reason for
why they objected to the resolution. They also declined comment to the
media after the closed-door meeting.
Though the US isn’t publicly backing Hafter, several key regional
allies, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates,
are. Hafter also has a history of working for the CIA, and some reports
have suggested the US was keen on enhancing his power as a way to
resolve the current fighting.
US, Russia Derail UN Call for Libya Ceasefire
Russia rejects blaming Hafter, US won't say why they oppose it
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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