Fighting continues to rage in Libya, as the UN-backed “unity government”
and the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) battle on the
outskirts of Tripoli.
This fighting has been going on for months, but attempts to get
negotiation going to try to resolve the situation aren’t really
happening either, with officials saying the US hasn’t committed itself to supporting a diplomatic settlement.
The US initially was backing the unity government. Egypt, the UAE, and
Saudi Arabia are all known to be backing and funding the LNA, however,
and it’s not surprising that after President Trump talked with Saudi
officials, he immediately shifted his stance and started publicly
endorsing LNA leader Gen. Khalifa Hafter, a former CIA asset.
While Trump and other US officials never disavowed the unity government,
since they started endorsing Hafter they also stopped calling for a
settlement to end the fighting. This has meant fighting has been ongoing
ever since, and Hafter remains determined to ultimately conquer the
country.
US Undermining Attempts to Start Libya Peace Talks
US not seen as supporting a diplomatic solution
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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