By Bonnie Kristian, RealClearDefense: “This evacuation allows us to recognize that however well-intended, U.S. military intervention in Libya has done more harm than good."
By Paul Taylor, Politico EU: “Like the police captain in “Casablanca” feigning outrage at gambling in Rick’s Café before being handed his winnings, France was “shocked, shocked” to find that the Libyan generalissimo whose forces it has covertly helped arm and train was marching on Tripoli."
UN envoy Ghassan Salame met on Monday with Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui during a visit to Tunis to discuss the crisis in neighboring Libya. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the two stressed the need to reach a political solution to end the crisis. Meanwhile, Egypt is hosting two emergency meetings today on the situations in Sudan and Libya. African leaders will focus on “relaunching a political process … [and] the elimination of terrorism” in Libya, the Egyptian presidency said. The spurt of diplomacy comes as eastern commander Khalifa Hifter's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army appeared to slow down its push on the capital Tripoli this week as the civilian toll in the fighting has topped 264 deaths and more than 32,000 civilians have been displaced. Read More
Trump Backed Haftar's Attack on Tripoli, U.S. Officials Say
By Samer Al-Atrush & Jennifer Jacobs & Margaret Talev, Bloomberg: “President Donald Trump indicated in a phone call with Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar last week that the U.S. supported an assault on the country's capital to depose its United Nations-backed government, according to American officials familiar with the matter."