Ливийское Сопротивление, Что происходит в Ливии?

Understanding Libya   

Interview with Alexandra Valiente

Posted by Alexandra Valiente

on May 24, 2016     May 24, 2016

By Hugo Turner and Alexandra Valiente

https://libya360.wordpress.com/2016/05/24/understanding-libya-part-ii-interview-with-alexandra-valiente/

Understanding Libya

Part I: An Interview with Alexandra Valiente
By Hugo Turner and Alexandra Valiente

Introduction

In 2011 Libya, the most prosperous democracy in Africa, was targeted for destruction. Terrorist death squads were unleashed upon the nation. A NATO bombing campaign destroyed the country and plunged it into chaos. NATO’s death squads seized control of most of the oil-rich territory, although 5 years later, the Libyan people continue to resist. After the 2011 NATO assault, accurate information about what has been going on in the country is very rare. Thus I decided to turn for help to Alexandra Valiente, one of the few in the west who continues to follow events closely and who has contacts inside the country. She is the editor of the Jamahiriya News Agency and Viva Libya websites which cover events in Libya. She is also the editor of Libya 360 (devoted to news and resistance movements in Africa and Latin America) Syria 360 and Revolutionary Strategic Studies. You can follow her on twitter @libya360 and @jamahiriyanews. She generously agreed to do an interview with me on the current situation in Libya and so below I present the first part of our conversation.

HT
Who are the Green Resistance? As Libyans continue to reject the new order could you discuss some of the activities of the Green Resistance in the years since 2011?

AV
During the NATO war, the Libyan people valiantly withstood empire’s barbaric, criminal “Operation Unified Protector” for close to 9 months. The heroic men, women and youth that fought in defense of their nation were the Green Resistance.

Since 2011, the Resistance has been organizing, dissolving and reconstituting itself as it evolves into a very powerful bloc of sister organizations which operate both from countries where exiles found asylum after the war as well as from bases within Libya.

Although there may be differences of opinion regarding the best way to resolve the current crisis, all are unified in their commitment to liberate the country from foreign occupation and terrorism, restore the rule of law via the people’s army, the people’s police force and an uncorrupted judiciary.

Establishing national sovereignty, rebuilding, restoring the nation’s infrastructure, returning wealth from resources to the people, providing the necessities of life (housing, education, medical care, nourishing food, clean water) ensuring prosperity for all, are vitally important.

It has been estimated that the cost of rebuilding what NATO destroyed will exceed $500 billion USD.

Not least of priorities is healing the wounds of war, addressing societal divisions in order to reach equitable, mutually beneficial solutions for all parties.

The country must not be divided – its integrity must be maintained.

The Resistance

-have a broad base of support both within and outside Libya.

-is representative of all of Libyan civil society as well as military and intelligence, lawyers and judicial officials, academics and scholars, tribal leaders – professionals in literally all fields of endeavor.

-have a broad support base among other revolutionary organizations and nations.

Reading the Libyan Popular National Movement’s statement on organizational structure, you can see the framework of a government is in place.

LPNM website:

‎الحركة الوطنية الشعبية الليبية‎

The same structure is present in the Libyan National Assembly.

LNA website:

‎التجمع الوطني الليبي‎

The self-governing element is seen in all branches of the Resistance, which has its foundation within the ideology of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya that emerged from the Al Fateh Revolution, and further back into the historical heart of the ancient tribes (approximately 140 in the Libyan family).

The Resistance are a force that cannot be disregarded. However the UN and media have attempted to minimize their significance, portraying them as “a disorganized group of Gaddafi loyalists”, this is far from fact.

Nothing in Libya can change, move forward, progress or heal, without the direct participation of the tribes and the Resistance. As every Libyan is a member of a tribe, the Resistance cannot be viewed as a separate entity from the tribes.

Today (April 22) the Libyan Popular National Movement issued a statement reaffirming their rejection of foreign interference. The LPNM have always rejected dialog with the UNSMIL. What is important to understand in this latest statement is that they also reject intra-Libyan dialog that is not preceded by the release of all political prisoners.

Without activation of the Amnesty Law, there is no foundation upon which to heal divisions or rebuild the nation.

HT:
- Gaddafi’s death marked a major psychological blow to the Resistance.

AV:
- His death galvanized the Resistance, inspiring deep commitment to the struggle.

HT:
- Despite the terrible danger, Libyans have been forming human rights groups to demand an end to rule by death squads. What can you tell us about this?

AV:
- Human Rights organizations have always existed in Libya. Since the 2011 war they have been forced to work from headquarters based in neighboring countries. Those who attempted to work in Libya have been abducted, detained, tortured. Many have been murdered. Their role in exposing details of widespread human rights abuses occurring across the entire country has been invaluable.

The NCHRL (National Commission for Human Rights in Libya) published daily reports on activities of militias and da’esh, ongoing persecution of African refugees, black-skinned Libyans, collective punishment of civilians that resist militia rule, the status of political prisoners and regular alerts of humanitarian emergencies.

They openly criticized UN efforts to create a government of accord as it became clear in the process of drafting the Shirkat Agreement that the unity government would not end human rights abuses, but instead grant full immunity to violators.

Since the December, 2015 abduction and detention of NCHRL members by Tripoli militias, the flow of verified news has diminished. Neither do we know the fate of this organization’s members. Their silencing has been a terrible loss.

‎اللجنة الوطنية لحقوق الانسان بليبيا‎

HT:
- How would you describe the two governments?

AV:
- Since the situation is shifting rapidly with the recent arrival of the UN-appointed government of accord (unity government) the best approach to this question is a simple summary of events.

It is important to emphasize that since the 2014 election, neither the GNC nor the HoR have contributed in any way to rebuilding the country or providing for the Libyan people. Both have shirked responsibility for the plague of terrorism, human rights abuses, militia violence, impunity and disregard for the rule of law. Both have sanctioned human rights violations, torture, mock trials and executions carried out for purposes of political revenge. Neither has there been any progress on the creation of a constitution. Both have served Western interests exclusively.

The GNC, an Islamist group, came to power in 2012, replacing the NTC. Its main task was to create a constitution – a task at which it proved to be an abysmal failure. Being fragmented and conflict-ridden from its inception, the GNC were forced to call an election for June 25, 2014. Less than 14 % of the population in Libya and 1% of Libyans living abroad, actually voted.

The House of Representatives was then slated to replace the GNC August 4, 2014 and continue the task of creating a constitution. At this point, the GNC, backed by Islamist militias, reclaimed power, establishing their base in Tripoli.

Through violence (assaults, abductions, assassinations) the HoR were forced to abandon Tripoli and establish its home in Tobruk.

Neither the GNC or the HoR recognized the legitimacy of the other. But the “international community”, comprised predominantly of NATO member nations and the UN, declared the HoR the sole legitimate government.

Their status as Libya’s “internationally recognized” government continued until the UN-created and supported government of accord arrived in Tripoli (with the help of the Italian navy) at the end of March. Not being acknowledged by either the GNC or the HoR, they were forced to work from a secured location inside a Tripoli naval base.

Following Martin Kobler’s meeting with Abdelhakim Belhaj and other Islamist militia leaders in Istanbul, the GNC relinquished power and endorsed the unity government.

Kobler met secretly with officials from Tobruk’s HoR on April 19, and the next day they gave their vote of confidence to the GoA.

Based on Kobler’s assertion that the HoR’s approval was the pivotal requirement for the full activation of the GoA, the Libyan people’s response to this move will be crucial.

Kobler admitted on April 12 that the government of accord existed only on paper. This is still true and in the absence of elections, that paper is worthless. The UN cannot create, impose, then legitimize a government. It does not have the legal authority to do so. Only the Libyan people, by a fair and free election, where every citizen is allowed to participate, and any person, regardless of tribe or political affiliation, can run for office, can decide who governs.

HT:
- Once again outside powers are installing a handpicked government. Do you think Libyans believe it has much legitimacy?

AV:
- No. They see it for what it is; a foreign body created to recolonize the country, destroy Libyan sovereignty and establish a base of operation for the Muslim Brotherhood.

HT:

-  I understand you have a correction to make to a comment made on our first interview.

AV:

- Yes. Recall that on April 12, Martin Kobler admitted that the Government of Accord (GoA) existed only on paper without the approval of the internationally recognized House of Representatives (HoR).

I said that April 19th the HoR had given a vote of confidence to the GoA, but that was only conditional. In addition to demands for amendments to legal documents, they required a meeting with the GoA in Tobruk. This frustrated foreign powers anxious to instate the regime, as the GoA were unable to travel beyond Tripoli, even under the protection of their militias – and inside Tripoli they required constant guard.

HT:

- So the HoR never acknowledged the legitimacy of the GoA?

AV:

- No.The President of the HoR, Ageela Saleh, continues to extend the invitation for dialog, but his requests are ignored.

Because the HoR never acknowledged the GoA, by the United Nations’ guidelines, in accord with international law, the unity government remains illegitimate, regardless of what occured in Vienna. Nonetheless, the day after the Vienna meeting, Fayez Serraj, head of the Presidential Council (PC), activated the GoA, declaring the Tobruk parliament and the Libyan National Army in its current form, obsolete.

HT:

- What happened in Vienna?

AV:

-The Vienna meeting was the catastrophic finale, a masterful propaganda event jointly chaired by US secretary of state, John Kerry and Italian foreign minister, Paolo Gentiloni. Twenty nations were co-conspirators in the coup d’état that declared an illegitimate government legitimate and formalized the permanent foreign occupation of Libya. They placed terrorists in power and committed arms and funds to terrorist militias (Presidential Guard) tasked to protect the regime.

HT:

- Who are the Presidential Guard and what does this mean in terms of legitimizing extremist militias?

AV:

- In our earlier interview I referred to concerns expressed by human rights organizations, lawyers and the Resistance regarding the Shirkat Agreement (December17,2015). They warned that the unity government would not end human rights abuses, but grant full immunity to violators.

The Libya Political Agreement (LPA – Skhirat) is also referred to in the Vienna communiqué. The LPA included the disarming and dismantling of militias. However, since the GoA arrived in Tripoli, extremist militias operating under the “Libya Dawn” umbrella, were assigned to guard the PC. Simultaneously, Martin Koebler met in Istanbul with commanders of these militias, including al Qaeda’s Abdel Hakim Belhadj, to finalize power-sharing arrangements that would define their function under the regime. The plan was to replace the Libyan National Army (LNA) with the Presidential and National Guard.

HT:

- What can you tell us about the assassination campaign against members of the Libyan National Army?

AV:

- Regarding the Istanbul meetings held under the auspices of Turkish intelligence, Arabs of London published a detailed exposé. Khaled al-Sharif of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) proposed the assassination campaign targeting officers of the Libyan National Army as a means of neutralizing opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood’s usurpation of Libya. Since then, many members of the army in Tripoli have been killed. It is no coincidence that da’esh are carrying out the same campaign in Sirte.

HT:

- How have the people responded?

AV:

- The Vienna meeting took place at a time when the country was in the midst of escalating crisis; the advance of da’esh on several fronts, a humanitarian disaster, hospitals and clinics closed due to lack of equipment, medicine and supplies, people impoverished, displaced and food scarce.

Military operations conducted by the Tribes and Libyan National Army were underway to liberate Sirte while the campaign to clear Benghazi of terrorist elements continued and battles for Derna and Misrata intensified. Bani Walid, under threat from da’esh, was on high alert, yet its people extended the warmest welcome to thousands of refugees fleeing Sirte who escaped before all routes in and out of Sirte were closed.

In the face of these and other enormous challenges, people from every region of the country have made their rejection of the unity government and the Muslim Brotherhood coup d’état known. There have been widespread demonstrations. The people stand behind the Libyan National Army, demand the dismantling of militias, support efforts to combat terrorism and reject foreign interference. The HoR continue to function. The Libyan National Army operate under the authority of the HoR. In the Sirte operation, they have refused to cooperate with the Presidential Guard. The Tribes have their own security arrangements with regards to territorial defense and the liberation of Sirte. They are working with the LNA’s “unified command center”, independent from the GoA and their terrorist militias.

HT:

- How do you think the Resistance will respond to the current situation?

AV:

- The Resistance stands with the Tribes and the people.

HT:

- What impact will installing a Muslim Brotherhood government in Libya have on the region?

AV:

- A massive expansion of the war theater, an escalation of terrorism, weapons smuggling and human trafficking throughout Africa and the Middle East. In my view, the various organizations working within the Muslim Brotherhood network differ in degree but not in kind. There can be no effective end to terror without dealing with the spectre of the Muslim Brotherhood in its entirety.

HT:

- Could you discuss the human rights situation in Libya?

AV:

- Advances in securing the release of some political prisoners came solely through the dedicated work of the Tribes. Neither the Tripoli nor Tobruk governments exerted any effort to improve the human rights situation or relieve civilian suffering. Now that the GoA have been placed in power, human rights will further deteriorate. The fact that terrorist militias in Tripoli have been granted immunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity and ongoing human rights violations is an indicator of what the future holds under the GoA.

HT:

- What do you think the future holds for Libya?

AV:

- Libya has been at war since the beginning of the NATO invasion of 2011. It is not a civil war as Stratfor-sourced reports would have people believe. It has always been a struggle for removal of occupation forces and foreign multinationals exploiting Libya’s resource wealth. It has been a war against terrorism; terrorism brought to Libya by NATO.

Now that struggle will become more focused and aggressive.

Because of the irrepressible spirit, courage, dignity and resilience of the Libyan people, I have no doubt that they will overcome all obstacles in their path and successfully liberate their country from terrorism and foreign occupation.