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Libyan Gazette Weekly News Digest 07/18: “PM Sarraj must make a choice: Stand by those who empowered him or those who fight him

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News Digest
July 18, 2016

Your top stories from the past week:

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War on ISIS:

Ouagadougou Hall a Symbol of the Fall of Ghaddafi and Soon the Fall of ISIS(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Muammar Qaddafi has been killed in his home town of Sirte. It is ironic that ISIS choose Sirte as their base in Libya and Ouagadougou Hall as their headquarters. For months the Government of National Accord’s operation Albinyan Almarsous, that united armed groups and battalions in the fight against ISIS, has gained grounds and pushed …

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ISIS Fights Back to Keep Sirte(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) The siege imposed on ISIS in Sirte continues with the Government of National Accord (GNA) forces firing heavy artillery and airstrikes at ISIS on Tuesday according to an official. Rida Issa, a spokesperson for the Misrata brigade fighting against ISIS said, “Our forces have…targeted militants with artillery and air force around Ouagadougou complex, Ghiza Asskariya …

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As Sirte is freed of ISIS it is unclear where ISIS will go next(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Heavy artillery and air raids were fired today by the Government of National Accord (GNA) forces on targeted areas in Sirte where fighters of ISIS have based themselves since they were last pushed deeper into the city. The hardest stage in the operation against ISIS has been driving the fighters out of neighbourhoods with civilians. …

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Misrata Brigades Threaten to Withdraw Loyalty to GNA(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Forces loyal to the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) are saying they have neared the end of the battle with ISIS. The European Union (EU) along with the United States provided military support through training for GNA loyal armed groups and weaponry. Amidst Libya’s fight with ISIS hope sprang amongst GNA officials and the …

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Politics

Sources Say Haftar Behind Attempted Assassination of Libya’s Minister of Defense(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Libya’s Minister of Defense Mahdi Al-Barghathi survived an attempted car bomb assassination on Wednesday night in the eastern city of Benghazi. Four people were were injured, including two children, according to Khalil Qwaider, director of media office at Benghazi Medical Center. There has been conflicting statements about the cause of the explosion, with some claiming …

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Haftar’s Assassination Attempt of Libya’s Minister of Defense Jeopardizes His Remaining Power in the East(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) The Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Presidency Council were both born out of a Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) championed by the United Nations and signed by representatives from a broad range of Libyan society. Article VIII of the LPA requires that all powers of the senior military, civil and security posts stipulated in …

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Libyan Armed Forces Could be Regionalized Says Kobler(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Martin Kobler, the head of the United Nations envoy to Libya, said on Wednesday that the Libyan army could be decentralized in order to put an end to the political standstill surrounding the formation of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). In an interview with the Associated Press in Cairo, Kobler confirmed that there …

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PM Sarraj Reinforces His Office by Moving into Tripoli Headquarters

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) The UN-backed Libyan government moved into official offices in Tripoli on Monday after working out of a naval base in Tripoli for over 100 days. The decision to move came after three months since Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj accompanied by some members of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) was escorted into Tripoli by …

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PM Sarraj must make a choice: Stand by those who empowered him or those who fight him(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) The Government of National Accord (GNA) is facing a critical decision that may enable the final push against ISIS or risk the chances of freeing Libya from its worst enemy, ISIS. It has been reported for months that armed groups loyal to the GNA have been frustrated with Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj’s compromising strategy with …

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Migration

NATO’s Military Ships: Rescuing Refugees or Protecting Europe?(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) Tuesday’s rescue missions on the Mediterranean saved 945 refugees and migrants about 48 kilometers off Libya’s coast, reported the Italian coast guard. The first three missions were launched by Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), the Italian Coast Guard and the Italian Navy with assistance from two humanitarian groups known as Emergency and Doctors Without Borders. …

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Libya refugee crisis worst since World War II

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) On Tuesday the Italian coast guard reported a total of about 500 people were rescued from three separate rescue missions about 20 kilometers off Libya’s coast. The total number of deaths has yet to be confirmed. Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), a Maltese humanitarian organization, reports to have rescued 400 refugees who were crammed into …

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NATO to Join Forces with EU to Halt Flow of Refugees into Europe(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) The announcement was made by Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary general, during the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland that took place this weekend. “We have decided to transform operation Active Endeavour into a broader security mission called Sea Guardian”, Stoltenberg explained. Active Endeavour is a NATO operation created after the 9/11 attacks to secure the Strait …

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Business

Oil Ports Still at Risk Despite Talks to Reopen

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff) The brigade guarding two main oil ports is in talks with the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) about reopening the ports to begin exporting oil after production was halted in 2014. The Petroleum Facilities Guard, the brigade guarding the oil ports in Ras Lanuf and Es Sider led by Ibrahim Jathran are working towards …

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Opinion Pieces

Only a United Libya can Weaken ISIS’s Regional Presence for GoodBy: Dr. Anwar Elfeitori, Ambassador of Libya to Malaysia

Since 2014 the terrorist group Daesh, or ISIS, has come under increasing pressure in Iraq and Syria, prompting its members to encroach more and more onto Libyan territory with hopes of reviving themselves through a new branch in Libya. The disparate governing bodies that characterize my country’s continuously dissolving political situation must come …

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Expert Witness says Goldman is at Fault for the LIA’s Unsuitable Trades

ISIS Collecting Corpses of its Fighters in Sirte