Gaddafi's home town falls to Islamic State in anarchic Libya

[bemildred]

Standing guard at his frontline post, Libyan soldier Mohammed Abu Shager can see where Islamic State militants are holed up with their heavy weaponry less than a kilometer away.

The militants have effectively taken over former dictator Muammar Gaddafi's home city of Sirte as they exploit a civil war between two rival governments to expand in North Africa.

"Every night they open fire on us," said Abu Shebar, who with comrades on Sirte's western outskirts holds the last position of troops belonging to one of the two warring Libyan governments, the General National Congress, which controls the capital Tripoli and most of the west of the country.

"They are only active at night," he said, pointing to the militants' position in a house just down the road blocked by sandbags. He sleeps in a shed next to his firing positions where used tank shells litter the ground.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/us-libya-security-insight-idUSKBN0O610M20150521

Edit: one thinks of Mad Max here, rival gangs controlling bits of turf and fighting over fuel and weapons.

[MisterP]

1. We came, we saw, he DIED!

maybe Clinton can take that little bit on tour with the USO at Lampedusa

[Jefferson23]

2. Who benefited? Not hard to answer. n/t

[Jefferson23]

3. New leak alleges plan for Egypt and UAE to arm Libya campaign

A fresh alleged leak claims to shed new light on efforts by top-level Egyptian officials to transfer large amounts of weaponry to an anti-militia campaign in Libya.

Egyptian satellite channel Mekameleen, known for its support for the banned Muslim Brotherhood, aired on Thursday the latest in a series of recordings allegedly leaked from the office of current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Six recordings aired on the Turkey-based channel claim to reveal close ties between Sisi’s office and Emirati army generals together facilitating transfers of large quantities of ammunition and weaponry to Libya's general Khalifa Haftar.

According to the recordings, Egyptian officials worked with counterparts from the UAE to deliver weapons to an anti-militia campaign in neighbouring Libya run by Haftar, who is commander of the armed forces for the Tobruk-based government.

One of the voices heard on the recordings is said to be that of General Essa al-Mazrouei from the UAE – the voice is heard arranging a shipment to be sent from the UAE to an eastern port in Egypt, and from there to an undisclosed location in Libya.

- See more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/new-leak-alleges-plan-egypt-and-uae-arm-libya-campaign-689223947#sthash.FZp4QlA6.dpuf

[bemildred]

4. Yes. I think al Sisi would like to get more involved, but he has his hands full.

The King wants him to invade Yemen, and he's got an insurgency in the Sinai already. But Haftar would be their kind of guy.

[jakeXT]

5. A man from Langley told Sisi to help a fellow Virginian out

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/128105/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-Sisi-meets-CIA-chief-Brennan-in-Cairo-.aspx


http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/04/04/libya.rebel.leader/

[bemildred]

6. Yep.

I'll be al Sisi really misses Gadhaffi. Libya is like a bleeding sore on his left flank, and they usually like to think of Libya as their "back yard".