Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Experts: Egypt seeks to install a government loyal to it in Benghazi

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Libyan political analyst Salah Bakkush has said that the Egyptian bombing of certain positions in the Libyan city of Derna is not new and that it is part of an Egyptian plot to conquer Libya and divide it and then install a puppet government that is loyal to Egypt.
Bakkush discounted the significance of the Egyptian air strikes on Libya and the impact they have had on Libya Dawn or on the internal balance of power.
He said: "There are no obvious military targets for the Egyptian planes inside Libya nor for the international alliance that is being set up. It is likely that the aerial strikes in the east may give Haftar an opportunity to advance across the territory but it will not lead to bringing down the salvation government in Tripoli nor will it change the situation there."
Bakkush also said that there are many reports about the entry of Egyptian armoured vehicles into eastern Libya. He said: "These Egyptian troops may endeavour to occupy Benghazi and may install a government loyal to the coup in Egypt and that may result in effectively partitioning Libya."
As for the anticipated scenario in Libya, Bakkush said: "It is clear to all parties know that the Libyan revolution is coming under a brutal offensive from several internal, regional and international parties. It is also clear that Haftar does not want the Tubruk parliament or the government of Al-Thani. He now insists on a military council and on suspending the constitutional declaration."
He believes that it is clear that the Egyptian government has already decided to bring down the revolution and install a regime loyal to it in the Libyan east so as to resolve its own internal problems.
Repercussions of the intervention in Libya
Algerian security expert Karim Moulai said that the video that was released showing the execution of the Egyptian Copts in Libya is part of a multi-party intelligence scenario aimed at turning public opinion in North Africa against an artificial jelly like enemy with the aim of eradicating what has remained of the symbols of the Arab revolutions in Libya and empower new pro-West political leaders that are loyal in particular to France.
Moulai explained that the operation of the killing of the Egyptian Copts in Libya is full of gaps and question marks. The first point is that this is the first time Egyptian Copts are kidnapped although there are hundreds of Egyptians of various affiliations and denominations in Libya.
The second point, according to Moulai, is that the kidnapping took place more than two months ago in the city of Sirt, and this happened in Sirt alone and nowhere else. Since then, he added, the media was mobilised and the climate set for what became the end, which he described as "dramatic and comic". He said this play was perfected with excellence in order to provide the political and popular cover for gaining international legitimacy in prelude to a military intervention in Libya.
He added that whoever looks closer and with an inspecting eye at the course of events, whether with regard to the date of kidnapping more than two months prior to killing them or with regard to the propagation of the news of their murder last Thursday followed by the release of the video on Sunday, and then the initiation of the Egyptian military move and the bombing of civilian targets in Dirna on Monday, the conclusion is that this is all an endeavour aimed at drawing the ruling authorities in Tripoli toward an open war that will definitely not be equal taking into consideration the tilted balance of power in favour of the internationally supported Egyptian forces.
Moulai believes that the real objectives of what he called the "comic play of the execution of the Egyptian Copts in Libya", were further exposed on Monday when Cairo and Paris signed a military deal according to which Egypt will take delivery of 24 Rafael fighter planes and a war ship worth $5.2 billion to be paid by the United Arab Emirates. He added that this is done with one objective in mind, namely aborting the change in Libya under the banner of fighting terrorism.
He also noted that the bombing of civilian targets by the Egyptian regime in Libya is considered to be a stark breach of its agreement with the Algerian regime.
Moulai did not rule out the possibility that Algeria might intervene in Libya too in order to protect its own interest against any Egyptian expansion into the region and in order to prevent the implementation of a scenario that may marginalise the role of Algeria in the African coastal states as he put it.

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