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Opposition Forces Advance Around Tripoli

Edward Yeranian

   CAIRO - Libya's eastern military commander, GeneralKhalifa Hafter, who
   began a fresh push to try to capture Tripoli during the past several
   days,was reported Saturday to have advanced in and around the city.

   Amateur video on Arab TV channels appeared to show forces loyal to
   Haftermoving onseveral strategic locationsin the capital.

   Saudi-ownedAl Arabiya TV, which supports Hafter,said his forces had
   captured the suburb of Ain Zara, as well as a militia base under the
   control of forces loyal to the Tripoli government of Prime
   MinisterFayez al-Sarraj.VOA could not independently confirm the claims.

   Sarraj'sinteriorminister,FathiBashaga,told Turkish media that his
   forces were capable of defending Tripoli, but he complained that Hafter
   was receiving military helpfromthe Russian mercenaryWagner Group,Egypt
   and the United Arab Emirates.

   However, the spokesman for Hafter's forces, ColonelAhmedAlmasmari,
   decried what he called Turkish intervention in the conflict.

   He said Libya wanted to tell the world that Turkey hadsent weapons
   andwas storing them in civilian areas of the Islamist
   militia-controlled port city of Misrata, and that his forces would not
   target them nowbecause ofthe civilian nature of the area but could do
   so in the future.

   KhattarAbouDiab, who teaches political science at the University of
   Paris, toldVOA thatSerrajwas trying to encourage Turkey to intervene
   more forcefully in the conflict, but that he doubtedAnkara wouldgo
   further than sending weapons.

   He saidthreats of Turkish intervention werenot based on reality because
   U.N. sanctions on Libya likely would make Ankara think twice about
   doing more than sending weapons and some advisers.
   AbouDiabnoted that"the U.S. is worried about Russian intervention in
   Libya, and is hesitant about supporting Hafter, while France, Egypt,
   Russia and the UAE have been supporting Hafter since his first attempt
   to capture Tripoli in April."

   "Italy," he added, "was initially hostile to Hafter, but has become
   less so recently."
   Russian Middle East analyst YevgeniSidrovtoldAl Arabiyathat "Turkish
   talk about intervening in Libya is mostly for internal consumption." He
   doubtedAnkara would intervene without clearing the move with Moscow,
   which he saidwould never agree to it.

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