Libya’s speaker reveals details of meeting with US ambassador

Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives. (AFP)
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Updated 12 August 2020
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Libya’s speaker reveals details of meeting with US ambassador

  • In an exclusive interview, Aguila Saleh tells Arab news Richard Norland backs plans for implementation of Cairo Declaration and formation of new government
  • The two men also discussed the resumption of oil exports, the prospects for a ceasefire, and plans to base the new Libyan administration in Sirte

CAIRO: Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, said that the resumption of oil exports, the situation in Sirte and the prospects for a ceasefire were among the subjects he discussed with American Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland during two days of talks in Cairo this week.

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Saleh said that they talked about the damage to Libya and other nations resulting from the oil blockade caused by the civil war in the country, and the need to ensure that revenue from oil exports do not end up in the hands of militant groups or foreign proxies.

They agreed that to prevent oil revenues being stolen or diverted, they should be held in the Libyan Arab Foreign Bank and not the Central Bank in Tripoli, until a new government is formed. Saleh said that Norland agreed that the headquarters of the new authority should be in the city of Sirte, protected by the Libyan army.

The hopes for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of militias and mercenaries were also discussed, along with UN talks that aim to accelerate negotiations for a political solution that could allow a new government and Presidential Council to be formed by September.

Arab News: What were the results of the meetings you held with the high-level US delegation in Cairo?

Saleh: I met the American ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, and we discussed a number of important issues (including) the attempt to convince the Libyan people to resume oil exports, because the current situation of the oil corporation is negatively affecting the countries that benefit from exports, as well as Libya itself.

It was agreed to keep oil revenues in the (Libyan) Arab Foreign Bank, to prevent them being seized from the Central Bank in Tripoli by mercenaries. As is known (disagreements between) members of the Presidency Council (have revealed) the extent of corruption in this sector … and therefore oil revenues will not be disposed of until after a new Presidency Council and government are formed.

AN: Was the situation in Sirte discussed? Will the Libyan National Army withdraw, as has been reported?

Saleh: We had a previous proposal that was discussed, which is that the city of Sirte be the location of the new authority, the Presidential Council and the government, so that those in the east and west come to it. (Norland) was convinced by this proposal, and the idea that the Libyan National Army would protect the state’s headquarters and institutions. He also backed a ceasefire agreed through the support of the UN and the US administration.

AN: Will the other side in the dispute, led by the Al-Wefaq government and Turkey, agree to a ceasefire?

Saleh: (Norland) promised to convince them and end this tampering that is destroying the Libyan state. I believe that the meeting with him went very well and he understood everything that I proposed for the implementation of the Cairo Declaration. This includes all the initiatives (required for) a political solution that spares Libya and its people from the dangers of war, (highlights) the importance of peace and rejects foreign interference.

AN: What is the role of the UN during the next stage? Has coordination and communication begun yet?

Saleh: We have asked the UN to supervise the restructuring of the Presidency Council and the government in the near future according to the Cairo Declaration, which won almost unanimous support from Libyans and all parties that support ending a war that they see as a loss for all. The belief is that what can be achieved in peace is much better than the continuation of the war.

AN: Has a US proposal to demilitarize Sirte and deploy international forces been discussed?

Saleh: This matter has not been discussed and we have not seen any proposal for the presence of state forces. Rather, the Libyan National Army will protect the city and the new headquarters of the authority.

AN: Who will choose the members of the new government and Presidency Council? Will it guarantee that the model employed by Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj, leader of the Government of National Accord, is not repeated?

Saleh: The government will choose the members of a dialogue committee formed by the House of Representatives and the State Council, known as ‘13+13’ in accordance with the Cairo Declaration.

It takes into consideration the three regions and, on that basis, a presidential council will be formed that consists of three members: the president and two deputies, one from each of the three regions.

Then, a prime minister will be assigned — from a region other than the one from which the president was chosen — and form a government that will submit its program to the House of Representatives for approval.

AN: Has a timetable for reaching this stage been agreed?

Saleh: We have agreed a timetable for the implementation of the stages of the Cairo Declaration. Meetings will be held with the UN from Aug. 16 to Sept. 16, until the new authority is formed. (Norland) supported this and confirmed his support for these dates.

AN: Can Al-Sarraj be convinced to support this?

Saleh: Al-Sarraj is not part of resolving the crisis. The solution is in the hands of both the House of Representatives and the State Council.

AN: How does Turkey explain its continued deployment of mercenaries and weapons to Misrata and Tripoli?

Saleh: The issue is about achieving interests, which will not be imposed on us by force. If Turkey wants to pursue its interests through peace, there is no disagreement. Consequently, we stressed to (Norland) the importance of the departure of mercenaries from Libyan land — and they have already started to flee.

We have previously assured the EU that the continuation of the Turkish war (in Libya) and an escalation will lead to great losses and damage to all of Europe. They are convinced of that and therefore they are keen for a calm and peaceful solution to be found, which is a way out of the current crisis for everyone.

AN: How do you view the Russian position on Libya? Are there any updates?

Saleh: I previously visited Russia and met Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. They are supportive of the Cairo Declaration and the vision of parliament, and they listened well to what we presented to them. Likewise, during my tour of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan.

I sensed that everyone supports a political solution and the Cairo Declaration, which is the culmination of all of the initiatives, including Berlin.

AN: Do you think that there is now a US-Russian consensus on Libya?

Saleh: Certainly, because everyone is convinced that their interests are best achieved through peace and not a war that hinders pumping oil.

AN: How do you explain the tone of the Al-Wefaq government, which continues to announce the importance of restoring Sirte and continuing the war?

Saleh: The Al-Wefaq government reached a dead end and did not present anything. Recently they started disagreeing with each other and making blatant accusations about corruption. Al-Sarraj cannot make decisions because they are supposed to be issued unanimously, but with his disagreement with his deputies, all his arguments are dropped.

This, in addition to the allegations of corruption, made recently by (Deputy PM Ahmed) Maiteeq, means Al-Sarraj cannot present anything. He is delegitimized in the eyes of the people and the members and the House of Representatives. He wants to continue in his position to implement what the Turkish regime wants.

AN: So the legitimacy in Libya now rests with the red line (as the strategic city of Sirte was described in June by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi) that must not be crossed to prevent the further escalation of hostilities?

Saleh: Certainly, the red line has resulted in avoiding escalation (and) played a major role in protecting the unity of Libya, its land and people. It is, in my estimation, a large and important (step) in reaching the peace that everyone seeks, in a crisis that has gone on longer than it should have.

Therefore the red line, announced by President El-Sisi, is considered a great effort to stop the bloodshed among Libyans and convince everyone that a political solution is better than continuing to fight. I consider it a historic position for Egypt and its leadership.

AN: Did you agree with Norland any plans for further rounds of talks?

Saleh: We agreed to continue the dialogue. The ambassador emphasized the interests of the American administration, which has intervened at the appropriate time — and it is a very important intervention.

It is expected that I will visit the US to speak before the American Congress and present to them the facts of the situation on the ground, and the vision of the Cairo Declaration and the implementation mechanism.

AN: What is the role of the Libyan House of Representatives during this stage? Will it meet soon?

Saleh: The council is ready to take any practical positions and there is no disagreement about the political solution. We have a constitutional declaration that the required amendments can be introduced, with regard to the new authority, and approved.

AN: What about national reconciliation?

Saleh: Efforts are constant and there is no dispute among Libyans over support for a political solution and a fair distribution of power and wealth. These tasks will be completed by the new authority after it is formed on the basis of the three regions.

AN: What is your view of the security and economic situations in Libya?

Saleh: The security situation is stable and under the control of the National Army. So is the economic situation. Salaries are paid regularly and food commodities are available.


URGENT ¥¥¥ Israel says its forces kill 10 militants in West Bank raid

Updated 12 sec ago
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URGENT ¥¥¥ Israel says its forces kill 10 militants in West Bank raid

“Security forces eliminated 10 terrorists during encounters” over more than 40 hours, the army said

TULKARM, Palestinian Territories: The Israeli army said Saturday security forces killed 10 militants in an ongoing raid around Nur Shams, a refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank.
“Security forces eliminated 10 terrorists during encounters” over more than 40 hours, the army said in a statement.

Emirates and flydubai resume normal operations after Dubai floods

Updated 20 April 2024
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Emirates and flydubai resume normal operations after Dubai floods

  • Emirates canceled nearly 400 flights and delayed many more as a result of a record storm that hit the desert city of Dubai

RIYADH: Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates and sister airline flydubai have restored normal operations after heavy rains caused severe flooding across the United Arab Emirates earlier this week, the airlines said on Saturday.
Emirates canceled nearly 400 flights and delayed many more as a result of a record storm that hit the desert city of Dubai on Tuesday, said a statement released by the airline’s president, Tim Clark.
Due to the impact of the storm, the airline suspended check-in for passengers departing from Dubai and halted its transit operations through Dubai International Airport, a major global travel hub, leaving thousands of travelers stranded.
The airport has struggled to return to normal operations after the storm flooded taxiways, forcing flight diversions, delays and cancelations.
Flydubai also returned to its full flight schedule from the airport’s Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 on Saturday following the weather-related disruption, a spokesperson for the airline said.
Clark said Emirates had provided 12,000 hotel rooms and 250,000 meal vouchers to customers who were affected. He added it would take days to clear the backlog of rebooked passengers.
The UAE has suffered the impact of the flooding for days, with roads between the city and Abu Dhabi still partially under water as of Saturday. In Abu Dhabi, some supermarkets and restaurants faced product shortages, unable to receive deliveries from Dubai.
Researchers have linked extreme weather events such as Tuesday’s storm to climate change and anticipate that global warming will lead to higher temperatures, increased humidity and a greater risk of flooding in parts of the Gulf region.
A lack of drainage infrastructure to cope with heavy rains in countries such as the UAE can put them at particular risk of flooding.


Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children

Updated 20 April 2024
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Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children

  • Strike late Friday hit a residential building in the western Tel Sultan neighborhood of the city of Rafah

RAFAH, Gaza Strip: An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza’s southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Israel’s war against the Islamic militant group Hamas has led to a dramatic escalation of tensions in an already volatile Middle East.
The strike late Friday hit a residential building in the western Tel Sultan neighborhood of the city of Rafah, according to Gaza’s civil defense. The bodies of the six children, two women and a man were taken to Rafah’s Abu Yousef Al-Najjar hospital, the hospital’s records showed.
At the hospital, relatives cried and hugged the bodies of the children, wrapped in white shrouds, as others comforted them.
The fatalities included Abdel-Fattah Sobhi Radwan, his wife Najlaa Ahmed Aweidah and their three children, his brother-in-law Ahmed Barhoum said. Barhoum also lost his wife, Rawan Radwan, and their 5-year-old daughter Alaa.
“This is a world devoid of all human values and morals,” Barhoum told The Associated Press Saturday morning, crying as he cradled and gently rocked the body of Alaa in his arms. “They bombed a house full of displaced people, women and children. There were no martyrs but women and children.”
No victims were registered from a second overnight strike in the city.
Rafah, which lies on the border with Egypt, currently hosts more than half of Gaza’s total population of about 2.3 million people, the vast majority of whom have been displaced by fighting further north in the territory.
Despite calls for restraint from the international community, including Israel’s staunchest ally, the United States, the Israeli government has insisted for months that it intends to push a ground offensive into the city, where it says many of the remaining Hamas militants are holed up.
Such a ground operation has not materialized so far, but the Israeli military has repeatedly carried out airstrikes on and around the city.
The war was sparked by an unprecedented raid into southern Israel by Hamas and other militant groups on Oct. 7 that left about 1,200 people dead, the vast majority of them civilians, and saw about 250 people kidnapped and taken into Gaza. Israel says about 130 hostages remain in Gaza, although more than 30 have been confirmed to now be dead, either killed on Oct. 7 or having died in captivity.
The Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday the bodies of 37 people killed by Israeli strikes were brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours. Hospitals also received 68 wounded, it said. The latest figures bring the overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war to at least 34,049, and the number of wounded to 76,901, the ministry said. Although the Hamas-run health authorities do not differentiate between combatants and civilians in their count, they say at least two thirds have been children and women.
The war has sent regional tensions spiraling, leading to a dramatic eruption of violence between Israel and its archenemy Iran that threatened to escalate into a full-blown war.
On Friday, both Iran and Israel played down an apparent Israeli airstrike near a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran, indicating the two sides were pulling back from what could have become an all-out conflict. Over the past several weeks, an alleged Israeli strike killed two Iranian generals at an Iranian consulate in Syria and was followed by an unprecedented Iranian missile barrage on Israel.
Israel has also faced off with the Hezbollah militant group, an Iranian proxy operating from Lebanon, with the two sides there frequently trading rocket and drone attacks across the Lebanese-Israeli border. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have also joined the fray, launching strikes against merchant ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
Tension has also been high in the occupied West Bank, where an Israeli military raid Friday in the Nur Shams refugee camp killed at least four Palestinians, including three militants, according to the Israeli military, Palestinian health officials and a militant group.
Palestinian health authorities said one of those killed was a 15-year-old boy shot dead by Israeli fire. The Islamic Jihad militant group confirmed the deaths of three members, including one who it said was a local military commander. The Israeli military said four Israeli soldiers were slightly wounded in the operation.
Saraya Al-Quds, the military arm of Islamic Jihad, said its fighters had engaged in heavy gunbattles Saturday morning with Israeli forces in the town of Tulkarem, adjacent to Nur Shams. No further details were immediately available. Residents in Tulkarem went went on a general strike Saturday to protest the attack on Nur Shams, with shops, restaurants and government offices all closed.
Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, more than 460 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank, Palestinian health officials say. Israel stages frequent raids into towns and cities in the volatile territory. The dead have included militants, but also stone-throwers and bystanders. Some have also been killed in attacks by Israeli settlers.


Iran FM downplays reported Israeli retaliation

Updated 20 April 2024
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Iran FM downplays reported Israeli retaliation

  • Israeli officials have made no public comment on what happened Friday
  • Overnight last Saturday-Sunday Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory

Tehran: Iran’s foreign minister has dismissed as akin to child’s play the reported Israeli retaliation for an unprecedented Iranian strike, and said Tehran would not respond unless Iranian “interests” were targeted.
On Friday, Iran’s state media reported explosions were heard after, according to an official, small drones were successfully shot down.
Media in the United States quoted officials there as saying Israel had carried out strikes in retaliation for Tehran’s drone and missile barrage fired at Israel last weekend.
“What happened last night was no attack,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told NBC News in a Friday interview.
“It was the flight of two or three quad-copters, which are at the level of toys that our children use in Iran.”
He added that, “As long as there is no new adventure on behalf of the Israeli regime against Iran’s interests, we will have no response.”
Friday’s explosions prompted world leaders to appeal for calm and de-escalation with fears of wider conflict against the backdrop of the war in Gaza which began on October 7.
Overnight last Saturday-Sunday Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory. The barrage was in response to a deadly April 1 air strike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, which Iran blamed on Israel.
The Israeli army said the vast majority of the more than 300 missiles and drones fired by Iran were shot down — with the help of the United States and other allies — and that the attack caused only minimal damage.
Israeli officials have made no public comment on what happened Friday, and analysts said both sides are looking to de-escalate, for now.
“If the Israeli regime intends to take another action against our interests, our next response will be immediate and to the maximum,” Amir-Abdollahian said in the interview.


Tehran plays down reported Israeli attacks, signals no further retaliation

Updated 20 April 2024
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Tehran plays down reported Israeli attacks, signals no further retaliation

  • United States received advance notice of Israel’s reported strike on Iran, reports US media
  • Countries around the world called on both sides to avert further escalation amid tensions

DUBAI/JERUSALEM: Explosions echoed over an Iranian city on Friday in what sources described as an Israeli attack, but Tehran played down the incident and indicated it had no plans for retaliation — a response that appeared gauged toward averting region-wide war.

The limited scale of the attack and Iran’s muted response both appeared to signal a successful effort by diplomats who have been working round the clock to avert all-out war since an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel last Saturday.

Iranian media and officials described a small number of explosions, which they said resulted from Iran’s air defenses hitting three drones over the city of Isfahan. Notably, they referred to the incident as an attack by “infiltrators,” rather than by Israel, obviating the need for retaliation.

An Iranian official said there were no plans to respond against Israel for the incident.

“The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more toward infiltration than attack,” the official said.

Israel said nothing about the incident. It had said for days it was planning to retaliate against Iran for Saturday’s strikes, the first ever direct attack on Israel by Iran in decades of shadow war waged by proxies which has escalated throughout the Middle East through six months of battle in Gaza.

The United States received advance notice of Israel’s reported strike on Iran but did not endorse the operation or play any part in its execution, US media quoted officials as saying.

NBC and CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter and a US official, respectively, said Israel had provided Washington with pre-notification of the strike.

Various networks cited officials confirming a strike had taken place inside Iran, with CNN quoting one official as stating the target was not a nuclear facility.

The two longstanding foes had been heading toward direct confrontation since a presumed Israeli airstrike on April 1 that destroyed a building in Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus and killed several Iranian officers including a top general.

Iran’s response, with a direct attack on Israel, was unprecedented but caused no deaths and only minor damage because Israel and its allies shot down hundreds of missiles and drones.

Allies including the United States had since been pressing hard to ensure any further retaliation would be calibrated not to provoke a spiral of hostilities. The British and German foreign ministers visited Jerusalem this week, and Western countries tightened sanctions on Iran to mollify Israel.

In a sign of pressure within Israel’s hard-right government for a stronger response, Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right national security minister tweeted a single word after Friday’s strikes: “Feeble!.”

Countries around the world called on Friday for both sides to avert further escalation.

“It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action,” EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said. Similar calls came from Beijing and from Arab states in the region.

In financial markets, global shares eased, oil prices surged and US bond yields fell as traders worried about the risks.

NO MENTION OF ISRAEL

Within Iran, news reports on Friday’s incident made no mention of Israel, and state television carried analysts and pundits who appeared dismissive about the scale.

An analyst told state TV that mini drones flown by “infiltrators from inside Iran” had been shot down by air defenses in Isfahan.

Shortly after midnight, “three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan. The air defense system became active and destroyed these drones in the sky,” Iranian state TV said.

Senior army commander Siavosh Mihandoust was quoted by state TV as saying air defense systems had targeted a “suspicious object.”

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had warned Israel before Friday’s strike that Tehran would deliver a “severe response” to any attack on its territory.

Iran told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that Israel “must be compelled to stop any further military adventurism against our interests” as the UN secretary-general warned that the Middle East was in a “moment of maximum peril.”

By morning, Iran had reopened airports and airspace that were shut during the strikes.

Still, there was alarm over security in Israel and elsewhere. The US Embassy in Jerusalem restricted US government employees from travel outside Jerusalem, greater Tel Aviv and Beersheba “out of an abundance of caution.”

In a statement, the embassy warned US citizens of a “continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness as security incidents often take place without warning.”

Israel’s assault on Gaza began after Hamas Islamists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s military offensive has killed about 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gazan health ministry.

Iran-backed groups have declared support for Palestinians, carrying out attacks from Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq, raising fears the Gaza conflict could grow into a wider regional war.