Rival Libyan factions sign deal, Gen. Haftar appeals for arms against ISIL

Rival Libyan factions sign deal, Gen. Haftar appeals for arms against ISIL

Special to WorldTribune.com Libya’s rival factions on Dec. 17 signed a UN-brokered agreement to form a unity government. Gen. Khalifa Haftar, the military commander for what had been the internationally recognized government in Tobruk, said he hoped the deal would lead to the end of a UN arms embargo as Libya faces a growing threat […]

Libya hell: Prime minister says he’ll resign as Gadhafi loyalists re-emerge

Libya hell: Prime minister says he’ll resign as Gadhafi loyalists re-emerge

Special to WorldTribune.com In the midst of ongoing chaos which has seen Libya fragmented into two competing governments and militias battling for control of the country’s oil wealth, Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani has vowed to resign and supporters of former strongman Col. Moammar Gadhafi have established a new foothold. Thani, who heads Libya’s internationally recognized […]

Rival factions expected to sign UN agreement on Libyan unity government

Rival factions expected to sign UN agreement on Libyan unity government

Special to WorldTribune.com Libya’s two rival governments are expected to endorse a UN-brokered unity government following a meeting Sunday on neutral territory in Morocco. The North African nation, beset by chaos, instability and violence since Col. Moammar Gadhafi was overthrown in 2011, had been split into two governments, one based in Tripoli and one in […]

U.S. calls on Muslim allies Turkey and Morocco to train Libya’s ‘weak’ military

U.S. calls on Muslim allies Turkey and Morocco to train Libya’s ‘weak’ military

Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — U.S. officials said the Obama administration has reached out to Muslim allies within and outside NATO to help rebuild Libya’s military. The officials cited Morocco and Turkey, the latter which recently completed a training course for Libyan soldiers. “The Libyan institutions across the board are very, very weak after the […]

Libyan violence blamed for delays in offshore drilling projects

Libyan violence blamed for delays in offshore drilling projects

Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — Libya, racked by militia violence, has again been informed of a delay in Western energy projects. France’s Total announced a delay in energy offshore exploration in Libya, planned for this month. Executives said the delay, attributed to technical difficulties, could last into September. “There are issues here, and one of […]

Report: Lawless Libya ‘awash in weapons’, out of control

Report: Lawless Libya ‘awash in weapons’, out of control

Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — NATO has become quietly concerned over the collapse of authority in Libya. Diplomats and non-government organizations have reported increasing violence in Libya since the election of the nation’s first parliament. They said the government in Tripoli has lost control over most of the North African state, including much of the […]

Libyan revolution spells disaster for Russian defense contractor

Libyan revolution spells disaster for Russian defense contractor

Special to WorldTribune.com MOSCOW — A leading Russian defense contractor has reported the loss of contracts in Libya. The state-owned Russian Tactical Missiles has lost nearly $800 million in contracts with the Libyan military. The company, which reported $390 million in sales last year, attributed the losses to the revolt that overthrew and killed Col. […]

Report confirms Gadhafi concealed chemical weapons stockpile

Report confirms Gadhafi concealed chemical weapons stockpile

Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — Libya, despite its 2003 agreement with the West, has maintained a hidden stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Libya maintained a stockpile of chemical weapons not reported to the international community. OPCW said the amount of chemical munitions far exceeded that […]

New Libyan PM confirms UN report: Gadhafi had ‘large quantity of … non-conventional weapons’

New Libyan PM confirms UN report: Gadhafi had ‘large quantity of … non-conventional weapons’

Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — Libya’s new government has confirmed that ousted Col. Moammar Gadhafi kept chemical weapons in the North African state. Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said chemical weapons (CW) have been found in the military arsenal of the late Gadhafi. Jibril said his interim government planned to cooperate to remove the weapons […]