America-Russia rivalry resumes
Former Cold War superpowers vie for influence in Libya
IT APPEARS the former Cold War rivalry between Russia and the US is repositioning itself in the Middle East as the two superpowers vie for influence in Libya, an extension of what they are doing in Syria. The new American administration under President Donald Trump plans to put Libya on the US radar following comments by a senior American general that Russia was vying for influence in the country.
The head of the US Africa Command (Africom), Marine General Thomas Waldhauser, told the US Senate’s foreign affairs committee recently that “Russia is trying to exert influence on the ultimate decision of who becomes, and what entity becomes, in charge of the government inside Libya,” the Libya Herald reported on Monday.
Waldhauser’s comments follow Moscow’s involvement in talks with key parties in Libya, including the head of the Libyan National Army, Khalifa Haftar, who visited a Russian aircraft carrier off the Libyan coast last year where talks were held with the head of the UN-recognised Presidency Council, Fayez Serraj.
Washington’s alarm at Russia’s growing influence was further heightened following an agreement between state-owned Russian oil firm Rosneft and Libya’s National Oil Corporation.
The Americans also believe Russia could be taking sides in Libya’s civil war just as it has in Syria and, furthermore, could be supporting militia groups who are fighting groups being supported by the US.
These developments follow Egyptian and diplomatic reports of the Russians deploying special forces to an air base in western Egypt, near the border with Libya, over the past few days. Egyptian security sources further described a 22-member Russian special forces unit, but declined to discuss its mission.
US and diplomatic officials stated that any such Russian deployment could be part of a further bid to support Haftar, who suffered a setback with an attack on March 3 by the Benghazi Defence Brigades on oil ports controlled by his forces.
Retired Israeli military analyst, Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Segall, from the Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs, said Russia had been ramping up its involvement in the Libyan socio-political crisis, which has been ongoing since the removal and death of the late Muammar Gaddafi.
Furthermore, argued Segall, Russia appeared to be setting up its pawns in the Middle East as part of its overall strategy of regaining its superpower status.