Thursday, January 23, 2020
The Battle for Libya's Oil Rages -- Could it Cause WW3 ??
The battle to control Libya's oil reserves, the largest in Africa, has taken a new twist – which is turning off the lifeblood of the Libyan economy. Libya's oil production has slowed to a near halt after forces loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar blockaded ports and stopped pipelines. Production has slumped from 1.3 million barrels a day to less than 70 thousand. And it costs 77 million a day in lost revenues. The country has been forced to declare Force Majeure and avoid legal obligations to comply with international contracts . Every day without a resolution pushed Libya closer towards an economic crisis. Libya is already suffering shortages of basic necessities such as gas for domestic use, even though it is a producer. The oil squeeze will only make matters worse. Shortages of essential goods and price hikes are expected to follow. Libyans depend on 100% on imports from abroad, and without oil revenues, prices are rising astronomically. Oil is Libya's only industry and only export. The country and its backers are split between two rival governments. One in Tripoli, which is the seat of the UN-backed government of Fayez al Serraj. The other is in Tobruk, which is the base of the Libyan National Army led by General Khalifa Haftar. Germany and the European Union are pushing for stability in Libya to help stem the flow of migrants, making the journey across the Mediterranean. But it's a multi-layered conflict involving Russia, Turkey, the US, and the Arab world, and there are no easy solutions. Welcome to The Atlantis Report. Almost eight years after the fall of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the country is deeply divided between east and west. A war economy has enriched armed groups, and a battle to control the country's oil fields is ongoing. Libya's $80 Billion in oil revenues and foreign reserves are managed by the government in Tripoli. But General Khalifa Haftar, who has seized oil fields in the south and in the east of the country, has set up a parallel government in the east and his forces are advancing on Tripoli - igniting fears of renewed war. And as the country's debt keeps piling up, there seems to be very little inclination for all sides to come together. But who is funding Haftar? Who controls Libya's oil? What's the state of the economy in the divided nation. And what is at the heart of the ongoing conflict? The war is for oil control in Libya. The situation is really escalating, with a lot is suffering, and the war seems like it will not stop soon. Russia in the process of taking another country. The troops being put in Libya are Russian very big trouble in the making. Turkish troops would be deployed to back up the forces of the internationally recognized government in Libya's capital Tripoli. The city is surrounded by soldiers loyal to the powerful warlord Khalifa Haftar. His troops are fighting in the suburbs, and have yet to launch a general assault on the capital. Some 2000 people have been killed so far. Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France, and The Emirates all support general Haftar. So who will get their hands on Libya's oil? In all likelihood, we will know after the impending battle for control of Tripoli. General Haftar is approaching Tripoli. As a result, Turkish activity suddenly started on behalf of the Libyan government based in the Libyan capital. Everything suggests that Libya's oil control will play out in the next phase of the war. Only Turkey and Qatar really support the Tripoli government. For those who are not clear about the Libyan situation, it should be remembered that Haftar has so far never managed to enter Tripoli, where the UN-backed National Agreement Government (GNA) resides but is condemned to defeat. In fact, the only true foreign friend he has, willing to come to his aid militarily, is Turkey. On the contrary, General Haftar is concretely supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia but also, more secretly, by France. The latter supports Haftar with a double policy made up of words with the GNA (internationally recognized) but effective support for the general. In addition, Haftar controls oil, although it does not control the revenue from it. The problem for Haftar is that taking Tripoli will require airstrikes on the capital and land clashes in the final battle. In the latter case, Haftar is at a disadvantage because he does not have enough soldiers willing to fight on the streets against the militias. But, if the airstrikes are effective, he can then buy the support of some militias, always on sale to the highest bidder. Turkey signed an agreement last week with the GNA on the maritime borders of the Mediterranean Sea, becoming the bulwark in Libya's fight against Cyprus for offshore oil and gas explorations. In addition, Turkey has signed a new defense agreement with the GNA for indefinite military and logistical support. It is not yet clear whether Turkey will be involved in the land clashes (where 800 Russian mercenaries would also be against it), but it is, for the moment, an unlikely hypothesis. Important geopolitical interests in the Mediterranean are at stake .We are faced with an oil war involving the entire region, including Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and Egypt, all with important interests in oil and gas in these waters. In any case, the moment of the final battle is approaching , and it seems that the oil multinationals have bet on Haftar. Will he and his powerful allies win the oil war in Libya , or will it return to a stalemate like in recent months? Now, the word goes to arms. After the international conference in Berlin was held on January 19, Germany is seeking to consolidate fragile advances towards appeasement in Libya. For various reasons. It is too simple to analyze the Libyan conflict as "a proxy war of the multinational oil companies," as the German radical left (Die Linke) does, writes Die Tageszeitung (Taz). And yet, the Berlin newspaper close to environmentalists headlines this Tuesday, January 21, on Libyan oil and explains: “Oil finances the conflict in Libya. And oil is decisive for real peace to be established after the Berlin conference [on Sunday, January 19]. ”But he is careful not to harbor the illusion that the expulsion of the two main rival oil groups, the Italian ENI, and its French rival Total, solves the problem. Admittedly, la Taz emphasizes, “France wants more access to Libyan oil, and Italy defends its market shares, but the parties in conflict in Libya are also betting on oil - for power and for money.” It would be wrong, however, adds the daily, to ignore the fact that there are "several problems of equal importance in Libya." Starting to see a pattern here? In the past, there was only one game in town. The USA, with its vassal states, had a monopoly on rape and pillage. Now there are other players on the field. The Military-Industrial Complex /Deep State destroys countries , and the Russians/Chinese move in and take over the business. And It turns out that the Americans are the best friends of the Chinese and Russians since they pay all the bills for the party. I love how Russia and China walk in later and mop up the mess the US creates , and the US taxpayer foots the bill. It's pure epic horse crap. Another BRILLIANT foreign policy success thanks to HRC, BHO, the CIA, the Deep State, and the MIC. "We came, we saw, and we destroyed a nation for a generation! This Was The Atlantis Report. Please Like. Share. And Subscribe. Thank You.
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