Trump Backed Libyan Strongman's Attack on Tripoli, U.S. Officials Say
Source: Bloomberg
President Donald Trump indicated in a phone call with Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar last week that the U.S. supported an assault on the country’s capital to depose its United Nations-backed government, according to American officials familiar with the matter.
An earlier call from White House National Security Adviser John Bolton also left Haftar with the impression of a U.S. green light for an offensive on Tripoli by his forces, known as the Libyan National Army, according to three diplomats.
Trump’s April 15 call with Haftar, whom the White House addresses by the title “Field Marshal,” was publicly announced on Friday. The revelation that the U.S. president had tacitly recognized Haftar as an authority figure in Libya abruptly undermined the country’s internationally-recognized government led by Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj.
Trump’s conversation with Haftar took place after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with the U.S. president on April 9 and urged him to back Haftar, according to two people familiar with the matter. Trump also spoke with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a Haftar supporter, the day before the White House issued the statement acknowledging the call with Haftar.
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-24/trump-libya-haftar-tripoli
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