Egypt and UAE launch secret airstrikes in the war over Libya's oil

Libya War Continues Three Years After Gaddafi Assassination
Egypt, UAE launch airstrikes as rebel forces battle for control
October 21, 2014

Two regional states which participated in the imperialist-engineered war against Libya, - Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), - have been carrying out periodic airstrikes against alleged “Islamist” strongholds in various locations in the east and west. Also the former renegade Gen. Khalifa Hefter, a longtime Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) asset, has mounted a bid for power utilizing sophisticated weapons and air strikes.

A dispute over who could actually sell Libyan oil on the international market was eventually addressed by the U.S. when it sent a naval warship to reclaim cargo traded by interests inside the country who were not endorsed by Washington.

Unrest has erupted again surrounding which political group claiming authority in Libya would control the proceeds from oil sales. Both the parties controlling the capital of Tripoli who are often labelled as “Islamists” and the “government in exile” in the eastern city of Tobruk, say they are entitled to the revenue generated from the trade in oil.

The response of aerial bombardments from Egypt and the UAE will only further the generalized sense of lawlessness and terror.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/libya-war-continues-three-years-after-gaddafi-assassination/5409010

The UAE Has Been Secretly Sending Warplanes To Bomb Islamists In Libya
August. 26, 2014

The United Arab Emirates has secretly sent warplanes on bombing raids against Islamist militias in Libya over the past week, using bases in Egypt

The strikes signaled a step toward direct action by regional Arab states that previously have fought proxy wars in Libya, Syria and Iraq in a struggle for power and influence.

"The UAE carried out those strikes,"

The UAE -- which has spent billions on US-manufactured warplanes and other advanced weaponry -- provided the military aircraft, aerial refueling planes and aviation crews to bomb Libya, while Cairo offered access to its air bases, the paper said.

But it remained unclear whether and to what degree Egypt and the UAE had informed the Americans in advance of the airstrikes.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates view Islamist militants in the region as a serious threat and have forged cooperation against what they see as a common danger.

Without mentioning any air strikes by the UAE and Egypt, the statement said "outside interference in Libya exacerbates current divisions and undermines Libya's democratic transition."

The air strikes also underscored how Washington's old allies are more willing to act on their own, without backing from the Americans.

Saudi and UAE leaders in particular have expressed concern that Washington can no longer be counted on, citing US diplomatic overtures to Iran and a cautious approach to the Syrian conflict.

The strikes in and around Tripoli demonstrated the UAE's readiness to employ its air power, as the Emirates have built up one of the region's most proficient air forces with American gear and training.

About 5, 000 American troops are based in the Emirates, most of them airmen stationed at Al-Dhafra Air Base.

http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-uae-aircraft-bombed-islamists-in-libya-us-says-2014-8