Power without a throne: how Khalifa Haftar controls Libya
The piece examines how Khalifa Haftar, an 82-year-old military commander, has become Libya's de facto ruler without holding official office, controlling oil fields, migration routes, and military forces while forcing both domestic and international actors to maintain the fiction that he serves under legitimate governments.
Summary
This Guardian Long Read explores the complex power structure in post-Gaddafi Libya, centered on General Khalifa Haftar's shadow rule. The article begins with a 2025 incident where senior European officials were humiliated at Benghazi airport when Haftar refused them access unless they first legitimized the eastern government he controls. This exemplifies Libya's central paradox: to reach the country's most powerful man, one must pretend he isn't the most powerful man.
The piece traces Haftar's journey from his early days as a Gaddafi loyalist through his capture in Chad in 1987, his recruitment by the CIA as a 'Libyan Contra,' his two decades in Virginia, and his eventual return during the 2011 revolution. The author reveals how Haftar likely betrayed both the CIA and Libyan opposition movements in the 1990s while maintaining secret ties to Gaddafi.
After arriving late to the 2011 revolution that didn't need him, Haftar waited for his opportunity. In 2014, he launched 'Operation Dignity' against Islamists, backed by Egypt, UAE, and later Russia. He gradually accumulated control over oil terminals, military forces, and territory while maintaining the fiction of serving under the eastern parliament. His system relies on enforced silence - dissent is classified as terrorism, and disappearances are common.
The article details Haftar's failed 2019 assault on Tripoli, his use of Russian mercenaries, and his role in flooding Libya's economy with counterfeit currency. Now 82, Haftar faces succession challenges as he attempts to transfer power to his sons, who have divided various aspects of control between them, though the system was built for one man, not five.
Key Insights
- Haftar operates a system where he controls everything that matters in Libya - oil fields, migration routes, military bases - while forcing everyone to pretend he serves under legitimate governments rather than ruling directly
- European officials seeking to address migration crises must legitimize governments they don't recognize in order to access Haftar, exposing the fictional nature of Libya's political structure
- Haftar likely betrayed both CIA operations and Libyan opposition movements in the 1990s while maintaining secret relationships with Gaddafi, demonstrating his pattern of playing multiple sides
- The author argues that Libya represents the consequences of intervention focused on removing dictators while forgetting the people, creating a cautionary tale about regime change operations
- Haftar's power system relies on enforced silence where any criticism can be classified as terrorism and result in disappearances, with even parliamentarians vanishing for dissent
- Foreign powers including Russia, UAE, and Egypt maintain the diplomatic fiction by officially recognizing Tripoli's government while actually supporting Haftar's shadow rule
- Haftar flooded Libya's economy with nearly 10 billion counterfeit dinars to finance his forces and provide hard currency to Russian mercenaries, forcing the central bank to absorb the fraud silently
- The succession plan dividing power among Haftar's five sons faces inherent instability since the system was designed for one ruler, not multiple heirs with competing interests and no shared ideology
Topics
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